Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/772143
by Therese Dunphy | Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com 6 AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2017 To keep up to date with news from the United States and Canada, visit www.AggMan.com for daily updates. STATE & PROVINCE NEWS MAINE Harold MacQuinn Inc. withdrew its appeal of an order to stop work at its quarry in the village of Hall Quarry. The Mount Desert Islander reports that a code enforcement officer issued the order after the company that leases the property resumed quarrying there this summer. There are differing opinions among the parties as to whether the operation is grandfathered into use. The newspaper reports that a 2013 ordinance that bans quarrying allows it for existing operations, if they obtain a license from the town. MacQuinn applied for a license two years ago. Its request is still pending. MacQuinn's attorney said that the owner will address the withdrawal order following a decision on the pending application. No date has been set for the planning board to consider the application. ILLINOIS The Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) will hold its Annual Con- vention and Aggregate Miner Safety Conference on Feb. 21-23 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield. Topics for the conference include risk tolerance, MSHA's priority issues and safety concerns, rigging safety, blasting safety, supervisor responsibilities, fall protection, and more. A sustainability reception and expo featuring associate members' product and services will also be part of the convention. For more information, visit www.iaap-aggregates.org. NEW JERSEY Despite some backlash from voters, two Bloomingdale incumbents who supported the expansion of the Tilcon Quarry there were re-elected. NorthJersey.com reports that council representatives Dawn Hudson and Anthony Costa were both re-elected despite the quarry issue being center to their opponents' campaigns. Costa told the news agency that the operation's deeding of 32 acres to the borough for construction of 360 housing units will generate "substantial revenues." He also said that voters were more con- cerned with controlling taxes than the quarry issue. OKLAHOMA In November, 40/29 News reported that a 21-year-old Sal- lisaw man drowned while swimming in a Le Flore County quarry. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol say the body of Jacob Lewis was recovered in 19 feet of water a day after he disappeared. Other swimmers tried to grab him when he struggled in the water, but were unable to hold him. TENNESSEE CALIFORNIA MAINE Sixteen people spoke about Aggregates USA's pro- posed expansion of its quarry in Blountville. The Bristol Herald Courier reports that most spoke in favor of the expansion, which would extend the life of the quarry by five years. The company's request to rezone two parcels of land it owns adjacent to the quarry were approved by a 14-to-9 vote of the Sullivan Coun- ty Commission. While some said they were concerned about the impacts of blasting, noise and air pollution, and property values, others said the quarry was an essential business partner. Previously, the rezoning re- quest had been approved by the Sullivan County Plan- ning Commission, but not approved by the Kingsport County Planning Commission. The operator will now present details on plans for the parcels to the county's Board of Zoning Appeals. In mid-November, firefighters responded to a blaze at Black Mountain Quarry in Apple Valley. The Daily Press reports that Apple Valley Fire Protection personnel responded to the fire at around 9:45 p.m. on Nov. 15. Multiple units responded to the call and were told that multiple explosions were occurring. The first engine on the scene found a trailer engulfed in flames. The trailer contained flammable liquids, solvents, and grease. Additional en- gines arrived and were able to control the fire quickly. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) obtained a permanent injunction against Sullivan Granite Co. and its owner, Conrad J. Smith, accord- ing to the Bangor Daily News. The injunction "bars Smith and his company from refusing entry to the Mine Safety and Health Admin- istration inspectors and otherwise hindering or delaying the depart- ment in carrying out its duties under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977." As part of its settlement with the DOL, the com- pany also agreed to correct safety violations from 2015 and 2016. The two parties have been at odds for years, but the matter came to a head after DOL officials say Smith hindered inspections in August 2015 and September 2015 and again refused access in December 2015 after they received a temporary restraining order. SOUTH CAROLINA Approximately 3.7 million tons of crushed stone are being barged in for construction of the Leatherman Terminal. According to The Post & Courier, a series of five barges are transporting shipments of aggregates from a quarry in Newfoundland to the North Charleston site. The stone is being placed within a containment wall that extends into the Cooper River. That area will be paved and used to store cargo boxes moving to and from ships when the terminal opens in 2019. The States Ports Authority (SPA) opted for the stone shipments to work around truck limits that prohibited its typical use of sand and dirt base. The stone is 50 percent heavier and meets construction quality specs, so leftover stone can be sold to help recoup costs. The $762 million project is the SPA's most expensive capi- tal improvement project as it prepares to better accom- modate container ships.