Explosives Industry News - March 19, 2020

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Effective Date for Final Rule Revising Mining Explosive Safety Standards

A direct final rule revising safety standards for mining explosives has gone into effect, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced. Published Jan. 14, 2020, the rule updates existing standards to incorporate technological advancements involving electronic detonators at metal and nonmetal mines.

Visit https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/01/14/2019-28446/electronic-detonators to view the full article online.

Earthquake Forces Kennecott Copper to Halt Operations Temporarily

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Utah’s Wasatch Front on March 18, causing a hazmat situation at Rio Tinto’s Kennecott copper refinery. The refinery halted operations and all personnel were evacuated from the site.

At a press conference hours after the earthquake shook the greater Salt Lake City area the Unified Fire Authority Chief Dan Peterson said the leak was contained, and there was “no more risk to the citizens of Magna (UT).” Peterson said he believes roughly 8,200 gallons of hydrochloric acid leaked from a 12,000-gallon container sometime during the earthquake.

Visit https://me.smenet.org/webContent.cfm?context=1&webarticleid=3012 to view the full article online.

Copper Price Meltdown Sinks Mining Stocks

The decline in the copper price accelerated on Wednesday as pandemic fears grip global markets and mining companies announce a raft of production halts and project construction suspensions. Copper trading in New York fell by as much as 8.8% to $2.111 a pound ($4,650 a tonne), the weakest level since early October 2016. The copper price is now down more than 25% from its 2020 high, struck near the end of January.

Visit https://www.mining.com/copper-price-meltdown-sinks-mining-stocks-freeport-down-24/ to view the full article online.

Industry News

SEE Education Foundation Accepting Scholarship Applications

The SEE Education Foundation will be awarding $92,500 USD in scholarships to students pursuing degrees related to the explosives industry. The scholarship acceptance period is Feb. 28, 2020, to May 8, 2020.

To be eligible, students must be, or plan to be, pursuing a technical, undergraduate, graduate or doctorate degree in a field related to the commercial explosives industries. Students will be assessed on academic and professional achievements, industry goals, a personal challenges narrative and a brief statement of financial need.

Each year, the scholarship committee reviews and scores applications from students in a wide range of disciplines and makes awards ranging from $1,500 USD to a top award of $7,500 USD to well-qualified students.

About the SEE Education Foundation
The SEE Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization created in 1996 to serve the long-term education interests of the explosives industry through the development of education and training materials, championing the inclusion of explosives instruction in engineering curricula and awarding scholarships to eligible students.

Visit https://www.isee.org/public-documents/650-2020-scholarship-application-1 to view the full article online.

ISEE COVID-19 Update

ISEE has been actively monitoring the evolving situation with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the potential impact to our members, employees and chapters.

ISEE’s office is closed to the public starting Monday, March 16 in accordance with CDC recommendations on COVID-19 regarding social distancing.

While the ISEE office is closed to the public, business is still open. Our staff is focused on making sure we still provide our members the best customer service during this time. As always, you can reach us by phone at (440) 349-4400 or via email at isee@isee.org.

Visit https://www.isee.org/ to view the full article online.

Innovative Mining Technology to Create New Opportunities for Ontario

The Ontario government has announced a new investment of $900,000 with Sudbury-based SHYFTinc. to support the creation of new jobs and continued economic growth in northern Ontario. The new partnership will help the company develop an innovative inventory management system that will make freight delivery to open-pit and underground mines safer and more efficient.

The new technology will create a streamlined delivery system on an industrial level that will track, deliver, and manage material movement in real-time and seamlessly link to mine planning and inventory controls. The investment will open the doors to several potential business opportunities to service international mining operations. Additional partners in the project include Cementation Canada, BESTECH and NORCAT.

Visit https://news.ontario.ca/medg/en/2020/03/innovative-mining-technology-to-create-new-opportunities-for-ontario.html to view the full article online.

ISEE Member Benefit Spotlight

Renew Your ISEE Membership

As the leading professional association for the explosives industry, we want to help you advance your knowledge and career through education, regulatory training and professional networking. Whether you’re a student, an industry professional, or representing an organization, being part of the ISEE community will help you to achieve your goals.

Please renew your ISEE membership for 2019 to continue your access to these exclusive tools including:
1. Networking opportunities with 4,000 colleagues and industry leaders
2. Access OneMine, which includes proceedings from ISEE's Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique as well as 124,000 articles, technical papers, books in the explosives, mining, minerals and tunneling industries
3. Special annual conference pricing
4. A complimentary subscription to the Journal of Explosives Engineering
5. Exclusive pricing at the ISEE online bookstore
6. A complimentary listing in the ISEE Membership Directory and Desktop Reference

Visit https://www.isee.org/ to view the full article online.

ISEE Online Buyers' Guide

The International Society of Explosives Engineers Online Buyers' Guide is a tool used to search for products and services within your industry. There are several search tools located within the Buyers' Guide to help you find what you are looking for. Learn how to use the Buyers' Guide.

Visit https://isee.officialbuyersguide.net/ to view the full article online.

The Explosives Industry Career Center

Did you know the ISEE has an online career center that offers discounts to members looking to post jobs? Whether you’re a student looking for an internship or a business looking for a seasoned professional in the explosives industry, the ISEE job board, located at the ISEE website, is a great way to get noticed. And one of the best parts is that it’s free for job seekers. Upload your resume today to get the attention of job posters or browse the job board for the latest openings. Visit the career center now.

Visit https://isee-jobs.careerwebsite.com/ to view the full article online.