Aug. 4, 2018 – Then there is this news item. Australia will work with Japan and the United States to invest in infrastructure development and other projects in the Indo-Pacific region. The three countries formed a partnership for that purpose, judging that “more support is needed to enhance peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Australian government said in a…
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Shuster Poised to Release Infrastructure Bill Framework
July 23, 2018 – There are once again rumblings regarding an infrastructure bill. House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster told Politico that he will soon release a framework proposal. Shuster said his discussion draft would “cover all the bases in infrastructure” and “deal with all the policy pieces,” including pay-fors. With his retirement looming, Shuster has the added benefit of being able to go…
Read MoreRepeal the California Gas Tax?
July 17, 2018 – Last year in California, legislators enacted a 12-cents-per-gal. gas tax hike to boost funding to repair California’s decaying roads and bridges. But now, Proposition 6, which will be on the ballot in November, seeks to repeal that gas tax. It looks to be an epic clash that crosses ideological boundaries. Read about it here.
Read MoreAlternative Case Resolution Initiative
July 12, 2018 – The average mining operation spends $20,000 per year on citations and penalties. Learn how to reduce or eliminate those fines for just a fraction of that recurring annual cost, by attending a seminar being offered by Rock Products‘ legal columnists Husch Blackwell. The conference will take place Nov. 6-8 in Denver. This two-and-a-half day workshop will cover the legal and…
Read MoreLafarge SA Under Investigation
July 8, 2018 – This case is getting ugly. LafargeHolcim’s subsidiary Lafarge SA has been placed under formal investigation in France over allegations it financed terrorist groups, and aided and abetted crimes against humanity in a bid to continue operating in Syria, according to news reports. A panel of examining magistrates presiding over the case relating to the operation of the…
Read MoreMartin Marietta Still Clearing Bluegrass Hurdles
April 27, 2018 – Martin Marietta Materials Inc. still has a few hurdles to clear with regard to its $1.6 billion purchase of Bluegrass Materials Co. LLC. Under an antitrust settlement the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed in D.C. federal court, Martin Marietta must divest its Suwanee, Ga., quarry and Bluegrass’ quarry in Hagerstown, Md. The deal must still be…
Read More“Howe” Would They Build Bridge to Canada?
April 10, 2018 – According to Politico, Canadian transportation minister Marc Garneau met with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, telling reporters afterward that he reiterated Canada’s commitment to working with the U.S. government on the construction of the Gordie Howe Bridge, which would connect Detroit to Windsor. He also said that Canada still firmly backs the construction of a replacement for the…
Read MoreThe 500 Lake Cook Road Connection
March 27, 2018 – I recently heard from John Fischer of Palatine, Ill., who made an interesting observation regarding Caterpillar’s new Illinois headquarters: “As one might envision the selected workers of Caterpillar comfortably making their way northward from Peoria, Ill., to their new homestead(s) in Deerfield, Ill. – along pleasing interstates built with earlier versions of the very sorts of equipment…
Read MoreLet’s Get It Right
March 16, 2018 – This just in from USGS. The envelope, please. The estimated total output of construction aggregates produced for consumption in 2017 was 2.26 billion metric tons, about the same as that in 2016. In its Mineral Commodity Summaries issued late last year, USGS estimated that in 2017, 1.33 billion tons of crushed stone and 890 million tons of construction sand…
Read MoreAGG1: Houston, We Got Products
March 1, 2018 – Houston, we got products. AGG1 – being held in Houston, March 6-8 – is the aggregates industry’s leading exposition and education resource. AGG1 features in-depth industry-focused educational programming and comprehensive exhibits that showcase the latest technologies and innovations in aggregates-related equipment, products and services. The show is co-located with the NSSGA Annual Convention and World of Asphalt Show…
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