MSHA increases funding for training grants
Upcoming Events
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has allocated more than $8.3
million in health and safety training grants
for FY 2009, up from last year’s distribution of $8.2 million.
Grantees will use the funds to provide
federally mandated training to miners.
The grants cover training and retraining
of miners working at surface and underground coal, and metal and nonmetal
mines, including miners engaged in shell
dredging or employed at surface stone,
sand and gravel mining operations.
Training grant funds are being awarded
to 47 states and the Navajo Nation. States
applied for the grants, which are administered by state mine inspectors’ offices,
state departments of labor and state-sup-ported colleges and universities. Each
recipient tailors the program to its miners’
needs and provides technical assistance.
The grants are given to states upon receipt
and approval of their applications.
Bulletin on biodiesel fuels
MSHA issued a bulletin to update the
mining community on the technological
feasibility of biodiesel fuels as an effective
control method for reducing miners’ exposures to diesel particulate matter.
The bulletin is directed toward metal
and nonmetal underground mine operators, miners and miners’ representatives,
manufacturers of diesel-powered underground mining equipment, MSHA metal
and nonmetal enforcement personnel,
MSHA technical support personnel and
other interested parties. To read the bulletin, visit www.msha.gov.
Sentinels of Safety awards
Twenty mining operations have been
honored for their outstanding 2008 safety
records in the annual Sentinels of Safety
awards program sponsored by MSHA and
the National Mining Association. To see
the list of winners, visit www.msha.gov.
; NSSGA Convention
Feb. 13-18, 2010
Cincinnati
; AGG1 Forum & Expo
Feb. 15-18
Cincinnati
; 2010 SME Annual
Meeting & Exhibit
Feb. 28-March 3
Phoenix
; The Work Truck Show
2010 and NTEA Convention
March 10-12
St. Louis
; Bauma 2010
April 19-25
Munich, Germany
; Young Leaders
Annual Meeting
April 29-May 2
San Diego
Following is a selected entry from the
Pit & Quarry Editors Blog, written by
Contributing Editor Mark S. Kuhar.
T
OON
Eye on the Blog
OCTOBER SEPTEMBER
x
;
LAST MONTH’S QUESTION
REGARDING YOUR OPERATION
IN THIS ECONOMY, IS THE
WORST BEHIND YOU?
3.
Ma
; 8.
Rc
;0. 3
ne as
; 4. 1
Ir
; 1. 2
nr
; 3. 0
1
Yes ................................. 27%
No .................................. 73%
1
Highway bill = jobs,
better roads and bridges
Dennis Slater, president of the Association of
Equipment Manufacturers, has written a compelling op-ed about fully funding a new highway bill. He
writes, “America and Minnesota need better roads
and bridges, and Minnesota Representative Jim
Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee, is the champion for quick
passage and full funding of a highway bill that would
provide money for infrastructure improvements.”
Read the entire op-ed piece and other blog items
from Pit & Quarry editors at http://pqeditors
. blogspot.com.
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