Husker Harvest Days

Husker Harvest Days
The NC&AA hosted a 70 ft x 40 ft lot just outside of Grand Island for the Husker Harvest Days. This 3 day event drew an average of 25,000
people per day. The exhibit showcased: Pervious concrete, decorative concrete, ICF’s, storm shelters, hog slats, and feed bunks. We had
various radio advertisements with 96KX hosting a live broadcast. Thank you to all the members who put a lot of time in making this a very
successful exhibit.
Booth photo LEFT, Promotion Committee members photo on RIGHT: Kirk Havranek, Paul Dravitzki, Joel Sedlacek, Tim Hegeholz, Jereme
Montgomery
NEBRASKA CONCRETE &
AGGREGATES ASSOCIATION
6000 Cornhusker Hwy, Lincoln, NE 68507
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
NEBRASKA CONCRETE AND
AGGREGATES ASSOCIATION
September, 2006
Newsletter
Editor: Wes Cunningham (308) 237-3126
FROM THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR…
Jereme “Bird” Montgomery
FROM THE PRESIDENT…
Travis Mumford, President NC&AA,
Arps Red-E-Mix, Fremont
The trees are turning colors, the corn is ready to be picked, and the
Huskers have lost their first football game and it isn't even October
yet... Where does time go??? This time of the year gets pretty hectic
with everybody trying to get that last little project in before the snow
starts to fly. Although it is a very busy time of the year, please do not
forget to continue to participate in our association activities.
The NC&AA has been very busy planting seeds and preaching the
word of concrete through out the state.
Recently the promotion committee participated in the Husker Harvest
days out in Grand Island. Joel Sedlacek, Jereme Montgomery and
the rest of the promotion committee constructed an excellent exhibit
and promoted the many uses of concrete. I was extremely impressed
and want to thank all who were involved with this promotional event.
Back in July a strategic planning session was held in Lincoln with
Jereme, a few past presidents, the executive board as well as a few
board members. Doug Burns conducted the one day session which
was very insightful and gave the association a vision on where we
want to go with Jereme and his promotional efforts. Although I was
very disappointed in the number of attendees, I want to thank all who
participated. This was a very important meeting for the betterment of
the association. I want to thank Doug Burns for his time and hope that
he continues to conduct the strategic planning meetings for us in the
future. He really did a great job. This kind of meeting should be
conducted on annual basis. In closing, I want to thank you once again
for the opportunity to serve as your president and wish you all a very
profitable fall construction season.
Well, I can already tell that this letter is going to be much different than
my last. So much has happened since then I hope I can summarize in
one letter. Three months ago, I felt we had a fairly good handle on
promotion. How we were going to promote, was the real question.
We coordinated a strategic planning group to prioritize promotional
techniques that we felt would benefit the association and its members
the greatest. First, we distinguished and prioritized the functional
areas of the organization. Promotion, Education & Training, and
Communication are the functional areas discussed. From there the
planning group “dialed down” with the key activities to make each area
successful.
Since that meeting, I have really sensed an urge to take the
association status to a different level. How many of us know what the
acronyms are for ACI, AGC, NSSGA, OSHA, etc. I'll bet that there
would be a pretty good chance that everyone reading this letter will
score well. And everyone should also know the acronym NC&AA. It
is time that Engineers, Architects, City and County Officials
understand what the NC&AA stands for. Not just the acronym, but
what we really stand for – Promotion, Education & Training, and
Communication. It must be communicated not just through the
Director of the Association, but through the members. I have had my
greatest contacts, leads and ideas from members. Get the most of
your membership…..and get active. One past president in the
strategic planning meeting called it “name recognition”. To me, that
summed it up pretty good. If the Association has “name recognition”,
promotion will almost become second nature.
The Association was involved in a lot of activities over the last few
months. Husker Harvest Days was a great success. The exhibits
drew around 25,000 people a day. We guessed we touched around
3000 people over the 3 day event. Oh sure, there were some tire
kickers but the tent drew a lot of interest from the stamped concrete
that looked like wood, to the pervious demo, ICF’s, all the way to an
excellent presentation of storm shelters. I definitely would think we
would try this again next year. And a great, great thanks to everyone
involved. We couldn’t have done it without you.
CONTINUED…..
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR…
Jereme “Bird” Montgomery CONTINUED…
We also setup an exhibit for the AIA Fall convention promoting
pervious concrete and the Associations Lunch & Learns. The AIA
Convention was 2 days after the Husker Harvest Days. Big
difference. I was in such a rhythm from promoting at the HHD’s I had
to go from 5th gear to 3rd. Here, it wasn’t the quantity of people but
quality. The Association also sponsored a breakfast which was greatly
appreciated by many architects that specifically came to the booth to
thank us.
On July 31st, the NC&AA hosted its annual golf outing. The
tournament counted 96 players. For those of you who couldn’t make
it to the NC&AA golf outing, sorry we missed ya. What a ride!
Oh yeah, the NC&AA is now a local sponsoring group for the NRMCA
Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification. Our first certification
training will be in Omaha on October 18th and 19th. We are also hoping
to have enough interest to have our second certification training in the
spring.
The Association is also assisting coordination of the NSSGA 2007
Dredging Seminar at the Quest Center in June. I will keep the Sand &
Gravel producers informed as the seminar develops.
Up and Coming in the near future:
 CPA software presentation to the Lincoln Public
Schools
 ACI and NDOR Training
 NRMCA Pervious Concrete Contractor
Certification
 Pervious Concrete Presentation - AIA Western
Chapter
 NCCC Funding Meeting
 League of Municipalities Convention
(NCPA/NC&AA exhibit)
 Pervious Concrete Presentation – Papillion Creek
Watershed Project
 ACI Convention – Denver
 Scholarship Fund Shoot
 QC Conference
Whew, I need to get back in shape. Just typing this letter is making
me winded. Talk to you soon.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Scholarship Fund Shoot
Friday October 13, 2006
Heartland Public Shooting Park,
ALDA NE
PLEASE REMEMBER TO REGISTER!
>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<
Quality concrete Conference
Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - Kearney NE
Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - Omaha NE
>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<
NC&AA Annual Convention
Feb 22-23, 2007 – Kearney Holiday Inn
SAFETY COMMITTEE
By Dwight Williams
Co-Chair Safety & Environmental
Mine Safety Web Site
NC&AA MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
CORRECTION PAGE 2:
Jereme Montgomery, Executive Director
Office: 402.325.8414
Cell: 402.432.8883
Email: [email protected]
Rochelle Hitz, Office Manager
Office: 402.325.8414
Email: [email protected]
New corrected directories mailing week of 9/27/06
Safepro has developed a Metal/Non-metal Federal Mine
and Quarry Safety Law Web site, which may be
accessed at http://minesafetylaw.safeproinc.com
The site is fully searchable with a user-friendly e-Manual
(which is also available on CD). The company developed
the site primarily for smaller firms, which need access to
The Act, Standards, and enforcement policy during their
twice-a-year inspections.
The site is membership based with daily and weekly
rates. A free 24-hour test view of the site is available.
State News
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPORT
MIKE WILLMAN
The September meeting with the NC&AA
Technical Committee and the Nebraska
Department of Roads was held Friday
September 22, 2006 in Omaha, NE. The
minutes of the meeting are as follows:
1.
NDOR Cement QA/QC Procedures:
Wally Heyen said the NDOR is going to
start random sampling cement from the
approved products list once a month
from about 15 projects. The random
sampling will be limited to cement and
blended cements at this time.
2.
Ready Mix Plant Certification:
Ready mix plants supplying NDOR
projects will have to have NRMCA
Certification or NDOR plant certification
every two years. ASTM C-94 testing will
be required for all portable plants. A
consultant hired by the contractor with
NDOR supervision will do the C-94
testing.
3.
Revisions to the 2007 Spec Book:
Wally stated that the air content for slip
form concrete pavements would be
raised to a minimum of 7.5% in front of
the paver. In the event of air content
lower than 7.5%, the addition of air
entraining admixture to the load to bring
the air content into specification will be
allowed. The Ready Mix Producer may
have to raise the air content before the
paver, if the air behind the paver is less
than 5.5%.
Note: The ready Mix Producer is not
responsible for the air content behind
the paver.
4.
Binary, Ternary and Quaternary
Cement Evaluations:
Moe Jamshidi distributed the preliminary
test results on seven different 47-B
mixes with combinations of type I-II, and
type I-PF cements containing different
proportions of slag, type C, and type F
fly ash. The mixes with I-PF cement
(25% type F fly ash) performed very
well. The mix with type I-II cement and
20% Class F fly ash and 20% slag also
seemed to perform well.
5.
2005 CERTIFICATION
PROGRAMS:
Mike Willman presented the NDOR and
ACI Certification dates for 2006 – 2007.
The dates will be on the NC&AA web-site
in the next few weeks.
If there are any questions or for more
information please contact Mike Willman,
402.649.5068.
State News
SAFETY COMMITTEE
By Dwight Williams
Co-Chair Safety & Environmental
MSHA Publishes Proposed Rule to Raise Mine Safety Penalties
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) published a proposed rule today in the Federal
Register to raise civil penalties for violations of the Mine Safety and
Health Act. MSHA also announced public hearings to solicit
comments on the proposed rule.
“This updated civil penalty structure provides increased incentive to
mine operators to comply with federal safety laws to protect the safety
of America’s miners”, said David G. Dye, acting administrator of
MSHA. “We anticipate that these stronger penalties will induce mine
operators to improve their safety and health programs, which prevent
hazards from endangering the safety of America’s miners in the first
place.”
Requests to speak at the public hearings may be made by telephone
at (202) 693-9440, fax at (202) 693-9441, or mail t MSHA, Office of
Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 1100 Wilson Blvd., Rm. 2350,
Arlington, VA 22209-3939. MSHA’s proposed rule to update the
penalty structure for mine safety violations is available at
www.msha.gov.
PROMOTIONAL EFFORTS
On September 15th the NC&AA sponsored an exhibit for the AIA
Nebraska / Central States Region Fall Conference. There were just
short of 50 exhibitors with the Association also sponsoring the
breakfast. The Association showcased Pervious Concrete with an
emphasis on our Lunch and Learn programs. There was a lot of
positive feedback on the need for Pervious Concrete. This activity
was definitely good for the Association to introduce ourselves to the
Architectural market.
Fines assessed in 2005 would have been nearly tripled had the
proposed penalty structure been in effect. In its economic analysis,
MSHA estimates that most mine operators will improve compliance
efforts as a result of the proposal, which would ultimately reduce the
number of violations cited and the total fines assessed.
The proposed rule MSHA published today incorporates the MINER
Act provision that imposes a maximum penalty of $220,000 for
flagrant violations, and $4,000 for repeated similar violations. The
proposal would also establish a penalty of $5,000 to $60,000 for
operators who fail to notify MSHA within 15 minutes of death, injury, or
entrapment with reasonable risk of death at a mine.
Under this rule MSHA proposes to eliminate the current $60 single
penalty assessment for non-serious violations that are corrected in a
timely manner. Under the proposal, MSHA would use a formula
system for processing most violations; however, penalty amounts
would increase. MSHA has restructured the proposed schedule to
reflect higher penalties for mine operators who have a history of
repeated violations of the same standard. The proposed rule retains
MSHA’s authority to issue special assessments to increase penalties
for certain violations.
Photo: Sara Kay, Executive Director AIA Nebraska and Central States
Region; Merrill Elam, Jury Chair, AIA, Mack Scogin Merrill Elam
Architects announcing this year's awards.
MSHA announced six public hearings on the proposed rule to solicit
input from stakeholders and the public. The public hearings will he
held at the following locations:
Sep 26 @ the Mine Safety and Health Administration, 1100 Wilson Blvd., 25th
floor conference room, Arlington VA
Sep 28 @ the Sheraton Birmingham, 2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North,
Birmingham, AL
Oct 4 @ the Hilton Salt Lake City Ctr, 255 South West Temple, Salt Lake City
Oct 6 @ the Hilton St. Louis Airport, 10330 Natural Bridge Rd, St. Louis, MO
Oct 17 @ the Charleston Marriott Town center, 200 Lee Street East,
Charleston, W. VA
Oct 19 @ the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott, 777 Aten Road, Coraopolis, PA
NE Concrete & Aggregates Association at AIA Fall Conference,
September 15, 2006. Booth showcased Pervious Concrete and
Lunch and Learns.
State News
800-746-1553
Immediately Reportable Accidents and Injuries
The immediate notification rule 50.10 directs you first to
try to contact the district at all times. You should
prepare for this by asking the District Manager to provide
you with telephone numbers for contacting appropriate
district personnel during non-business hours. Using the
direct district number during non business hours will
prompt a pre-recorded message that will give you the
numbers for the MSHA district personnel. The rule goes
on to say that if you cannot contact the district, you
must use the 24/7 MSHA headquarters toll-free
number.
800-746-1553
Rocky Mtn. District Office:
Denver (303) 231-5465
District Field Office:
Topeka (785) 295-2636
Immediately Reportable Accidents and Injuries are:
1.
A death of an individual at a mine;
2.
An injury to an individual at a mine which has a
reasonable potential to cause death;
3.
An entrapment of an individual for more than
thirty minutes;
4.
An unplanned inundation of a mine by a liquid or
gas;
5.
An unplanned ignition or explosion of gas or dust;
6.
An unplanned mine fire not extinguished within
30 minutes of discovery;
7.
An unplanned ignition or explosion of a blasting
agent or an explosive;
8.
An unplanned roof fall at or above the anchorage
zone in active workings where roof bolts are in
use; or, an unplanned roof or rib fall in active
workings that impairs ventilation or impedes
passage;
9.
A coal or rock outburst that causes withdrawal of
miners or which disrupts regular mining activity
for more than one hour;
10.
An unstable condition at an impoundment, refuse
pile, or culm bank which requires emergency
action in order to prevent failure, or which causes
individuals to evacuate an area; or, failure of an
impoundment, refuse pile, or culm bank;
11.
Damage to hoisting equipment in a shaft or slope
which endangers an individual or which interferes
with use of the equipment for more than thirty
minutes; and
12.
An event at a mine which causes death or bodily
injury to an individual not at the mine at the time
the event occurs.
Under the currently proposed Standard you have a Maximum of
15 minutes to report an on-site disaster to MSHA.
SAFETY COMMITTEE
By Dwight Williams
Co-Chair Safety & Environmental
EPA Incorporates NSSGA Recommendations in Final Particulate
Matter Rule
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 21—In a nationally broadcast
teleconference today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator Stephen Johnson and EPA's Acting Assistant
Administrator for Air & Radiation Bill Wehrum announced the agency's
final rule on regulation of airborne particulate matter, essentially
confirming that the nation's producers of crushed stone, sand and
gravel have a negligible impact on air pollution.
The revised 2006 standards address two categories of particle pollution: fine
particles (PM2.5), which are 2.5 micrometers in diameter and smaller; and
inhalable coarse particles (PM10), which are smaller than 10 micrometers and
larger than 2.5 micrometers.
EPA has decided to retain the existing 24-hour PM10 standard of 150
µg/m3. Due to a lack of evidence linking health problems to long-term
exposure to coarse particle pollution, the agency revoked the annual
PM10 standard.
"This is good news for aggregate producers nationwide," said NSSGA
president & CEO Joy Wilson. "NSSGA's extensive air research that met
EPA's stringent criteria, has demonstrated that the aggregates industry is not
a major source of coarse particulate matter. This decision by EPA today
reinforces the point that today's rigorous national standards for PM 10 are
adequate to protect public health."
The agency selected the levels for the final standards after reviewing
thousands of peer-reviewed scientific studies about the effects of
particle pollution on public health and welfare. External scientific
advisors and the public examined EPA's science and policy review
documents. The agency also carefully considered public comments
on the proposed standards. EPA held three public hearings and
received more than 120,000 written comments.
Additionally, the 2006 standards tighten the 24-hour fine particle (PM2.5)
standard from 65 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) to 35 µg/m3, and retain
the current annual fine particle standard at 15 µg/m3.
Additional details of this final rule can be found at
http://epa.gov/pm/naaqsrev2006.html. The fine particulate standard does not
impact the construction aggregates industry.
Based near the nation's capital, NSSGA is the world's largest mining
association by product volume. Its member companies represent more than
90 percent of the crushed stone and 70 percent of the sand and gravel
produced annually in the U.S. and approximately 117,000 working men and
women in the aggregates industry. During 2005, a total of about 3.2 billion
tons of crushed stone, sand and gravel, valued at $17.4 billion, were
produced and sold in the United States.