Coal production has begun at a new underground mine in western Kentucky. Lexington-based Rhino Resource Partners announced on Wednesday that coal is being produced at Riveredge Mine in McLean County and commercial shipments should begin in a few weeks, The Messenger-Inquirer reported.

The company, which announced plans for the mine seven years ago, began excavations at the site last summer.

A way of life dating back more than a century appeared over in Michigan's Upper Peninsula when the last copper mine closed in 1995, idling more than 1,000 employees and turning this once-thriving company town into a forlorn outpost.

Now a Canadian company is planning a new mine at the site a few miles from Lake Superior, where screeching gulls hover over empty buildings and parking lots are littered with broken glass. If Highland Copper Co.'s plans go forward, the White Pine, Mich., area will be astir once more as underground ores are blasted, hauled to the surface and crushed at a mill to extract valuable minerals.

The Philippine government expects to double its annual returns from mining to as much as US$1 billion under a revenue-sharing scheme approved Monday that will see the government taking 55% of the industry's net revenues or 10% of gross revenue, whichever is higher.

According to Manila Standard Today, the government panel —the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC)— will present the proposal to President Benigno Aquino this week for approval before submitting it to Congress.

Gold futures traded near the highest in a month as prices held above a technical support level. Palladium matched a 34-month high set earlier this month.

The dollar rose 0.3% after reaching a two-week low set versus the euro on June 6, when gold climbed to a one-week high. The metal slipped 3.9% last month, as signs of an improving U.S. economy sent equities there to a record. Price declines stalled above about $1,240 earlier this month.

Work on Britain's first new metals mine in more than 40 years has begun in Devon where Wolf Minerals aims to begin extracting tungsten next year, the Australian company said on Monday.

Hemerdon in Devon contains the world's third-largest resource of tungsten, used to make super-hard steel, and Wolf Minerals' project is expected to create around 200 jobs. Tungsten is in demand due to restrictions on output and exports by major producer China.

Copper fell for a fifth session in New York, the longest slump in more than three months, as demand concerns mounted amid slumping imports of the metal into China, the world’s biggest user.

Unwrought-copper shipments fell 16% in May from April, while ore and concentrate imports were the lowest in almost a year, customs data showed earlier this month. Money managers cut bullish bets by the most in a month, and copper is the only "net short" industrial metal on the London Metal Exchange, according to Marex Spectron Group.

Does signing a $20 billion iron ore deal at a time when iron ore prices hit multiyear lows sounds crazy to you? This is what Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO ) and Chinalco (NYSE: ACH ) have done. These companies signed the investment framework for the southern part of the Simandou project in Guinea. Rio Tinto will have a 46.6% stake in the project, while Chinalco will own a 41.3% stake.

The project was already in the news when Rio Tinto decided to sue Vale (NYSE: VALE ) and BSG Resources at the end of April. Rio Tinto accused Vale and BSG Resources of conspiring to strip Rio Tinto of the northern half of Simandou. Whatever the outcome of what could be a lengthy legal battle, the dispute did not prevent Rio Tinto from developing the southern part of the project.

President Barack Obama unveiled on June 2 his awaited new environmental policy aimed to curb the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, with all the states having until 2017 to comply with the new rules.

The 645-page document, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a centrepiece of the Obama administration's climate change strategy. It is also the first time in the history of the U.S. that a president imposes limits on power plant emissions, which could transform a sector that currently relies on coal for nearly 38% of electricity.

On Aug. 1, 2013, President Obama issued Executive Order (EO) 13650, Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security, to improve the safety and security of chemical facilities and reduce the risks of hazardous chemicals to facility workers and operators, communities and responders. Chemicals and the facilities that manufacture, store, distribute and use them are essential to our economy and livelihood, but the handling and storage of chemicals can present a risk that must be addressed.

The Working Group (comprised of the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor and the Environmental Protection Agency) is pleased to share with you a copy of the status report to the president, entitled Actions to Improve Chemical Facility Safety and Security – A Shared Commitment.

A Senate panel approved a bill last month to keep federal highway programs going for the next six years, but it remained unclear whether Congress would act in time to prevent a disruption in transportation aid to states this summer.

The Environment and Public Works Committee approved a bill that would keep transportation spending at current levels, plus inflation, in a rare burst of bipartisan bonhomie, with Democrats and Republicans lavishing praise on each other. No one spoke against the measure, which passed on a voice vote.

Kick off the summer and get 10% off select ISEE gear and books over at the ISEE online store. Use coupon code summer14 at checkout. The offer expires July 11, 2014. Standard shipping rates apply. Click here to see all the items on sale now.

ISEE members can now get all of the IME SLPs as free downloads on the ISEE website. The 15 files are housed inside the Blasters’ Toolkit, which is inside the members section of www.isee.org.

IME developed these explosives-based recommendations known as SLPs that have been adopted by many regulatory agencies as essential guidelines and best practices. IME has given us permission to offer the complete SLP collection as free downloads to our members, a savings of up to $140. All rights are reserved by IME. Print versions are available for purchase at www.ime.org.

Log in to www.isee.org to download your SLPs today.

The International Society of Explosives Engineers Online Buyers' Guide is a current, easy-to-use directory of suppliers and service providers within the explosives industry. Locate providers alphabetically by category or by custom search. With hundreds of listings, finding qualified leads for your next purchasing decision is a snap.

June 22-27, 2014

June 22-27, 2014

July 17, 2014
6201 Joliet Rd, Countryside, IL 60525

July 22-24, 2014
Baltimore, Md.