Fixes for fines PG23
| Commission isn’t able to review PG28
|
The geology of beer PG32
November 2018 | www.AggMan.com
Your guide to profitable production
lists top sand and 16 USGS gravel producers
18
Optimize your material feed and flow
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For the first time in several years, USGS highlights the top producing sand and gravel producers.
PAGE 16 On Our Cover: Kraemer Mining & Materials’ Mike Strom helped design new plant with dual processing options. Cover photo by Kerry Clines.
Hyundai Construction Equipment offers a guarding package for its HL960HD wheel loader.
PAGE 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2018 |
VOLUME 23, NUMBER 11
COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS FEATURE ARTICLES
8
Upgrading Operations in Minnesota Kraemer Mining & Materials’ new plant allows it to process both dry and washed material in the pit.
Nation’s Top 20 Construction Sand and 16 The Gravel Producers Ranging from big producers to tribal operators to the federal government, here’s the list of the nation’s top sand and gravel producers.
18 Optimize Your Feed and Flow
Electromechanical vibrating feeders provide greater control over high-capacity feed rates.
OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED
23
Fixes for Fines.
New technology offers producers an alternative for turning fines into a saleable product.
3 Editorial Lame ducks and transportation funding. 4 Data Mining The latest financial analysis of issues impacting in the industry and Aggregates Manager’s exclusive aggregates industry outlook. 6 RollOuts Sandvik’s QE342 heavy-duty screener, and other new equipment for the aggregates market. 28 Rock Law Lack of appointments and confirmations to the Review Commission could create a logjam of appeals. 30 Advertiser Index See who’s who and where to find their products. 31 Classified Ads Aggregates industry classifieds. 32 Carved in Stone Ready to grab a cold one? Here’s a guide to how geology impacts the flavor of your favorite beers.
AGGREGATE SYSTEMS
I love changing screens! (said nobody, ever)
Get rid of the worst job! • • • • •
Change 3 decks in 1/3 the time Screens last longer so fewer changes per year No confined spaces Less chance of someone getting hurt Lower your cost per ton
Find out more about the MS612 Screen Plant www.elrus.com/ms612
November 2018
EDITORIAL
Vol. 23, No. 11
by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief, tdunphy@randallreilly.com
aggman.com /AggregatesManager /AggManEditor
Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Senior Editor: Kerry Clines
Transportation and Tribal Warfare
Online Editor: Wayne Grayson editorial@aggman.com
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Aggregates Manager TM magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly, LLC copyright 2018. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406.
I
s Congress broken? After spending a couple days on Capitol Hill, I came away from the experience wondering if our government is so broken as to nix the possibility of an infrastructure bill for the foreseeable future. To set the stage, I was there during the recent NSSGA Legislative & Policy Forum and was one member of a seven-person group visiting five members of the House of Representatives. We were there to talk about important industry issues, such as transportation funding, environmental streamlining, and funding for compliance assistance. On its face, none of the asks seem to be overreaching. All the representatives we met with were Republicans, many of whom decry the overreach of the Obama administration’s EPA. This meant that conversations on environmental streamlining had some legs. I also saw a couple representatives (or their aides) take notes on our request for safety education funding. With President Trump asking Congress to draft a bill for $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment during his State of the Union speech, I expected members to be receptive to that topic, but those expectations may have been a little high. To be fair, some of the representatives were extremely well versed on the issue and seemed genuinely interested, but one looked us straight in the face and talked of flying cars, while another declined to even discuss it. To be honest, it was more than a little maddening. Even within a single party, there was little common ground among lawmakers. At this point, transportation seems to face significant headwinds. With low unemployment, the message of job creation carries little weight. The federal deficit rose nearly 21 percent this year, making investment difficult without an offsetting tax increase (which is a non-starter for some Republicans). And the political environment is contentious, to say the least. How can an infrastructure bill gain traction? In one of two ways: through the lame duck session or through a bipartisan approach not recently seen in the halls of Washington. Conference attendees were told the lame duck session offers an opportunity. This seems plausible: House Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster is likely to push for an infrastructure bill until the last day of his term. The second option may seem like more of a longshot, but — while partisanship has given way to tribalism — infrastructure investment is one of the few issues popular with both parties. Watching camaraderie between Shuster and Peter DiFazio, the ranking Democrat on the T&I committee, gave me a glimmer of hope that members of Congress can set aside partisan bickering and get back to the business of governance. As a secondgeneration champion of transportation issues, Shuster says it best: “Infrastructure is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It’s an American issue.” AM
AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
3
mining
Company Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V.
Diesel Fuel
Prices 10/8/18
United States $3.385 One Week +0.072 One Year +0.609
New England $3.344 One Week +0.039 One Year +0.593
Central Atlantic $3.531 One Week +0.084 One Year +0.612
Lower Atlantic $3.243 One Week +0.063 One Year +0.531
Midwest $3.351 One Week +0.073 One Year +0.613
Gulf Coast $3.169 One Week +0.090 One Year +0.570
Rocky Mountain $3.390 One Week +0.023 One Year +0.534
West Coast $3.866 One Week +0.064 One Year +0.778
West Coast less California $3.558 One Week -0.052 One Year +0.565
California $4.111 One Week +0.073 One Year +0.945 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (dollars per gallon, prices include all taxes).
$6.34
$5.72
52-Week High $8.51
CRG
$32.92
$30.19
$37.80
EXP
$83.52
$81.25
$122.49
Granite Construction Inc.
GVA
$43.91
$40.76
$68.58
HEI
$73.24
$72.98
$110.52
$9.23
$9.07
$12.59
HCMLY
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.
MLM
$182.82
$180.54
$241.33
MDU Resources Group, Inc.
MDU
$26.29
$24.29
$29.62
Summit Materials
SUM
$17.23
$16.18
$34.06
United States Lime & Minerals, Inc.
USLM
$78.00
$70.56
$101.40
U.S. Concrete
USCR
$41.49
$39.21
$86.35
Vulcan Materials Co.
VMC
$110.67
$106.10
$141.20
Source: Wall Street Journal Market Watch. Currency conversion calculated on date of close 10/9/18.
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
East Coast $3.360 One Week +0.068 One Year +0.567
52-Week Low
Eagle Materials Inc.
LafargeHolcim Ltd. ADR
U.S.
CX
Current Value
CRH plc
HeidelbergCement AG
On-Highway
Ticker
F
or the second quarter, ended June 30, Martin Marietta (MLM) reported total revenues of $1.2 billion, a 13-percent increase over the same quarter in the prior year. Its adjusted earnings of $185 million were up from $142 million in the second quarter of 2017. “Our record-setting second-quarter results, which were driven by increased shipments, pricing improvements, and growth initiatives, extend Martin Marietta’s lengthy track record of operational excellence, disciplined execution of our strategic plan, and shareholder value creation,” said Ward Nye, president and CEO, in a press release. Aggregates revenues Martin Marietta (MLM) of $665 million were up 15.1 percent over the second quarter of 2017, reflecting volume growth of 11.3 percent and pricing growth of 3.5 percent. Heritage volume and pricing improved 3.4 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively. From a regional basis, shipments in its Mid-America Group heritage operations increased 4.6 percent, with price gains of 6.3 percent; shipments in its Southeast Group heritage operations increased 3.4 percent but were hampered by weather and railroad inefficiencies, which limited price gains to 1.5 percent; shipments in the West Group improved 2.0 percent with price gains of 3.2 percent. By market, aggregate shipments to the infrastructure market grew by 2 percent, driven by public projects in North Carolina. These shipments reflect 40 percent of second-quarter aggregates volumes, 3 percent below the company’s five-year average in this sector. Shipments to the non-residential market increased 6 percent and represent 33 percent of second-quarter aggregates volumes. Shipments to the residential market increased 11 percent, with six of the company’s key states ranking among the top 10 in the nation for growth in single-family housing starts. These shipments represent 22 percent of second-quarter aggregates shipments. The ChemRock/Rail market represents the remaining 5 percent of the quarter’s shipments. This segment was down 21 percent. “We believe the United States is in the midst of a construction recovery that will continue through the remainder of 2018 and beyond. Consistent with our forecasts at the beginning of the year, we expect construction activity to accelerate during the second half of this year, with faster growth in our key geographies due to these regions’ attractive drivers and population trends,” Nye said. “We expect the disciplined execution of our strategic plan will continue to create shareholder value as we elevate Martin Marietta from an aggregates industry leader to a globally recognized world-class organization.”
Source: Market Watch
Data
STOCK REPORT
AGGREGATES INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Aggregates Industry Outlook The October Aggregates Industry Index registered its highest gain since February, climbing 4.42 percent from September to 136.65. A sharp increase in reports for monthly sales (+15.8 percent) drove the upturn, followed by expectations for strong sales during the next quarter (+9.0 percent). These forward-looking indicators come as many publicly held companies faced declining stock prices, with some near their 52-week lows.
150 138.44
145 140
136.65
134.94
133.44
132.22
130.86
135 138.89
130
135.83
125
132.73
129.35
120 115
134.72
121.45
110 105 100 Nov. 2017
Dec. 2017
Jan. 2018
Feb. 2018
March 2018
April 2018
May 2018
June 2018
July 2018
Aug. 2018
Sept. 2018
Oct. 2018
The recent USMCA trade agreement has calmed some tariff fears in the marketplace. Customers are still cautious about 2019 demand and regulations, but all comment material/project/order backlog will carry production through March/April 2019. — Jason Hurdis, Senior Market Professional, Caterpillar
Editor’s note: To join our panel, email Editor-in-Chief Therese Dunphy at tdunphy@randallreilly.com.
QUARTERLY CRUSHED STONE & SAND AND GRAVEL REPORT Quantity Crushed Stone 2nd qtr. 2018
Percent change
New England
12,500
9.3
8,170
-0.8
Middle Atlantic
43,300
4.6
13,000
-7.6
East North Central
57,800
4
33,800
8.2
West North Central
38,700
-3
31,100
-8.6
South Atlantic
88,900
8.8
18,500
13.5
East South Central
38,300
11
8,200
14.5
West South Central
65,500
7.1
34,800
14.5
Mountain
17,300
Pacific
TOTAL
Region/Division
Northeast:
Midwest:
South:
West:
Quantity sand and gravel 2nd qtr. 2018
* thousand metric tons
Percent change
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
63.8
55,900
10
25,700
21.7
46,100
8.6
393,000
7.3
265,000
6.4
* thousand metric tons Source: U.S. Geological Survey
ROLLOUTS
Your complete guide to new and updated equipment and supplies in the aggregates industry.
by Therese Dunphy | Editor-in-Chief | tdunphy@randallreilly.com
Screener has high stockpiling capacity At Hillhead, Sandvik introduced the QE342 heavyduty screener with class-leading open screening area. Its crusher style chassis was developed specifically to accommodate more powerful and efficient engine power packs. Its wear-resistant rigid hopper is compatible for two- or three-way split configurations. The screen-box jack up facility creates easier access to the bottom deck for maintenance and screen media changes. The unit’s electrical control system incorporates several features to improve both the operational effectiveness and machine safety, including one global plant button to commence sequential automatic start-up and automatic shut-down of the plant while in operating mode. The lower, 1,800 rpm engine operating speed translates to lower fuel consumption and reduced noise.
Sandvik | www.rocktechnology.sandvik.com
Guarding package protects loader Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas announces the availability of a guarding package for its HL960HD wheel loader. Developed to protect the machine from site hazards found in various wheel loader applications, the guarding package helps ensure the operational integrity of key systems and components. Hinged steel front and rear cabin guards protect glass from damage, while enabling quick access to the windows. A radiator grille guard protects against falling objects and collisions with stationary or moving objects, but also provides quick access to the cooling system and engine compartment. Guards for exterior lights, the bucket cylinder, axle seals, attachment hoses, engine belly, and front-chassis undercarriage complete the package.
Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas www.hceamericas.com
Electric mine truck runs more quietly Epiroc launches the electric Minetruck MT2010 Battery, specially built to transport loads of up to 22 short tons through narrow underground passages. Like the diesel Minetruck, its electric counterpart features a compact design, hardwearing components, fast incline speeds, and easy maneuverability. The key difference is that it moves away from fossil fuels. A high-longevity battery keeps the truck up and running during long shifts. The battery can be replaced in minutes or quickly charged. The diesel-free powertrain generates less noise and waste heat, creating a quieter work environment while lowering costs related to underground ventilation and cooling.
Epiroc | www.epiroc.com
6
AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
Multi-tank platform expands diesel hauling capacity Thunder Creek Equipment expands its multi-tank platform of diesel fuel hauling solutions to include a new medium-duty truck body — the Multi-Tank Upfit. The new truck body can haul diesel on the road without requiring a CDL or Hazmat endorsement (local regulations may apply). Each truck features eight independent 115-gallon tanks that are connected only when a common manifold is open at the pumping station. The new 920-gallon capacity truck body is currently compatible with the Ford F550 chassis (Class 5 — either with or without PTO). The company plans to engineer the body for additional Class 5 and Class 6 trucks. Options include meters for measuring, security and tracking, numerous reel options and lengths, a 4-micron filter for fuel quality, and a variety of color schemes. Thunder Creek Equipment | www.thundercreek.com
Video explains idler installation ASGCO announces the availability of a new series of videos designed to make installation easier than ever. The Tru-Trainer Dual Return video uses computer rendered modeling to explain all of the necessary steps to install and calibrate the Tru-Trainer Dual Return tracking idlers. With easy-to-understand on-screen and audio cues, customers can identify the optimal locations for installation, as well as follow step-by-step procedures for removing existing idlers and replacing with the Dual Return. In addition, the video provides guidance on the best tensioning practices to ensure the idler keeps belts centered and loads evenly distributed.
ASGCO | www.asgco.com
Compact loader available with more options Caterpillar offers the 918M compact wheel loader with four new options: high-lift linkage, Cat Fusion coupler, five-piece guarding package, and wider tires. With a bucket pin height of over 13 feet, 5 inches, the newly designed loader arm assembly can provide up to 10 percent more lift height and reach compared with the standard loader equipped with a similar work tool interface. With the addition of the patented Fusion Coupler System, which eliminates the play between the coupler and work tool as well as the accompanying wear, producers have their choice of three couplers for the loader. The guarding package provides protection for vulnerable areas and includes headlight guards, hitch guards, powertrain guard, drive shaft guard, and crankcase guard. Three new 20.5R25 tires offer up to 20 percent more tire life, as well as increases in traction, stability, and tipping capacity.
Caterpillar | www.cat.com
Tire line expands to underground size Bridgestone announces the expansion of its off-the-road product portfolio to include a new size of the Bridgestone VSMS2 tire. Now available in size 29.5R25 in the U.S. and Canada, the tire is designed for a variety of industries, including underground mining. It is said to deliver a 30-percent decrease in the frequency of sidewall cuts, which improves the tire’s overall lifecycle by 5 percent. Other features include a deeper tread pattern to provide longer wear and protection in severe operating environments, heavy-duty radial casing design for extended tire life, and a tread wear indicator allowing for easy visual recognition of the depth of wear. The tire is available in 17.5R25, 26.5R25, 29.5R25, and 29.5R29 sizes.
Bridgestone Americas, Inc. | www.bridgestoneamericas.com
AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
7
PLANT PROFILE by Kerry Clines | Senior Editor
Upgrading Operations in Minnesota
Kraemer Mining & Materials’ new plant allows it to process both dry and washed material in the pit.
K
raemer Mining & Materials’ Burnsville Quarry has been mining and processing limestone just south of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area since 1959. Just because the quarry is nearly 60 years old doesn’t mean it’s out of date, however. As a matter of fact, it has a brand-new processing plant down in the pit floor that has greatly improved efficiency and increased production.
A new plant For years, material was mined in the pit, trucked up top to the dry plant for processing, and then trucked back down into the pit for washing and stockpiling. That meant a lot of material was being hauled back and forth, up and down the service roads.
8
AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
The former executive vice president of Kraemer, David Edmunds, dreamed of building a new plant in the pit for the better part of 15 years, but it took time to figure out the right combination of old and new equipment and how to build it while staying within ownership’s approved budget. Management discussed its plans with several manufacturers, but decided to go with Superior Industries. Mike Strom, quarry superintendent, put his four decades of experience to work to determine what type of equipment was needed, what it should be able to do, and how it should be laid out. He worked with the manufacturer to incorporate splitters at several points in the process to allow the material to be moved in any direction. This gives the operation a lot more flexibility.
“It was Mike’s vision, and he is the one who installed this thing from beginning to end with Superior’s support,” says John Rivisto, vice president and chief operating officer. “Superior was able to take Mike’s ideas and do the engineering, design, and fabrication. We incorporated a lot of old equipment we already had that was still in good shape. The Deister screens are 25 years old, but our fabricators rebuilt them, and they run fantastic. Almost all the new equipment is Superior.” The manufacturer designed the plant and put it together, but quarry employees built it. When the quarry closed down production for the winter in November 2016, a lot of foundations and pads had already been cast and slid
into place. A demolition sequence had already been worked out, and workers knew what pieces of equipment were going to be reused. All winter long, the new plant was being constructed, so that in March 2017 they could start testing the process and equipment. “Our goal was to be back online by April 2017,” Rivisto explains. “We shut down in November, and five months later, we wanted to be totally live again at 1.6 million tons per year. We got it done, but it was no small feat.” One control office runs everything. The entire crushing, screening, and washing circuit is fed at approximately 1,000 tons per hour, and the operator can direct nearly all or very little of that feed to the wash plant.
Rivisto says the plant is running so efficiently now that two eight-hour shifts are enough to get the level of material they need and maintain everything at current sales volumes.
The operation Drilling and blasting takes place twice a week at the quarry. The primary Lokotrack portable jaw crusher is always set up next to the muck pile for easy processing, so it has to be moved away from the blast area before each blast. A few minutes after the blast, once the blasting crew affirms that all the explosives went off, it returns to its operating position and resumes crushing. After passing through the Lokotrack, the 8-inch sized material is conveyed to AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
9
PLANT PROFILE
The primary Lokotrack portable jaw crusher, which is set up next to the muck pile, is moved away from the blast area prior to each blast and returned to its operating position a few minutes after the blast to resume crushing.
a 95-foot surge pile. From there, it’s sent through crushers and screens until it is the desired size. The wash plant has two systems, a separator system that was already at the quarry, and a cyclone system that was added in 2017. “We used to have screws and a classifying tank, but we don’t have that anymore,” Strom notes. “We worked with McLanahan to bring in the cyclone system, and it works pretty good.”
There are four benches of material — zero bench is the floor and three is the top. All are different qualities of limestone. “The best quality of rock is in the upper benches, but it depends on what you’re using it for,” Rivisto says. “From a concrete perspective, all the limestone is a good quality rock. For the asphalt customer, the higher benches are better. They are a higher quality because
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10
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2018
they’re denser and they have higher specific gravities. But we actually blend zero bench and high bench material so we’re not at the end of the life of the quarry with just the floor left.” “We blend one bucket to five,” Strom explains. “The loader operator takes five of the three bench and one of the zero bench and sends it through the processing plant to get mixed together. It works pretty good.” Everything produced at the quarry is shipped out by truck. The scales are automated, so the truck driver can just pull up to the kiosk to get a ticket. The scale and all of its components are located below ground, which helps with snow removal in the winter. A snow plow can just clear it right off. Burnsville Quarry’s largest customer is an asphalt plant located adjacent to the quarry. Several ready-mix plants also buy aggregates from the quarry, including the largest ready-mix producer in the upper Midwest, Cemstone ReadyMix, which is located right across the street.
“All these companies have their own aggregate suppliers,” Strom explains, “but they buy from us because we’re closer.” All the wash water from the plant goes into a settling pond and is recycled. Some of the silt that settles out is used for ag lime, and the fines are deposited into a silt basin. Kraemer is no stranger to technology. Barr Engineering and Geoflight have been doing drone work at Burnsville Quarry for a while. “They do everything from photogrammatic to fragmentation analysis,” Rivisto notes. “They do aerial surveys and stockpile measurements. They can actually analyze stockpiles now for size analysis. There are a lot of drone companies adding that now for shot control to make sure they have the most efficient shot pattern for what they want in their muck pile.” As for the future, the company is trying to get access to additional reserves that would add more life to the quarry. Rivisto says he sees possibly another 50
The wash plant has two systems, a separator system that was already at the quarry, and a McLanahan cyclone system that was added in 2017.
to 75 years of mining on the property, followed by a large lake surrounded by a nice development. “The water that we pump out of the quarry is clear and would make a
Fines Recovery Equipment
beautiful lake,” Rivisto says. “We’re close to the airport, the Mall of America, the interstate, and downtown, plus, we’re right on the Minnesota River. Our longterm vision for the future development
Made in USA
Doing What We Do Best Building Fines Recovery Equipment High Rate Thickener Dewatering Screen Fractionator Super Cutter Hydro-Cyclone Plate & Frame Press Vertical Durability Cell
Providing Solutions Call 866-616-9351 or Visit www.azfab.com AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
11
PLANT PROFILE
Rhino’s Wild Kingdom Burnsville Quarry is the name of the Kraemer Mining & Materials operation located just south of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, but that’s not what the employees call it. It is affectionately known to them as “Rhino’s Wild Kingdom.” It all started with David Edmunds, the former executive vice president of the operation. He was labeled “Rhino” by a co-worker who witnessed him take a verbal beating from a supervisor at Caterpillar, where he was working at the time. Edmunds walked out of the meeting and acted as if nothing had happened, to which the co-worker commented to him and others around that he must have a hide as thick as a Rhino. The name stuck and followed him to Kraemer in 1991. “At a very busy time in our business a few years ago, we had a meeting with many engineers, contractors, and tradesmen who were engaged to work on our plant relocation project over the winter,” says John Rivisto, vice president and chief operating officer for Kraemer. “The conference room was abuzz, and since it was my meeting, once everyone was settled in and quiet, I said ‘I want to welcome you to ‘Rhino’s Wild Kingdom,’ to which all laughed and Dave roared. It also stuck, and Dave took pride in this label as well.” Five years ago, Edmunds (Rhino) found out he had cancer. He tried to fight it, but was losing the battle, so his co-workers wanted to do something special for him on his birthday in 2017. They decided to dedicate the new plant to him. Superior Industries had designed and built the new processing plant in the pit, so Rivisto asked their graphics department to create a sign to hang in the plant. “Dave loved to come take a tour of the plant, but with his health failing, he wasn’t here very often,” Rivisto notes. “On his 57th birthday, Rhino’s daughters and his wife drove him around the plant. As they came around one of the large stockpiles, all the guys in the quarry were up on the plant waiting for him. All the machinery that he spent his life around was staged in pageantry, and the sign ‘Rhino’s Wild Kingdom’ was up on the plant. He loved it. He smiled and greeted us all, then told us to get back to f#%@ing work! He passed away four days later.” The sign is still up on the processing plant and will remain there in honor of David “Rhino” Edmunds.
Lower Cost per Ton – Magnetic Fluid Filtrations In Crush and Convey operations, lowering maintenance costs while maintaining high reliability can always be a challenge. Occasionally, we find simple solutions that can help with both. Spending ten (10) minutes to keep lubricants continually cleaner is one of them. Adding a snap-on magnet to your filtration system on your crusher can significantly reduce wear-causing contamination in your oil. Keeping your oil cleaner means longer equipment life and higher reliability. Studies have shown that particles smaller than ten (10) microns cause most of the wear in lubricated components. These are the particles that pass through all standard filtration, recirculate, and eventually create more particles by three-body abrasive wear. Motion Industries can assist to lowering your cost per ton by installing a magnetic fluid filtration system, solutions that are available for industrial equipment, hydraulics, and vehicles. Magnets are designed to “snap on” the outside of existing filters while producing a strong magnetic field inside the filter. This magnetic field is designed to capture and hold ferrous particles as small as one (1) micron. Capturing these particles as they are created reduces wear, extends equipment life, and can even extend oil change intervals. Magnets can also mitigate damage and reduce downtime when things don’t go as planned. While keeping dirt out of crusher systems is almost impossible, it is possible to reduce the damage done. As the hard dirt particles circulate in the oil they cause damage to lubricated surfaces by three-body abrasive wear. This wear produces steel particles that add to the contamination and further accelerate the abnormal wear. Magnets capture the newly created steel particles, slow down abnormal wear, and buy you time to find and repair the problem. Snap-on magnets are a one-time purchase that normally outlast the equipment they protect. The only change to maintenance procedures is adding a note for technicians to carefully wipe the captured particles from the canister walls during a filter change. Adding an industrial snap-on magnet to your filtration system on your crusher or mobile equipment can be a cost-saver for your aggregate site. Engaging a qualified supplier like Motion Industries is recommended to determine the best solutions for your work site. For more information on Lower Cost per Ton programs such as magnets, and magnetic filtration systems, contact your local Motion Industries servicing branch. A University of Tennessee graduate, Chad Schwender is Corporate Accounts Industry Segment Manager, Cement & Aggregate for Motion Industries. He has worked in the industry for 26 years, including 16 at Motion.
For more information, visit MotionIndustries.com and Mi On-site Solutions.
MiOnsiteSolutions.com AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
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Quarries and property values Equipment investment continues to climb The final Workplace Exam Rule
PLANT PROFILE
Customer trucks check their weights at the automated scales and then pull up to the kiosk to get a ticket. The scale and all of its components are located below ground to make snow removal easier in winter.
includes everything from corporate campuses to recreational marinas on the river.”
added a street sweeper to the arsenal of dust control equipment.
Serving the community Safety “Our safety culture is very good,” Rivisto says, “and all the guys are completely invested in it around here. Our MSHA record is a good testimony to that. We’ve gone for years with little or no violations, and the inspectors who come in here know that.” Strom goes around the quarry to check everything out before any work begins. “I make sure it’s all ready to go,” he says. “All through the day, we’re watching things all the time to make sure everything is safe.” Safety was a big aspect when designing the new plant as well. It included guarding, handrails, and tieout points. Safety was also taken into consideration before building the ramps down into the floor of the pit. “We could have gone with one ramp and saved a lot of money and time, but we decided to divide the traffic into two different patterns with a lot less traffic and a lot less chance of having a collision-type accident,” Rivisto says. “One ramp is for customers accessing wash products and the other is for customers accessing dry products and recycle material. They have their own turnaround areas and backouts.” The operation invested in an articulated water truck in 2017 to help with dust control, which can be a safety issue as well. Then, in 2018, it
The quarry sits on top of an Artesian aquifer, so there’s a limit as to how deep it can dig, which isn’t much deeper than it is right now. The annual appropriations permit allows the extraction of several billion gallons of water from the aquifer for use in the quarry. “The city of Burnsville pumps water out of our quarry to use for city drinking water,” Rivisto notes. “They’re looking at expanding their capacity to accommodate additional growth. It has allowed them to eliminate a lot of city wells elsewhere in their network and pull predominantly out of here.” Burnsville Quarry is highly involved and works closely with the city of Burnsville. It contributes to the fire department, and the police department uses the quarry to train its swat teams and rapid reaction forces. The police hold all of their live-fire training in the floor of the pit, including vehicle takedowns and terrorist scenarios. “We even had a campaign event in the floor of the quarry recently,” Rivisto adds. “A gubernatorial GOP candidate was here, as well as the speaker of the House, representatives, and city council members. It’s been a long time since we had bad relations with the community.” AM
UNLOAD
www.kpijci.com
AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
15
TOP PRODUCERS by Jason Christopher Willett
The
Nation’s Top 20
Construction Sand and Gravel Producers Ranging from big producers to tribal operators to the federal government, here’s the list of the nation’s top sand and gravel producers.
T
he leading U.S. construction sand and gravel producing companies, in descending order of production in 2016, are listed below. The combined production of the top 20 companies decreased slightly to 297 million short tons (30 percent of the national total). The combined production of the top 100 companies was 470 million short tons (48 percent of the national total).
1. CRH Materials Americas (Oldcastle Materials, Inc.) 900 Ashwood Parkway, Suite 700 Atlanta, GA 30338-4780 Phone: 770-522-5600 www.oldcastlematerials.com
2. Vulcan Materials Co. 1200 Urban Center Drive Birmingham, AL 35242-2545 Phone: 205-298-3000 www.vulcanmaterials.com
3. Lehigh Hanson, Inc. 300 E. John Carpenter Freeway Irving, TX 75062-2727 Phone: 972-653-5500 www.lehighcement.com
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AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
4. LafargeHolcim
7. Martin Marietta Aggregates
8700 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 300 Chicago, IL 60631 Phone: 773-372-1000 www.lafargeholcim.com
2710 Wycliff Road Raleigh, NC 27607-3033 Phone: 919-781-4550 www.martinmarietta.com
5. CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V.
8. Granite Construction, Inc.
840 Gessner, Suite 1400 Houston, TX 77024-2649 Phone: 713-650-6200 www.cemexusa.com
585 West Beach St. Watsonville, CA 95077 Phone: 831-724-1011 www.graniteconstruction.com
6. MDU (Knife River)
9. Mitsubishi Cement Corp.
1200 W. Century Ave. Bismarck, ND 58503 Phone: 701-530-1000 www.mdu.com
151 Cassia Way Henderson, NV 89014 Phone: 702-932-3900 www.mitsubishicement.com
10. Summit Materials, LLC. 2900 K St., N.W., Suite 100 Washington, DC 20007 Phone: 202-339-9509 www.summit-materials.com
15. Wm. D. Scepaniak Construction 572 4th St. Holdingford, MN 56340 Phone: 320-746-3331 www.wdscepaniak.com
11. CalPortland Co. 2025 E. Financial Way Glendora, CA 91741 Phone: 626-852-6200 www.calportland.com
17. L. G. Everist, Inc. 300 S. Phillips Ave., Suite 200 Sioux Falls, SD 57104 Phone: 605-334-5000 www.lgeverist.com
12. Teichert, Inc. 3500 America River Dr. Sacramento, CA 95864 Phone: 916-484-3011 www.teichert.com
13. Clyde Cos., Inc. 730 N. 1500 W. Orem, UT 84057 Phone: 801-802-6900 www.clydeinc.com
14. Bureau of Land Management 1849 C St. N.W., Room 5665 Washington, DC 20240 Phone: 202-208-3801 www.blm.gov
15. Trinity Industries, Inc. 2525 Stemmons Freeway Dallas, TX 75207 Phone: 214-631-4420 www.trin.net
18. Ash Grove Cement Co. (CRH, plc) 11011 Cody St., #300 Overland Park, KS 66210 Phone: 913-451-8900 www.ashgrove.com
STOCKPILE
19. Colas Inc. 163 Madison Ave., Suite 500 Morristown, NJ 07960 Phone: 973-290-9082 www.colas.com
20. Gila River Indian Community 525 West Gu U Ki Sacaton, AZ 85147 www.gilariver.org
www.kpijci.com
AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
17
EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT by Carol Wasson
Optimize Your Feed and Flow Electromechanical vibrating feeders provide greater control over high-capacity feed rates.
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AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
W
hile all feeders move material from A to B, the two-mass electromechanical vibrating feeder tackles tough, heavy-duty applications with a unique precision and a far faster reaction time — allowing producers to gain greater control over high-capacity feed rates. What are the advantages of two-mass electromechanical vibrating feeders? How are they typically applied? And, how should they be operated and maintained for maximum efficiency?
Two-mass design advantages While most vibrating feeders within quarries are single-mass or brute force machines, the two-mass design in electromechanical feeders features a somewhat unique drive system where the motion is driven from a separate or ‘moving mass,’ which is connected to the primary or ‘reaction mass’ via springs that drive the vibration. “Twomass technology allows higher feed rates, reduced horsepower requirements, and an ability to easily adapt and adjust to changes in loads,” says Carla Phelps, product manager for the EMF/EMCO Series Feeders manufactured by Deister Machine Co., Inc. “Commonly used in surge tunnels, these two-mass feeders excel at starting and stopping while they are still under a burden load,” explains Deister Product Engineer Corey Yoder. “I liken it to having a faucet under that surge pile. When you want that material, you just turn on the faucet, and it will spit material onto the belt.” From an engineering perspective, a two-mass electromechanical feeder is tuned near operating frequency and takes advantage of a greater vibratory amplification that occurs when the unit is operating near its resonant condition. “In other words,” Yoder says, “the feeder delivers a more robust reaction with relatively little input. It reacts quickly, allowing fast increases
or decreases of material feed as needed, and that can be quite useful for some operations.” He explains that operations may use an electromechanical feeder to fine-tune the specs that are coming off the belt. With the use of belt scales, operations can gauge how much of a particular product size is being fed from a surge pile. “Then they can create a feedback loop that will vary the speed of the feeder to give them the desired tonnage of any particular product — and they can do that quickly and without a lot of input,” he says. Phelps cites the example of an operation that had been experiencing material surges with the two older, conventional feeders within its surge tunnel. With the installation of new electromechanical feeders (with variable frequency drives), the operation is maintaining its desired feed rate while delivering more consistent product flow. “This translates into increased productivity and greater control over product quality, while lowering operating costs per ton,” Phelps says.
Proper specification and operation When properly specifying the feeder, Yoder says that the required tonnage and the density of the material feed will determine the optimum size and width of the feeder. While more often than not, he adds, the length of the feeder is dictated by the angle of repose of the material. Most importantly, stresses Yoder, electromechanical feeders are extremely sensitive to changes in weight. He explains that the surge pile is not a constant mass and is always changing. As units are sensitive to fluctuations in mass on either the drive frame or the deck frame, operations must specify a robust machine that is heavy enough to handle the amount of tonnage that is fed at any one time.
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AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
19
EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT
Operations can use an electromechanical feeder to fine-tune specs coming off the belt.
Also, with this weight sensitivity, he emphasizes the importance of consulting with the manufacturer before making any adjustments that will add or subtract weight from the actual machine. “Do not take a welder and tack something on to the machine; and do not take a cutting torch and cut something off. These types of actions change the way the machine runs and can, ultimately, cause catastrophic damage. Before making any adjustments, get your manufacturer’s recommendations to make sure you’re not doing something that will cause costly damage to the feeder or to other components within the circuit,” Yoder says. When selecting the feeder, make sure that its drive system is compatible with a variable frequency drive, which is particularly suitable to the electromechanical feeder due to the affect that speed has on stroke.
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“Even if you don’t incorporate a VFD upfront, you may find the need for it down the road,” Yoder says. Other than the occasional support-mounted unit in portable applications, most electromechanical feeders are suspension-mounted within the surge tunnel. “During installation, make sure that there is enough clearance on all sides of the unit, so that it’s not contacting any stationary structures during operation,” Yoder says, adding that operators should keep an eye out for any ‘whipping’of the suspension cables. When suspending a unit by four corners, some whipping will always be present but, with some amount of tightening, it can be reduced to prevent any damage to the suspension linkage. Finally, when selecting a feeder, ask your manufacturer what baseline testing is completed on the unit before it leaves the factory.
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EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT
Tests, such as vibration analysis, ensure that the machine is fine-tuned and getting the output strokes that it needs on the deck before it’s delivered to the site.
Maintenance ease
Electromechanical feeders are often found in surge tunnels because they excel at starting and stopping while they are still under a burden load.
“As they’re often placed in surge tunnels where access is more limited, these feeders are simply designed with fewer moving parts for minimal maintenance,” Yoder says, adding that many electromechanical feeders are designed with no bearings to grease and no belts to replace. “Since operations want greater reliability as well as ease of maintenance, look for units with a machine weight that’s more robust; and choose a heavy-duty formed deck that offers bolt-in replaceable liners — versus welded liners that must be cut out,” Phelps says. Monitor the liners closely for
LET'S BUILD
wear. “Again, these machines are very sensitive to weight. If you have a really thick liner on the pan, and it’s not replaced when necessary, you’re actually reducing the weight of the machine significantly; and that will change the stroke of the machine. So, replace liners sooner than later,” Yoder advises. For optimum feed and flow, twomass electromechanical feeders provide a welcome solution that delivers a more consistent material feed and a more uniform product flow through the plant — and that improves the quality of the finished product while lowering costs per ton. AM
Carol Wasson, a veteran writer and aggregates industry expert, contributed this article on behalf of Deister Machine Co., Inc.
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OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED By Nathan Medcalf, Contributing Editor
Alternatives for Stockpiling Fines
Turn waste product into saleable product.
Producers have options other than stockpiles and settling ponds for their fines.
Lower wash water consumption.
OUR EXPERTS
Reduce time and money associated with handling fines.
John Bennington is recognized throughout the aggregates industry as an authority of wet processing technologies. Due to his extensive knowledge, his colleagues at Superior Industries refer to him as “Professor Bennington.” He travels the world designing wash plants, improving customer’s applications, and teaching others about the technologies of wet processing.
Joe Vietti has worked for Rilite Aggregate for five years. He started as an equipment operator and moved to his current position as plant manager last year. He served in the navy for six years as an equipment operator in the Seabee’s and has lived in the Reno, Nev., area for close to 20 years.
Karl Domres has worked as the aggregate operations manager at Elmer’s Crane & Dozer, Inc.’s Traverse City, Mich., operation for 10 years. He grew up in the industry when children could accompany their parents to work. At age 12, he began picking clay balls and roots off an old jaw roll gravel plant and has watched the industry’s evolution.
AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
23
New technology unleashes the use and sales potential of quarry fines
C
rushing creates useable aggregate, but it also produces a lot of fines. Fines are by-products that are too small to be saleable. “The size of quarry fines is a bit of a moving target, but it is generally considered that a product that is 3/8 minus (4 mesh minus) is a fine,” says John Bennington, director of washing and classifying equipment, Superior Industries. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that at least 175 million tons of quarry by-products are being generated each year, mostly from crushed stone production operations. “I know producers who have millions of tons of this stuff sitting in various parts of their pits. Sometimes, they use it to fill in parts of their pit that they’re not using anymore,” Bennington says. “Because of requirements for concrete or asphalt or sometimes fertilizer (in the case of limestone), increasing the number of fines means more cement and water are needed to bind the concrete and, in asphalt, more binding agents are needed, so more fines increase the cost of the concrete and asphalt.” The FHWA estimates that most quarry by-products, such as fines, are disposed of at the quarry source, but a report, User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction, cites that several states have used quarry by-products as an embankment material and several states have used it in base or subbase mixes. The report also identifies several other uses for fines, includ-
1
ing the following: • limestone screenings used as agricultural lime, • baghouse fines used as mineral filler in asphalt paving and flowable fill mixes, and • screenings used as an aggregate substitute in Portland cement concrete, flowable fill, and asphalt paving applications. In order to help producers use their fines, Superior Industries developed the Alliance Low Water Washer. “The Alliance was largely designed for dry crushing spreads, especially portable plants. The producers produced a lot of fines that weren’t easily saleable. Their options were to wash it up in a screw or store it for processing at a later date. Producers have tried both processes, and neither one works well,” Bennington says. Rilite Industries purchased a unit in response to increased demand for washed aggregate and to changes to product specifications. “As the local specifications for material changed, so did our means of washing aggregate,” says the company’s plant manager, Joe Vietti. “We greatly increased our production capabilities and produce a product that is jobsite ready.” Prior to purchasing the unit, Rilite watched it in operation at Elmer’s Crane & Dozer, Inc.’s plant in Traverse, Mich. “Prior to using the Alliance, we used another washer that used 900 gallons per minute,” says Karl Domres, aggregates operation manager, noting the low washer only uses 230 to 250 gallons per minute.
Define the problem
Whether stored in stockpiles or settling ponds, fines take up valuable real estate at an aggregate operation. Many operators struggle with how to minimize this space and use fines in a productive, saleable manner.
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AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
2
Rethink your wash
Reverse the thinking on washing. The way a low-water washer works is nearly opposite to a sand screw. First, quarry fines are dropped onto a paddle mill that agitates the sand. This is the first step in liberating fines from silt.
3
Control moisture content
In an unwashed state, quarry fines are not easily saleable. Spray bars clean fines created from crushing and help producers achieve the desired moisture levels while using less water than a traditional wash plant.
4
Remix the crushing circuit
Position a low-water washer near the crusher to accept fines directly from the crushing circuit. This eliminates the need to stockpile, load, haul, and manage the fines — thereby decreasing machine and labor costs.
AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
25
Voices of Experience John Bennington
Joe Vietti
I
P
n an unwashed state, quarry fines are not very saleable. Whether for concrete, asphalt, or fertilizer (in the case of limestone), additional fines translate to more cement and water for concrete or more binding agents for asphalt. “More fines increase the cost of the concrete and asphalt,” explains John Bennington, director of washing and classifying equipment, Superior Industries, Inc. A number of producers use a sand screw to wash their fines, even though the physical situations of the two plants are very different, he says. Another option producers take is to just stockpile it at the quarry. “A lot of producers have millions of tons of this stuff stockpiled at their quarries,” Bennington adds. “In order to process on site at the time of crushing, producers dry feed a sand screw, and that doesn’t work very well,” he says. “You would feed the material in and remove 15 to 20 percent of 200 minus. You would end up removing only 5 to 8 percent of mesh, and the rest would stay in, because you are not liberating the silt from the feed; it was going in dry and coming out lumpy and partially dry.” Seeing this problem over the years led the manufacturer to develop and produce the low washer as an additional option that could better serve producer needs. Bennington explains that the Alliance Low Water Washer is different from a sand screw. “The washing action is different. Sand screws use a lifting action. You create a water bath where you liberate the silt material, which is 200 minus, from the feed, then you use an upward current of water to lift the silt over the weirs,” he says. “Our system uses an agitator to slurry the material and liberate it from the feed, and then the Alliance pushes that silt down through the dewatering screen by using spray bars.”
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AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
roduction of electric sand and gas sand led Rilite Industries to seek a new way to process fines, says Joe Vietti, plant manager. “As the local specifications for material changed, so did our means of washing aggregate,” he explains. “We needed to be at a certain percentage in our 200s for our sand. We had looked at several different options, and even tried to use our current sand screws, but it just wasn’t working. It was pulling out the 200s, but it just wasn’t drying it the way we need it.” In addition, the process used about 2,000 gallons per minute. The company’s mechanic and quarry advisor discovered the Alliance Low Water Washer. He spoke to the local dealer, Kimball Equipment Co., and was interested by what he heard, so he flew to Michigan to see a prototype at work in a limestone quarry. The quarry’s 200s were starting out at 22 percent and the company washed them down to 6 percent. After witnessing the capability of the machine, Rilite Industries thought it had a new option for its fines. To incorporate the 200-ton-per-hourwasher into its current crushing system, the company made only minor changes to its configuration, but the new configuration allows it to switch from washing to not washing. “The sand, as it gets processed through the main plant, drops on top of the paddle mill that’s inside there. The paddle mill isn’t cleaning the sand; it’s just agitating it. There is a water bed sitting inside. The sand gets screwed through it, then drops onto the low-water washer dewatering screen. When the product comes out, moisture content is usually around 11 percent, and the ability to wash the 200s out is amazing,” Vietti says. “It definitely helps us to get within specification.” In addition to creating a drier product, the washer has decreased water consumption to 200 to 250 gallons per minute.
Karl Domres
B
ased out of Michigan, Elmer’s Crane & Dozer, Inc. has two pits located a couple of miles apart. At one pit, it runs a dry crushing plant. Prior to purchasing an Alliance Low Water Washer, that plant stockpiled fines until it had an amount significant enough to load it into trucks. Fines were then transported to the company’s other plant, where it has a wash plant. “We would feed the material into the wash plant in order to create a washed manufactured sand,” says Karl Domres, aggregates operation manager. The problem with this scenario is that it is quite costly. Each time the company touched the sand — picked it up with a wheel loader, trucked it, or fed it through the wash plant — it was costing the company $0.50 per ton of fines. “We used to pick up the material with a wheel loader and run it through a wash plant, which meant rehandling it, so we were using an extra person and another generator and another plant,” Domres says. The company also wanted to decrease its water usage, since water availability is a challenge for a lot of operations that require significant amounts of water. “At our wash plant, we use about 900 gallons of water per minute,” Domres explains. With the washer, it uses 230 to 250 gallons of water per minute, so it produces a much cleaner product with it with a lot less water. In addition to significant reduction in water usage, the company appreciates the machine’s compact size. Although the low-water washer can run right next to the crushing plant, allowing customers to remove the fines right off the crushing spread, Elmer’s Crane & Dozer set it up as a standalone unit — separate from the crushing circuit and with its own feed. The company uses it to produce a washed, manufactured sand, which is used in design mixes in its asphalt plant.
by K. Brad Oakley
ROCKLAW Review Commission Is Unable to Review Have a dispute with MSHA? You’ll get your day in court … or not! Lack of appointments to the Review Commission could create a logjam of appeals.
A
K. Brad Oakley is a member in Jackson Kelly PLLC’s Lexington, Ky., office where he practices in the Construction, Manufacturing, and Mining Law industry groups, focusing primarily on workplace safety and health. He can be reached at 859-288-2835 or kboakley@ jacksonkelly.com.
28
s everyone reading this Rock Law series is no doubt aware, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) fulfills its duty to enforce the Mine Act by promulgating regulations addressing the health and safety of miners, inspecting mines, and issuing citations and orders for alleged violations of its regulations. On the other side of the Mine Act enforcement coin is the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (the Review Commission). The Review Commission is an independent judicial body that provides administrative hearings and appellate review of enforcement actions taken by MSHA when contested by mine operators. The Review Commission’s administrative law judges (ALJs) decide cases at the hearing level. By law, the five-member Review Commission provides appellate review of an ALJ’s decision. The commissioners sitting on the Review Commission are appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. Review of an ALJ’s decision by the Review Commission is not automatic. Instead, appellate review requires the affirmative vote of at least two Commissioners, and a decision on the merits of the appeal requires at least three Commissioners. Most of the cases that the Review Commission accepts for review arise out of a request for review by a mine operator (but sometimes by MSHA) after receiving an unfavorable ruling from an ALJ. While somewhat
AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
rare, the Review Commission can also decide that a case should be reviewed even though neither party requested appellate review. Although Congress intended the Review Commission to consist of five commissioners, the Review Commission functioned with only four commissioners following the expiration of Commissioner Patrick Nakamura’s six-year appointment in August 2016, because no one was nominated by either President Obama or President Trump to replace him. However, at the beginning of 2018, President Trump nominated Kentucky attorney Marco M. Rajkovich, Jr. to serve on the Review Commission. Rajkovich’s nomination was highly scrutinized by many, including environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, as a result of his career representing mine operators before the Review Commission in enforcement actions taken by MSHA. To date, and despite the GOP’s control of the Senate, the Senate has inexplicably failed to take any action to approve or reject President Trump’s nomination of Rajkovich to the Review Commission. Furthermore, despite having the opportunity to appoint two more individuals to the Review Commission, and thereby having a quorum of the Review Commission appointed by him, President Trump has failed to nominate anyone for the three open seats on the Review Commission other than Rajkovich. While the Senate’s inaction on President
Trump’s nomination of Rajkovich to the Review Commission may seem like just another example of government procrastination and inefficiency without any direct real-life consequences, recent developments within the composition of the Review Commission have resulted in it being effectively impossible for the foreseeable future for a mine operator to obtain meaningful review of an ALJ’s unfavorable decision, unless immediate action is taken. On Aug. 30, 2018, the terms of Chairman William Althen and Commissioner Robert F. Cohen, Jr. (both Obama appointees) expired, leaving only two commissioners (Mary Lu Jordan and Michael G. Young, also both Obama appointees) remaining. As a result, the Commission lacks a quorum of three members as of the time of this writing. With no quorum, the Review Commission’s role is handcuffed to merely accepting or rejecting requests for review without any ability to decide the actual merits of the appeal and to issue substantive decisions. This logjam will remain until at least one additional Commissioner is both nominated by President Trump and confirmed by
the Senate. Without at least three Commissioners, a mine operator seeking expedited review of an overzealous enforcement action taken by MSHA (such as shutting down production until certain actions are taken that the mine operator disputes) will not be able to obtain substantive relief from the Review Commission if the ALJ believes that MSHA’s enforcement actions are justified. President Trump’s and the Senate’s inaction with respect to the nomination and consent of their choice of individuals to fill the Review Commission’s open seats is both unacceptable and inexplicable. During the election, President Trump campaigned as a champion of the mining industry. The same can be said for many members of the Republican-controlled Senate. However, both the President and the Senate are seemingly overlooking a rare opportunity to appoint to the Review Commission knowledgeable and qualified individuals with industry experience and perspective. The President and the Senate should seize on this opportunity to leave their stamp on what is an often-overlooked regulatory body. AM
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Experience: Retired November 2011 following 41 years with the U.S. Geological Survey • USGS Aggregate Resource Geologist 1977-2011 • Past Chair and Distinguished Service Award recipient, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Industrial Minerals and Aggregates Division • Author of ASBPE award-winning columns - Carved In Stone, Aggregates Manager, 1998-Present
Services Offered: Applied geology and geological research for construction rocks and minerals, with an emphasis on aggregates. • Resource evaluation • Expert testimony
• Technical writing and review • Lecturer
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CARVED IN STONE
Bill Langer is a consulting research geologist who spent 41 years with the U.S. Geological Survey before starting his own business. He can be reached at Bill_Langer@hotmail.com
The Geology of Beer I
recently came across a Carved in Stone article I wrote about eight years ago (Aggregates Manager, May 2010) stating that diatomite was used to filter beer. That brought to mind a TV ad from the 1960s for a beer brewed in Rochester, N.Y. A man finished drinking the beer, went “Ahhhh,” put the can to his ear like a sea shell, and said, “The beer is all gone, but I can still hear Hemlock Lake.” There was more to the ad than just a clever gimmick. The quality of beer is defined in part by its ingredients, the major ingredient being water, and geology strongly influences the quality (especially the chemistry) of water. The beer in the ad was brewed with water from Hemlock Lake. It is one of the lesser Finger Lakes in New York state and is located about 35 miles north-northeast, as the crow flies, from where I grew up. Hemlock Lake is underlain with, and surrounded by, Devonian age shales and siltstones. Those rocks commonly contribute very few minerals to the water. Consequently, the water from Hemlock Lake tends to be free of minerals and very low in bicarbonates. The water probably would be similar to the water of Pilsen, a city in the Czech Republic. That city is known worldwide for its Pilsner beers, which are medium-bodied and are characterized by high carbonation. It is no surprise, then, that one of the beers that is brewed with Hemlock Lake water is a Pilsner. If you go to the city of Burton-upon-Trent, northwest of London, England, brewers use water from springs with rocks containing gypsum. The gypsum brings out the flavor of the hops. Some brewers add gypsum to water to enhance flavor. This is known as “Burtonisation.” The water in Munich, Germany, is drawn from aquifers that lie in calcium-carbonate-rich sand and gravel washed down from the Alps. Unfortunately, it is too alkaline to make good beer. To overcome this problem, the brewers roast the malt, which releases phosphates from the barley. The phosphates increase the acidity just enough to get the brew into the correct pH range, resulting in a slightly different-tasting, dark beer. Dublin, Ireland, sits on 300-million-year-old limestone, and its water is even more alkaline than Munich’s water. Brewers in Ireland roast their barley even more than in Munich, resulting in what is called “black malt.” In 1759, a Dublin brewer named Arthur Guinness began to make a thicker, darker beer with water from Dublin and black malt. His brew became known worldwide as stout. Not only does geology affect the flavor of beer, some geologic features, caves for example, also affect the flavor. Some of the water in Central Europe lacks essential elements for the brewing process, which may result in a beer with a less distinct flavor. To compensate for this, the beer has to ferment for a longer time — preferably in a dark, cool environment like a cave. The word “Lager” is German for warehouse; hence the name Lager, given to classic beer from Central Europe that is stored in caves and used as lager for the beer. Nowadays, many breweries create their own customized water. Undesired elements are filtered from the natural water and desired elements are added back to the brewmaster’s recipe, guaranteeing a tasty beer. To that I say, “The geology is all gone, but I can still hear the rocks.” AM
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AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2018
MAXIMUM FINES RECOVERYIT TAKES MORE THAN A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT
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