August 11, 2013 – New construction starts are forecast to rise 6 percent this year to $506 billion, according to the Midyear Update to the 2013 Construction Outlook from McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. This is the same rate of increase for total construction starts that was predicted last October, and follows the 8 percent gain…
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Transportation Funding Bills on Verge
July 31, 2013 – Congress is doing something right today. The U.S. Senate continued consideration of its FY’14 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill (S.1243), the spending measure covering nearly all U.S. Department of Transportation programs, according to NSSGA. The $54 billion bill is $2.3 billion more than the FY’13 enacted level and nearly $10 billion more than…
Read MoreFinancing Roads in Illinois
July 30, 2013 – There is an interesting development in road-construction financing in Illinois. According to the Illinois Association of Aggregates Producers, in order to maintain the state’s commitment to infrastructure investment, and support continued private sector economic growth, the Transportation for Illinois Coalition (TFIC) proposed an $800 million annual increase in user fees to be used solely for on-going maintenance of transportation…
Read MoreMcCarthy Confirmed
July 19, 2013 – Environmental Protection Agency official Gina McCarthy won Senate confirmation to head the agency in a 59 to 40 vote.
Read MoreBoy Scout Mining Merit Badge in Development
July 15, 2013 – Mining and the Boy Scouts would not normally go together, but pretty soon, the two will have a great working relationship. The Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration announced that it has obtained approval to be the lead organization for the development of a new Boy Scout Merit Badge.
Read MoreSwitching Sides
July 8, 2013 – Rock Products’ legal editors are moving to a new firm! Attorneys Henry Chajet, Mark Savit, Brian Hendrix, Robert Horn and Avi Meyerstein have moved to Jackson Lewis, one of the nation’s most prestigious workplace law firms. They have joined forces with Jackson Lewis’ 750+ attorneys practicing in 53 locations throughout the United States.
Read MoreBored with Wallboard
July 1, 2013 – In keeping with its previously announced strategy to focus on its core businesses: cement, aggregates and ready-mix concrete, Lafarge announces the sale of its subsidiary’s North American Gypsum assets at an enterprise value of $700 million to an affiliate of Lone Star Funds.
Read MoreNonfuel Minerals Mining Stays Level
June 25, 2013 – According to USGS, total domestic mining and waste removal for nonfuel mineral materials production amounted to 5.04 billion metric tons (gt) in 2011, about the same level as the revised figure for 2010. These materials included about 3.75 gt of crude ore mined or quarried and 1.29 gt of mine ore and waste from development operations.…
Read MoreCement Production up in First Quarter
June 18, 2013 – It’s a case of down, but up. Total shipments of portland and blended cement in the United States and Puerto Rico for March 2013 were about 5.8 million metric tons (Mt), according to USGS. This was nearly 3 percent less than shipments in March 2012.
Read MoreEPA, Transportation Confirmations in Holding Pattern
June 10, 2013 – According to NSSGA, it does not appear that the nominations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx will be moving anytime soon – but for different reasons. McCarthy’s nomination has caused quite a bit of heartburn for many in the Senate’s GOP from the onset.
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