Aggregates Producers Among Sentinels of Safety Recipients

The National Mining Association (NMA) honored outstanding achievements in mine safety and technology at MINExpo 2021.

The NMA’s Sentinels of Safety Award recognizes mining operations in 10 categories for recording the most hours in a calendar year without a single lost-time injury. A minimum of 4,000 hours is required for award consideration. The award categories reflect the safety accomplishments of both small and large mines.

Forty American mining operations – 28 mineral/metal mines and 12 coal mines – were honored with the award recognizing performance in 2019 and 2020.

“We are pleased to be able to come together once again in-person to celebrate these great accomplishments in safety,’ said Rich Nolan, NMA president and CEO. ‘The Sentinels of Safety Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in safety and, if ever there were a time to do so, it is now. When the pandemic hit, many industries shut down or stayed home. But the demand for mined materials for virtually every global supply chain never stopped and our nation’s miners remained focus on delivering for every American. The industry has come together to double-down on our safety efforts, learn about and discuss best practices with each other, and keep our miners as safe as possible throughout this pandemic; there is a great deal to celebrate in those efforts.”

Initiated in 1925 by then Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover, a former mining engineer, the Sentinels of Safety Award program remains the nation’s most prestigious recognition of mine safety and has helped foster a strong safety commitment on the part of U.S. mines.

Recipients for 2020 include the following:

Large Group Category

  • Large Coal Processing, No. 7 Mine, Warrior Met Coal Inc., Brookwood, Ala.
  • Large Metal/Nonmetal Mill, Freeport-McMoRan Chino Mines Co., Freeport-McMoRan Inc., Bayard, N.M.
  • Large Surface Coal, San Miguel Lignite Mine, NACG Texas Inc., Christine, Texas.
  • Large Underground Coal, Century Mine, Belmont County Coal Resources Inc., Beallsville, Ohio
  • Large Underground Metal, Cortez District, Nevada Gold Mines LLC, Crescent Valley, Nev.
  • Large Bank or Pit, Tabasco Pit, Upper Valley Materials LLC, Penitas, Texas.
  • Large Dredge, Briggs Plant, Fordyce Holdings Inc., Victoria, Texas.
  • Large Open Pit, Goldstrike Mine, Nevada Gold Mines LLC, Carlin, Nev.
  • Large Quarry, Pennsuco Quarry, Titan Florida LLC, Medley, Fla.
  • Large Underground Nonmetal, Intrepid Potash – East, Intrepid Potash – New Mexico LLC, Carlsbad, N.M.

Small Group Category

  • Small Coal Processing, Buckskin Mine, Buckskin Mining Co., Gillette, Wyo.
  • Small Underground Metal, Eagle Mine, Eagle Mine LLC, Champion, Mich.
  • Small Bank or Pit, Odessa Sand, Stone, Gravel, Lavette Development Corp., Ithaca, N.Y.
  • Small Dredge, Riverside Plant #11, Holliday Sand & Gravel, Lenexa, Kan.
  • Small Metal/Nonmetal Mill, Carmeuse – Portage Operation, O-N Minerals Portage Co., LLC Portage, Ind.
  • Small Open Pit, L R Chapman Inc., L R Chapman Inc., Lewisport, Ky.
  • Small Quarry, Yard 99 – Ashkum, VCNA Prairie LLC, Ashkum, Ill.
  • Small Surface Coal, Barrackville Refuse Pile, LP Mineral LLC, Barrackville, W.Va.
  • Small Underground Coal, Genesis Mine, Kentucky Land Resources Inc., Centertown, Ky.
  • Small Underground Nonmetal, Rich Hill Underground Mine & Plant, Hanson Aggregates Pennsylvania LLC, Connellsville, Pa.

In addition, on behalf of the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), NMA also recognized winners from this and last year with NIOSH’s annual Mine Safety and Health Technology Innovation Awards. Honorees are selected due to the significant advancements they have made to enhance mine safety by applying technology or improved processes in innovative ways.

The following companies were recognized for 2021:

  • Coeur Mining was recognized for developing and utilizing technology to solve the exposure and risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Matrix Design Group was recognized for combining multiple technologies to improve proximity detection for battery scoops in underground coal mines.

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