Registration is now open for the 41st Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique. This International Society of Explosives Engineers event is the largest conference of its kind, bringing together more than 1,600 industry leaders, manufacturers, government officials and members of academia from around the globe.

The 41st annual conference will be from Feb. 1-4, 2015, at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, in New Orleans, Louisiana. And it will be four days packed full of technical sessions, poster presentations, networking opportunities, special student and international events and an exhibit hall with nearly 130 companies showing off the latest products and technology in the explosives industry.

Calling all students looking to make a mark in the explosives industry: The ISEE Conference Program Committee is pleased to announce the Call for Student Papers to be presented at the 41st Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique, the largest gathering of its kind involving field blasters, manufacturers of explosives related products, educators and researchers, to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Feb. 1 - 4, 2015.

This is an excellent opportunity for students to network with senior researchers and professionals from academia and the industry. Ideas should be submitted in a 200-400 word abstract highlighting the major points of the proposed 8-10 page paper and be approved by the student's faculty advisor.

ISEE is committed to keeping standards current with the best available technology and procedures. Existing standards are periodically reviewed and modified. The current standard under consideration is Field Practice Guideline for Blasting Seismographs-2009 Edition.

Please download the document at the link below, and let ISEE know your thoughts. The entire document is included for reference, but ISEE is only seeking comments on the proposed changes that are highlighted blue.

As the two-year mark nears for an explosion that rocked the Camp Minden and Doyline communities, yet another employee connected to the former explosives business deemed responsible for the blast has been accused of criminal wrongdoing.

Clifford Morrison, 60, of Plain Dealing, surrendered Wednesday morning to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center following his indictment Monday in connection with the ongoing investigation of Explo Systems, Inc. Morrison, a former manager in charge of contracts for Explo is free on bond.

The Institute of Makers of Explosives Safety Analysis for Risk (IMESAFR) v2.0 training will be offered January 29-31 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel three days before the ISEE Conference.

IMESAFR v2.0 is the product of years of collaborative effort between the Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME) and A-P-T Research (APT) and is the most recent version of the versatile and dynamic IMESAFR risk assessment tool the explosives community has been using for years. IMESAFR has always been a powerful tool for calculating individual and group risk associated with explosives facilities using detailed information such as donor structure and activity, the structure of exposed sites and the duration of exposures for personnel.  Now the 2.0 version of IMESAFR has a graphics oriented Geographic Information System (GIS) based interface that permits many graphical options for risk visualization, a Metric Engine option to perform site risk analysis in metric units, and a Quantity Distance (QD) feature that draws arcs referencing the American Table of Distances (ATD) or other QD regulations.

Other IMESAFR v2.0 features that were added at the request of those using earlier 1.x versions:
Visual output of debris density and overpressure/impulse as a function of range and bearing
Improved debris hazard models
Additional user options to customize a scenario

For more details, please contact APT directly by phone or by e-mail. You can also visit their website where you will find registration forms, course logistics and cost details. IMESAFR v2.0 is significantly different from earlier versions of IMESAFR, therefore the IME requires students trained in 1.x versions to attend the IMESAFR v2.0 training before obtaining the new software.

After weeks of relentless selling benchmark iron ore prices soared on Monday, enjoying the strongest one-day gains in more than a year. Northern China 62% Fe imports tracked by The SteelIndex jumped $3.20 or 3.9% to trade at $85.20 a tonne, lifting the the steelmaking raw material off a string of five-year lows set this month.

China burns almost as much coal as the rest of the world combined and is reliant on the fossil fuel for two-thirds of total energy consumption and 80% of its electricity generation. Last year was the 14th consecutive year of rising thermal coal consumption, output and imports for the country – albeit at a slower pace – but 2014 could become a turning point.

The U.S. construction industry extended its streak of job gains in August, adding 20,000 workers.
It was the eighth straight month of gains for the industry which now employs 6.068 million Americans—the highest figure since May 2009, according to data from the Labor Department.

The U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) deadline for comments regarding a recent petition to change the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, 30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq is Sept. 25, 2014. The petition requests OSMRE amend its regulations governing the use of explosives to prohibit visible nitrogen oxide clouds in surface coal mining operations. Your thoughts will help the OSMRE director’s decision to grant or deny the petition. Comments will be accepted online or via mail.

Head over to the ISEE online store and save 10% on hundreds of books, apparel, DVDs, artwork and ISEE merchandise. Be sure to use coupon code sept2014 at check out to redeem your discount. Offer expires Sept. 30, 2014. Standard shipping rates apply.

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sept. 20, 2014
13500 Interurban Rd, Kansas City, MO 64163

Sept. 25-28, 2014
Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre

Sept. 30, 2014
Juniper Hill Golf Course, Brigham Street, Northborough, MA

Oct. 8-10, 2014
The Resort at Port Arrowhead, Bagnell Dam Boulevard, Lake Ozark, MO

Oct. 8, 2014
Bear Creek Valley Golf Club, 910 Missouri 42, Osage Beach, MO

Oct. 8, 2014