MAY 2004 NEWSLETTER: WEBSITE EDITION
From
the Chairman
Once again, we are approaching the end of another SME Section meeting year. I think in summary, we have had an excellent opportunity to learn about new and innovative ideas and the implementation of some old well-established concepts. Our speakers and presenters have provided us with good food for thought. I thank them for their efforts on our behalf. On average, we have had good consistent meeting attendance with a core group of members. Generally, I was disappointed that we did not get much variation of attendees from that core. But the camaraderie of our group is great and I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you on a regular basis. We have developed good friendships over the years. Our section has contributed to several good causes this year, the science teachers’ workshop, Washington Award, Chicago, IL Junior Academy of Science and the Chicago Chapter of Junior Achievement. It has been an honor and pleasure working with all of you as your Chair. I look forward to our association in the future. As a final note, we are still working on a mine tour. I’ll let you all know the details as we get them fleshed out. -- Gordie Stevens
From the Program ChairmanThis Meeting“Aggregate Reserves: Planning and Value” How is acreage converted into reserves of stone or sand and gravel? How are mineable tons in the ground converted to tons sold across the scale? What are proven and probable reserves, and how many drill holes are needed to prove a reserve? How many tons should a deposit contain, and if there aren’t enough, how many more acres should be purchased or leased? Can an aggregate price, net income, or royalty rate be simply multiplied by the mineable tons to arrive at a value for the reserves? This presentation provides some answers to these questions. Art Pincomb is a geologist and appraiser. He received his B.S. Degree in Geology from the University of Kansas in 1973 and a Masters Degree in Geology from the University of Montana in 1975. Currently, he is President of Associated Geologists, Inc. in Geneva, Illinois. His experience includes 16 years in construction materials and industrial minerals and 12 years in precious and base metals and energy minerals. He routinely performs mineral property appraisals, market studies, reserve estimates and quality analyses. He is certified by the American Society of Appraisers as a Mines & Quarries Appraiser, and is certified by the State of Illinois as a General Real Estate Appraiser. He has acted as Expert Witness in numerous condemnations, tax appeals and zoning hearings involving mines, quarries and mineral properties. Art is also a long time member of the Chicago Section. Last MeetingHamilton White of Vulcan Materials and Gary O’Toole of Material Service Corp teamed to present an example of “How Companies Can Work Together to Enhance Public Relations” using problems faced in recent years at the McCook and Federal quarries near I-55, SW of Chicago. These companies have faced the same issues in the same community for many years. A few years ago the two companies cooperatively created the Lyons Township Advisory Council to jointly address the issues they both face working in an urban environment, including blasting, noise, dust, new legislation and road conditions. The approach has worked well, with the number of complaints steadily decreasing since the start of the program. The formula has been used since with success at other quarry locations around the Chicago area by both companies. The system involves work, a willingness to listen to the other side, a long-term commitment to respond to all complaints by upper management. The approach does work at helping to solve a major PR problem most of us in the mining industry have to face. The speakers are willing to answer questions about their program if you need further information
The
meeting was well attended, and included in the group Adam Madison, a
journalist from Rock Products magazine, who left with both notes and
photographs. Keep an eye on future
issues of Rock Products to see if the Chicago SME Section gets some national
exposure-
Rick Ackermann
Next Meeting
After this meeting the Chicago Section of the SME will be taking a recess for the summer. Our next SME section meeting will be in September with the day, date and speaker to be selected. We would welcome your comments on which day of the week to schedule the meeting next year that would make it easier for you our members to attend the meetings. We hope to see all of you sometime next fall
GEM/PIE NewsPIE at the Sangamon County FairThe
PIE Committee again participated in the Sangamon County Earth Stewardship Day
program at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield on May 6.
Fourth graders from throughout the county visited various stations to
learn more about natural resources and the environment.
Three different schools with 131 students, teachers, and chaperones had a
chance to do the minerals to consumer product matching game.
The various presenters told about their careers in the mining industry.
Students were also given the chance to operate toy equipment to load
Fuller's Earth.
--Submitted by Linda Hiltabrand Hiltabrand Guides Businesswomen in Cookie MiningOn
May 4, Linda Hiltabrand did the cookie mining activity with 60 members of the
Kankakee Zonta Club. Most of these businesswomen had not considered all the ways
that minerals do indeed touch each of our lives.
They quickly grasped the various business decisions that had to be made
regarding equipment purchases, labor costs, and return of start up capital. "I would encourage others to consider doing programs for community groups they may be involved with," Hiltabrand stated. Educating friends and acquaintances may be the starting point for getting the next permit or zoning change. Again - Rock Samples WantedThe Gem committee is hunting for rock samples of approximately 1 inch in size in quantities of 35 samples or more for rock kits which will be given to teachers at the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers teacher workshop next fall. Contact Anne Leslie of Raimonde Drilling at 773-889-1412 or email at rdcdrill@rdc-drill.com if you can help out.
Section
News
Don't forget to pay your 2003-2004 dues. Click here for details. Click here for the 2003-2004 Officers Election of 2004-2005 Officers at Next MeetingNominations
to Date: The floor will
be open for additional nominations during the next meeting. Elected
Positions
Chair
Gordie Stevens
Vice-Chair John
Head
Secretary John
Magyar
Treasurer Steve
Tivy Appointed
Positions
Gem Coordinator
Anne Leslie
Newsletter Editor Rick
Ackermann
Website Coordinator Sarah
Schlichtholz
Program Chair
Frank Kendorski Back to TopChange of Meeting Location Suggestions?The Section is also considering a change of meeting location and is greatly encouraging suggestions of your favorite restaurant. Send your suggestions in to Gordie Stevens, John Head Steve Tivy or Rick Ackermann. Phone numbers or e-mail addresses can be found at http://www.chicagosme.org/officers.htm Back to TopChicago SME Gives Donations to Two Local OrganizationsThe
Executive Committee of the Chicago SME recently approved donations to two worthy
organizations. The donations were to the Junior Achievement of Chicago for
$250 and to the Illinois Junior Academy of Science competition for $50. The
Chicago SME Section periodically gives donations and scholarships to various
area groups to promote education, particularly in science and engineering areas. Submitted by Steve Tivy More on the Electronic Newsletter: SPAM ACTDue
to the passage of the Federal CAN SPAM ACT of 2003 the rules are changing by
early in 2005 for sending out faxes and e-mail for notices and advertisements.
For those of you who are involved in this type of notification, I have
some basic information from the SME concerning this via John Head of
MACTEC, who is our local section representative to the national SME.
John recently attended the SME 2004 Annual Meeting in Denver and
forwarded some material on the changing legality of spam as it affects
newsletters and other types of notices. Hopefully
I won’t be required to ask you all to response by e-mail or in writing to keep
sending out meeting announcements. If you want a copy, please send me an e-mail and I will be glad to attach the PDF file. It is very basic information. --Rick Ackermann
Upcoming Meetings & Events
Member NewsKendorski Presenting Paper on Mine Void Detection ProblemsFrank Kendorski of Agapito Associates, Inc., will be presenting a paper at the 23rd International Conference on Ground Control at West Virginia University in Morgantown in August on "Problems in 'Void' Detection in Coal Mine Water Hazards." The paper highlights the problems of delineating mine voids by drilling and by remote sensing techniques. In particular, he points out the difficulties of "seeing" a rubble-filled chimney in a collapsed coal mine entry by remote sensing techniques. The rubble-filled cavity provides rock block-to-rock block contact across the cavity, allowing transmission of signal energy, but at attenuated returns and transmissions, masking the dangerous hydraulic potential of a water-filled cavity. Kokal Attends Minnesota Mining
Symposium &SME Meeting
Harold Kokal attended the 77th Annual Meeting of the SME Minnesota Section Duluth, Minnesota on April 13 and 14. The meeting was held in conjunction with the 65th Annual University of Minnesota Mining Symposium and the 2004 Vendors' Trade Show. A short course on comminution by professor Raj Rajamani of the University of Utah preceded the meeting. The keynote session featured John P. Surma, President and Chief Operating Officer of US Steel who spoke on "Paradigm Shifts in the Steel Industry." A variety of presentations included the potential use of taconite tailings as aggregate, and many other topics. Abstracts are available for interested persons by contacting Harold Kokal at his e-mail address: Harold.Kokal@ispat.com. Kendorski Invited to MS&HRAC
Meeting
Frank Kendorski of Agapito Associates, Inc., has been invited to participate in the May Meeting of the federal Mine Safety & Health Research Advisory Committee in Washington, DC. The Committee recommends research areas to be pursued by federal mine safety programs. Frank has been asked particularly to address issues of coal mine safety in inundation environments such as the Quecreek Mine near-disaster in July 2002. Frank had in1979 managed a USBM project to anticipate and safely plan for inundation of coal mines from surface waters and breached abandoned mines.
Industry NewsNew Arizona Copper Mine? But not soon….The Arizona Dept of Mines & Mineral Resources released an informational paper concerning the May 1st acquisition by Rio Tinto’s Resolution Copper Co. of 55% interest in the former Magma Superior Mine at Superior AZ. RT spent $25 million on exploration work and feasibility studies over the past 5 years to earn a 55% interest in the property from BHP-Billiton. The orebody is located from 5,000 to 7,000 ft deep SE of the old No. 9 Shaft at Superior. From personal communication with friends in AZ, the grade is high (initial Magma holes were over 1% Cu is the rumor) and the rock temperatures are above 130 F. RT is apparently working slowly through water and surface related issues. Much more information may be found in the paper. Contact Rick Ackermann for a copy of the paper. Rick Ackermann The University of Alaska-Fairbanks to Close (Merge – editor) School of Mining EngineeringThe
University of Alaska-Fairbanks has announced plans to close the School of
Mineral Engineering. If approved by
the Board of Regents in Sitka, School would close and its three departments
(mining, petroleum and geologic engineering) would be incorporated into a new
College of Engineering and Mining. The
University hopes to foster an interdisciplinary approach to engineering by
combining these two schools. Steve
Borell, Executive Director of the Alaska miners Association, has come out
strongly against the plan. In a letter he noted that this decision sends a bad message
to the many mining companies that have started investing in Alaska.
It comes at time when the metal prices are booming, fostering numerous
large-scale mining developments throughout the state.
Citing Alaska’s unique environment, Borell stated that the potential
exists for the School to be a world-class mining institute with the expertise,
the research labs, and the Arctic conditions to provide a learning environment
like no other. The experience with
other institutions that adopted such a course suggests that geological and
petroleum programs survive, but that mining programs do not. If adopted, the plan would save little money and cost no faculty jobs. The proposed College of Engineering and Mining would remain in Fairbanks. Reprinted from the Northwest Mining Association Newsletter, April 2004. The NWMA is a very active organization and works to defend mining interests many areas. Check out the comments on the EPA Region V (which includes Wisconsin) on page 10 of the same issue under “Public Lands” at: http://www.nwma.org/pdf/04aprbul.pdf New Flame-Proof AlternatorDry Systems Technologies (Woodridge, IL) has developed a new, high efficiency, compact, Flame -Proof Alternator which has been approved by MSHA for use in underground mines. The alternator has an output of 25 Amps, 12 Volts or 12.5 Amps, 24 Volts. Key features of the alternator include; internal short circuit protection that eliminates fuses, two sealed front bearings that eliminate greasing, and a higher fan belt torque capability. Multiple drive pulleys are available for easy installation. --Submitted by Roger Gibb
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