Pit & Quarry, September 2012
MINEXPO Show PREVIEw projects Congress earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars between 2003 and 2006 but 473 million of those earmarks were never spent DOT is allowing states to apply those dollars to any highway transit passenger rail or port projects already approved by the department but states must identify the projects on which they intend to spend the rescinded funds by Oct 1 States must obligate the money by Dec 31 States can only use the funding amount already allocated to them and any funding that is not obligated by the end of the year will be proportionally distributed to states that meet the deadline According to the Charlotte Observer Alabama is the biggest winner of the new money with an opportunity to spend 515 million that had been set aside but never used for 33 projects California is also a big winner with 431 million to Did You Know Every American uses an average of nearly 40000 lbs of newly mined materials each year The National Mining Association estimates that in the next five to 10 years the mining industry will need about 55000 new miners across the United States to meet materials demand and to replace retiring mine employees The average miner makes 64000 per year in salary not including overtime bonuses and benefits U S metal and nonmetal miners spend Wyoming is the only state that has no unspent earmarks thus no new funds are at its disposal The DOT announcement was made during a conference call with reporters During the call LaHood was asked why now to release these funds when some report 32 non fatal injuries per 100 workers in 2009 a lower rate of occupational injuries than agriculture forestry and fishing construction manufacturing transportation and retail trade Mining has touched less than onehalf of 1 percent of all the land in the U S Since 1978 more than 26 million acres of mined lands have been restored to their original condition or made better Source National Mining Association of the earmarks are almost 10 years old In response LaHood said that in the first two years of the Obama administration DOT was focused on spending the 48 billion allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 PQ 36 PIT QUARRY September 2012 www pitandquarry com
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