Quarry field trip comes to the students

Pennsylvania fourth-grade science curriculum includes the study of rocks and minerals, their uses, and the resulting impact on the economy and the environment. With a quarry located in Washington Township, Pa., Martin Stone Quarries Inc. has partnered for many years with Washington Elementary School to enhance the students' learning experience by hosting a specially designed field trip to their site.

When budget cuts to Pennsylvania schools forced the cancellation of the 2011 field trip, the company offered to come to the students. Programs were presented to the school's fourth-graders. Rod Martin spoke about the quarry and the production of stone, while Eric Gehman presented an introductory program about wetlands and the huge project undertaken by Martin Stone Quarries when they created a large wetlands area adjacent to one of their operations. -Darren Constantino

No highway bill coming?

In his Innovation NewsBriefs e-newsletter, Ken Orski reports some sobering news in regards to efforts by Congress to get a long-term highway bill passed. Orski says that yesterday at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood "stunned the audience by stating he thinks it very unlikely that a reauthorization bill will pass during the current session of Congress. In his view," Orski continues, "the differences between the House and the Senate are too great to be resolved in the polarized pre-election climate of the next 10 months."

Orski adds that the differences LaHood is referring to include the fact that the House is proposing a five-year bill while the Senate is equally determined to proceed with a two-year plan. Other differences include the funding mechanisms of the bills. Orski says, "The Secretary’s overtly expressed pessimism took many people by surprise, especially since in recent days there have been some encouraging signs of progress coming from Capitol Hill." –Darren Constantino

In my backyard

On paper and on ExxonMobil television commercials, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a safe process for extracting oil and natural gas from deep below the surface of the earth. In practice, the safety of the process is yet to be determined. Proponents cite the great economic potential for the United States in terms of job creation and domestic development of an abundant energy source. Opponents point to the potential for groundwater contamination, among other concerns.

The debate has implications for the aggregates industry, because a certain specification of sand high in silica content (frac sand) is used in the fracking process.

The issue concerns me, because fracking is coming to my state of Ohio, and in a big way. Marcellus and Utica Shale deposits reach west from Pennsylvania into the eastern half of Ohio. The promise of much-needed jobs for our economically depressed state has many seeing green.

I listened to Ohio Gov. John Kasich speak at a meeting of the Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association last November. Kasich says the state is mobilizing quickly to take advantage of the natural gas boom. It’s good to know that demand for this resource can greatly help the economy of my state, as well as some of the nation’s aggregate producers. However, I’m also very concerned about another important resource – the water supply.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says groundwater in Wyoming was most likely contaminated by fracking. The EPA is examining hydraulic fracturing in depth, and an initial report of the results is expected by the end of this year. A final report will be released in 2014.

On New Year’s Eve, a 4.3 magnitude earthquake centered only miles from my community rocked our house. The brief, shallow quake sounded like an explosion, and caused some damage in the area, including a long crack across my nephew’s basement wall. In Northeast Ohio, we get maybe one noticeable earthquake a decade. But this was one of 11 quakes in 2011 epicentered near an injection well where waste water from the fracking process is pumped, and it has been confirmed that the well is the cause of the quakes.

For me, the good and the bad of the fracking process is hitting close to home. –Darren Constantino

Optimizing the “rock factory”

Optimizing the “rock factory” was the common thread running throughout the 2011 Quarry Academy in San Antonio. The three-day program, operated by Sandvik Mining and Construction and Dyno Nobel, brought the latest concepts and technologies of each phase of quarry operations into an interactive series of more than 30 classes. More than 100 people attended sessions covering the blasting, crushing and material handling functions within a modern operation.

This year’s program included hands-on sessions with simulators for Sandvik’s drills and Volvo’s wheel loaders. Cemex’s New Braunfels Texas operation opened its Balcones Quarry for a tour and several demonstrations by the Sandvik and Dyno Nobel teams.

The theme of this year’s program was “Lighten Your Energy Footprint.” In line with that theme, a presentation on lean process set the tone for many of the programs’ sessions, which demonstrated how quarry processes can be analyzed, providing the raw information needed to make improvements.

The issue of safety was touched on throughout the event and was capped by a presentation by former astronaut Mike Mullane. Mullane related his experiences with the NASA space program to demonstrate the importance of documenting safety issues and keeping them at the forefront of ongoing planning.

Jeff Heinemann of Sandvik and E.J. Burke of Dyno Nobel served as hosts for the event. Heinemann said, “We were pleased to see the continued interest from the quarry community." The next Quarry Academy will take place Nov. 13-15, 2012, in San Antonio. –Darren Constantino
 

Road rules

NSSGA is following developments in a new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rule for states, requiring interstate truck drivers to provide proof from a medical professional that they are healthy enough to drive. The kicker? States failing to comply face a 5 percent cut in their federal highway funds, with that penalty doubling if they do not come into conformance the following year. Noncompliant states would have a grace period as long as they submit a plan to adopt the new rule. The deadline is Jan. 30 for drivers’ license offices to implement this requirement for truck drivers. Federal law already requires truck drivers to get medical clearance from a doctor. The new rule requires truck drivers to submit medical approval forms to state licensing offices, which are then required to enter the information into a national database. The Associated Press reported on this new rule in recent days. – Brian Richesson

Competitive fires

Martin Marietta Materials' takeover bid for Vulcan Materials has strengthened the competitive fire between the nation's two largest aggregate producers. And understandably so. The companies have been going at each other pretty good lately, since Martin Marietta announced its intentions on Dec. 12 to acquire Vulcan via an all-stock transaction valued at a reported $4.7 billion. Martin Marietta says a merger would work, creating a global leader in construction aggregates. Vulcan says it's a bad idea. To get a feel for where things stand between them, you only need to look at special web pages created by both companies that provide information on Martin Marietta's takeover attempt. Martin Marietta's information can be found at www.aggregatesleader.com. How about Vulcan's? www.realaggregatesleader.com. Say no more. – Brian Richesson

Safety reminders

Safety concerns with bulldozers and highwalls make up MSHA's latest safety alerts. A string of deaths in the mining industry linked to bulldozers and highwalls led MSHA to warn the community about potential dangers and to remind it about best practices. Meanwhile, a look at 2011 fatality statistics in the metal/nonmetal sector reveals 16 total deaths – 11 occurring at surface mines and five underground. The leading causes of these deaths were powered haulage (four) and machinery and slip/fall of person, with three each. The 16 deaths in metal/nonmetal are down from 23 in 2010. – Brian Richesson

Tolls, not taxes

No more taxes, says a skeptical American public. Not that it’s much of a surprise, but a majority of Americans believe new transportation projects should be paid for with user fees instead of tax increases, according to a new national Reason-Rupe poll of 1,200 adults on cell phones and land lines. The Reason-Rupe poll finds 77 percent of Americans oppose increasing the federal gas tax, while just 19 percent favor raising the tax, which is currently 18.4 cents a gallon. The public thinks the government wastes the gas tax money it already receives. Sixty-five percent say the government spends transportation funding ineffectively, and just 23 percent say the money is spent effectively. The survey shows Americans believe new roads and highways should be paid for by the people driving on them: 58 percent of Americans say new roads and highways should be funded by tolls. Twenty-eight percent say new road capacity should be paid for by tax increases. — Brian Richesson

Disaster dollars

Money for highways means money for aggregate producers, and 2012 brings hope of a new highway-funding bill. For the first time since the previous bill expired in 2009, I’m optimistic that a reauthorization will finally get passed. But in a presidential election year, anything can happen. Given the proposals currently on the table in the Senate and House, the funding levels in a new bill will likely be similar to those of the last bill and its numerous extensions.

Compared to short-term extensions, the benefit of a multiyear bill would be the security it brings. Aggregate producers would be more likely to hire workers and invest in capital purchases if they know the money is going to be there for the long term.

In the meantime, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will provide more than $215 million to states across the nation to cover the costs of repairing roads and bridges damaged by a variety of natural disasters.

The Federal Highway Administration will distribute the money from its emergency relief program to 34 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa and federal lands agencies to reimburse them for repairs to roads and bridges caused by storms and other catastrophic disasters.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a record 12 weather and climate disasters in 2011 each caused $1 billion or more in damages in the United States. The country was hit by everything from extreme drought, heat waves and floods to unprecedented tornado outbreaks, hurricanes, wildfires and winter storms.
Among states that will receive funding, California will receive $43.4 million for flooding and earthquakes, North Dakota will receive $31.5 million for flooding in the Devil’s Lake region and Vermont will receive $15.4 million for flooding and damage from Tropical Storm Irene.

The money will reimburse states for fixing or replacing highways, bridges and other roadway structures. Costs associated with detours, debris removal and other immediate measures necessary to restore traffic flow in impacted areas are also eligible. --Darren Constantino
 

Construction challenges

FMI, provider of management consulting and investment banking to the engineering and construction industry, released its 2012 U.S. Markets Construction Overview, offering insight into some of the engineering and construction industry’s most complex business challenges.

The publication focuses primarily on the U.S. domestic construction market, which is also a lagging reflection of the country’s economic health. The broad picture is not dramatically different from last year, FMI notes.

A few highlights include:

• The move to a greater use of P3 (public-private partnerships) project funding will be slow, but will begin to gain traction in the United States.
• Demographics continue to drive demand for healthcare, education and improving infrastructure.
• Spending for government construction is expected to decline as budget battles continue to rage in Washington and spill over to every state in the nation.
• Sustainable or green construction will drive demand for LEED-certified buildings.
• Innovation is driving efficiencies in multi-trade prefabrication and modularization construction.
• As the baby boomers age out of the work force, many firms will face succession and transition challenges.