Graniterock prevails against driver ‘meal period’ class action

Sources: Granite Rock Co., Watsonville, Calif.

In a tentative statement of decision, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Kleinberg determined that Graniterock was not in violation of California law as it relates to off-duty meal periods for employees. The wage and hour class action saw a 14-day bench trial, with the court considering whether the producer adequately “provided” mixer truck drivers meal breaks.

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Lehigh Hanson chief to lawmakers: EPA regs could doom 18 cement plants

Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.

This week’s passage of “Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011” (H.R. 2681) by the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power is being touted as a significant step towards regulations that protect American lives and American jobs. Testifying in Washington, D.C., before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce just prior to the bill’s passage, Dan Harrington, president and CEO of Lehigh Hanson, Inc., and former PCA chair, stressed to Congress that inaction on onerous EPA regulations could force the closure of 18 of the nearly 100 U.S. cement plants and result in the direct loss of 4,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs. Led by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, the hearings focused on H.R. 2681, as well as the “EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011,” (H.R. 2250), which addresses boilers and incinerators.

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Ash Grove tour to cap IEEE West Coast Cement Conference

Source: TXI Riverside Cement, Riverside, Calif.

The 2011 IEEE West Coast Cement Industry Conference, October 13–14 in Texarkana, Texas, will feature a Dust Collection workshop, technical program and tour of the Ash Grove Cement plant in Foreman, Ark. Scheduled technical presentations include: Bulk Solid Alternative Fuel Use in Cement Plants; Mining Efficiency in Cement Plants: Teamwork pays off; Principles in Compressed Air Improvement Projects–A CalPortland Case History; Mercury & Use of Activated Carbon; and, NESHAP/CISWI Update & Implementation.

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