The ISEE Board of Directors Election is now underway. Eligible voters, all members in good standing with the exception of student members, can cast votes until Dec. 1, 2015.

Eligible voters with an email on file should have received an email with step-by-step instructions for casting a vote online. Members who don’t have an email address on file will soon be receiving print ballots in the mail.

This year, we will be raffling off the new 18th Edition Blasters’ E-Handbook to five randomly drawn voters who submit a ballot by the voting deadline. The lucky winners will be among the first people to have this yet-to-be-released e-book that will be compatible with most mobile devices and desktop computers. We will also offer voters a 10% off coupon to the ISEE Bookstore for a future purchase.

Registration is now open for the 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique to be held Jan. 31 - Feb. 3, 2016, at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As many as 1,600 blasters, manufacturers, government officials and suppliers gather from all over the world to gain new insights and to form new business alliances. Participation will be strong as the largest conference of its kind in the explosives industry comes together in Las Vegas.

The 2016 program includes a dynamic education program featuring technical sessions, poster session and workshops combined with more than 130 exhibits on the latest technology. In addition to the full conference, the Blasters Weekend Package, commencing on Saturday, Jan. 30, will include the popular Blasters Training Seminar, the Blasters R Us Video Roundup, a regulatory panel discussion and more.

Celebrate the start of the fall season with ISEE. Head over to the ISEE online bookstore today and save 15% on books, DVDs, apparel and artwork. Be sure to use coupon code isee15 at checkout to redeem your discount. SEE Education Foundation items are not included. Standard shipping rates do apply.The offer ends Friday, November 6. Start shopping today.

The New England Chapter of Society of Explosive Engineers has put together an 8 hour training session for New York certified blasters that will be October 29 at the Latham Volunteer Fire Department in Latham, New York. Some topics that will be covered include NYSDOL regulations, MSHA and OSHA updates, flyrock control and dealing with misfires. Registration is $75 and includes coffee and lunch. This training has been approved by the New York State Department of Labor. For more information, contact Sue Shepley at sshepley@geosonics.com or visit the New England Chapter Facebook page.

Employees on duty at the explosives plant Dyno Nobel southwest of Carthage were evacuated from the plant grounds after an alarm sounded at about 7:50 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. Carthage Fire Chief Roger Williams said a small fire started in a building on the Dyno Nobel complex and a sprinkler system extinguished it.

A report from former U.S. defense secretary William Cohen found that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appears to have rushed to judgement when it preemptively block the proposed Pebble gold and copper mine from being built near Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

In response to that report, a U.S. House committee will look into the matter. The Hill reported that in a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) asked the agency to make a regional coordinator available for an interview before a Nov. 5 hearing.

The first two mines in the world to start moving all of their iron ore using fully remote-controlled trucks have just gone online in Western Australia's Pilbara. Mining giant Rio Tinto is running pits at its Yandicoogina and Nammuldi mine sites, with workers controlling the driverless trucks largely from an operations centre in Perth, 1,200 kilometres away.

Josh Bennett manages the mining operations at Yandicoogina mine north west of Newman and is closely involved with running 22 driverless trucks on the site. Mr. Bennett said the two pits are the largest of their kind in the world.

President Barack Obama released in August the final version of his climate policy and energy use program, the Clean Power Plan. One of the industries that will likely be affected the most by this plan is coal production as well as the plants using coal as an energy source. Burning coal produces a variety of unhealthy particulates and roughly twice as much carbon dioxide when it burns. Some states generate tremendous amounts of energy from coal and use coal as a main power source. In West Virginia, all but 4.5% of the state’s electricity comes from fuel. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 states burning the most coal in the country.

Barrick Gold (TSE:ABX) announced on Monday that it's shutting down production at the Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea due to drought in the region brought about by the El-Nino weather effect. Output at the mine which was expected to produce between 400,000 – 500,000 ounces of gold this year, had been halted due to low levels of water in the main reservoir.

US-based Freeport-McMoRan warned in September that El Nino is disrupting operations at its Grasberg mine in Indonesia leading to reduced concentrate production at the massive gold and copper mine.

October 23, 2015
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Paulo Gama
Email enrique@ufrgs.br for more information

October 29, 2015
Latham, New York

November 4-6, 2015
Birmingham, Alabama

November 5, 2015
Hollywood Casino & Inn at Charles Town Races
Charles Town, West Virginia

November 12-13, 2015
The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel
State College, Pennsylvania

Heartland Chapter Meeting
November 12, 2015
Springfield, MO

November 16-17, 2015
Fourways, South Africa