MSHA reported that on March 5, a miner at Calhoun Quarry #1, Jersey, Ill., was fatally injured at a surface mine when flyrock from blasting operations struck him. The miner was assisting in detonating the explosives. This is the 10th fatality reported in 2025, and the first classified as “Explosives and Breaking Agents.” MSHA recommends the following best practices to…
Read MoreTag: Surface Mine
MSHA Reports Seventh Fatality of 2024
MSHA reported that on May 16, a worker at a surface mine died when the excavator he was operating traveled over a 200-ft. highwall. This is the seventh fatality reported in 2024, and the second classified as “Machinery.” MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
Read MorePermitting Battle
Jan. 4, 2024 – There is an interesting article in Birmingham Watch, entitled, “In Alabama, What Does It Take to Shut Down a Surface Mine Operating Without Permits?” The article begins, “When state environmental regulators in June approached the president of Rock Creek Stone, an Alabama-based sandstone quarry along Rock Creek, they were clear that a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and…
Read More