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PACA Conveyor – January Conveyor
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Easily jump to a section in this newsletter:

1. PACA News
2. Certification News
3. Environmental News
4. PACA Member News
5. Safety & Health News
6. Technical News

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24 E Blasts
PACA wishes to thank our 2024 Corporate Sponsors for their generous support and commitment this year!
PACA News
Jim
Certification News
As reported by Jim Casilio, P.E., PACA's Director of Technical Services.
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Certification News
Invitation to Regional NRMCA Exterior Flatwork Finisher Certification Exams
All PACA members are invited to attend the regional NRMCA Exterior Flatwork Finishers classes, held across Pennsylvania in February and March!

Many of your customers will be attending the regional finisher certification classes which have been scheduled to meet the requirements of the upcoming PennDOT specification, requiring that 60% of the finishers be certified for all projects let after April of 2022. These are half-day classes with the classroom review lasting about three hours. The performance portion of this certification will be scheduled regionally in April.

There will be no charge if you just wish to sit in on one of these classes and participate in this valuable education with your customers. If you wish to attend and acquire this lifetime certification, please contact Jim Casilio.

The dates and locations for these classes are listed below. If you wish to attend, please send an email to Jim Casilio so that we know you will be attending. Please feel free to send or bring along your customer service, sales, and technical personnel for this very useful and practical education.

This program has been well received because it’s focus is not solely on what to do while finishing. It is due to the fact that it covers some of the underling mechanics of concrete, the why we need to finish and cure properly, that makes this class unique. This is an opportunity for your customers to associate your company with this level of education, one which has been missing from our industry.

Please share this registration and information link, along with the dates below, with your customers so that they are aware of a class near to them, and that they have an opportunity to attend.

There are approximately 300 finishers who have already have registered to attend this round of classes.

Last year, over 500 Pennsylvania finishers attend these classes and received their lifetime certification.
  • February 14 - Pine Grove Mills (State College area)
  • February 15 - Canonsburg, PA (Southwest PA)
  • February 16 - Mars, PA (North of Pittsburgh, Cranberry area)
  • February 17 - Erie, PA
  • February 21 - Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • February 22 - Wayne, PA (King of Prussia area)
  • February 25 - Glen Mills, PA (West Chester area)
  • March 2 - Grantville, PA (Harrisburg - Hershey area)
More Information - To Register
Josie
Environmental News
As reported by Josie Gaskey, PACA's Director of Environmental, Safety & Health.
Email Josie
Environmental News
Draft 2022 Integrated Water Quality Report
Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act requires DEP to report the status of waters and describe the programs in place to control pollution and restore water quality. Section 303(d) requires EPA approve the listing of impaired waters requiring total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). DEP has published the draft 2022 Integrated Water Quality Report as an interactive “story map” so the public can understand better. Comments are due March 1, 2022.

Additionally, they have created an Integrated Report Viewer, which they believe provides enhanced search capabilities and export functions. This allows you to interactively search for streams near your facilities to determine the impairment status.

DEP’s Restoration Priority Watershed Streams list can be found here.

Should you have any questions, contact Josie Gaskey.
Environmental News
DEP Functional Equivalency
DEP has published the Pennsylvania Function-Based Aquatic Resource Compensation Protocol guidance (TGD ID No. 310-2137-001) in the PA Bulletin. This project was started in 2014. The purpose of this guidance is to provide standard guidelines for aquatic resource compensatory mitigation to meet the 25 PA Code Chapter 105 regulatory requirements that relate to dam safety and waterway management.

The guidance outlines how evaluations should be conducted using this methodology and the factors to consider when doing so. It also establishes a system for quantifying compensatory mitigation requirements and proposals. They have also reorganized the riverine function groups, removed the recreation function groups and made revisions to the project effect value section.

This has an effective date of March 1, 2022. Prior to this date, DEP will provide updated application forms, instructions and webinar trainings. A copy of the 43-page document can be found here.

Should you have any questions, contact Josie Gaskey.
Kallie
PACA Member News
As reported by Kallie Kline, PACA's Director of Member Services.
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PACA Member News
Z Class Photo Roster
Announcing the 2022 Class of PACA's Emerging Leaders Academy
We are pleased to announce that in 2022 we will have a full class of students for this year's PACA Emerging Leaders Academy (PELA). Each year, the class will be capped at 20 students. The inaugural class of 2021 consisted of 16 students out of 18 applicants. This year, we have filled the class of 20 out of 25 applicants. It's going to be a great year!

Congratulations to the following members of the Class of 2022!
  • Michael Beury, Kemper Equipment
  • Aaron Christ, New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.
  • Ted Fegely, New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.
  • Ryan Fink, Keystone Cement Company
  • Michael Forte, Delaware Valley Concrete Co., Inc.
  • Joe Kim, Earthres Group, Inc.
  • Dillyn Lyons, Centre Concrete Company
  • Rick Masters, Masters RMC, Inc.
  • Nicky Morrison, Allan Myers
  • Tyler Oldaker, Arcosa Aggregates
  • Chris Rodkey, Union Quarries, Inc.
  • Sunni Snyder, Central Builders Supply Company
  • Jenifer Spang, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.
  • Adam Veldhuizen, Mellott Company
  • Nick Whitaker, Keystone Cement Company
  • Greg Willi, New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.
  • Tasha Williams, Centre Concrete Company
  • Eran Willis, Byler Materials Group
  • Andrew Wittle, York Building Products
  • Taylor Young, Specialty Granules LLC
PACA Member News
PELA 22 Donors
2022 PELA Donor Program a HUGE Success!
Blown away does not even come close to describing the reaction to this year's PELA Donor Program. The generosity and support of our PACA members is unimaginable and overwhelming. We were blessed by our membership with a total of $18,500 in donations this year. These funds will go to additional curriculum and instructors, food/beverage expenses for the in-person classes and additional expenses not covered by the tuition fees paid by the students.

A very special THANK YOU to the following companies for allowing us to take the PELA onward and upward in 2022!

CORNERSTONE LEVELMartin Stone Quarries, Inc.New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.Union Quarries, Inc.SPONSOR LEVELAllegheny Mineral CorporationArcosa Aggregates, LLCCivil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.Mellott UniversityFRIEND LEVELDelaware Valley Concrete Co., Inc.Dyer Quarry, Inc.H&K Group (2)Hanson AggregatesHighway Equipment & Supply Company (2)Highway Materials, Inc.Kemper EquipmentYork Building Products
PACA Member News
Mellott Dedicates New Learning Center
Warfordsburg, PA — January 21, 2022— On January 17, 2022, Mellott formally announced the naming of the “Ramesh Patel Learning Center”.

Ramesh “Ram” Patel was an intricate part of Mellott for over twenty years, coming out of his first retirement, he started out as Mellott’s Senior Vice President, on June 12, 2000. During his tenure with Mellott his dedication to excellence and innovation was par none. The wisdom he shared with others over his years of service has been invaluable, so dedicating a learning center in his name was apropos. He retired on December 31, 2021, and this building will carry on Ram’s legacy of training and sharing of knowledge for generations to come. When asked what he was most proud of, Ram had this to say, “Building an ‘Independent Management Team’ that can run the business of Mellott with or without the Mellott Family involvement was my assignment at hire, and that is exactly what we have today, and I am proud of it. Mellott University is another one of the achievements I am equally proud of.”

Mellott University along with the Ramesh Patel Learning Center both enable onsite training for our employees and mark milestones in a long 100-year history of Mellott’s willingness to improve while still maintaining the same excellent leadership driven by the same core values of Safety, Integrity, Commitment, Respect and Excellence.
Josie
Safety & Health News
As reported by Josie Gaskey, PACA's Director of Environmental, Safety & Health.
Email Josie
Safety & Health News
Highlights of December MSHA Stakeholder Meeting
MSHA held its quarterly stakeholder call December 14, 2021. The presentation can be found here. Highlights:

--Of significant note, there have been 10 fatalities (coal, noncoal and customer) in mining from October 1, 2021 through December 14, 2021.

--MSHA’s new safety initiative—Take Time, Save Lives—officially begins on January 1, 2022 and stresses that many accidents and fatalities can be prevented by proper training and focusing on tasks. More information can be found here.

--MSHA will continue with granting extensions on refresher training until President Biden changes the status of COVID. Note there is no extension for new miner training.

--The anticipated proposed rulemaking for respirable crystalline silica is on MSHA’s Regulatory Agenda for May 2022.

--Covid, Delta, Omicron and an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). MSHA has no plans at this time to issue an ETS and you should continue to follow the March 2021 guidance.

--Also on MSHA’s agenda is the Safety Program for Surface Mobile Equipment proposed rulemaking would require mine operators to establish a written safety program for mobile equipment and powered haulage equipment (except belt conveyors) used at surface mines and surface areas of underground mines. Under this proposal, mine operators would be required to assess hazards and risks and identify actions to reduce accidents related to surface mobile equipment. The operators would have flexibility to develop and implement a safety program that would work best for their mining conditions and operations.

Should you have any questions, contact Josie Gaskey.
Safety & Health News
OSHA Withdraws COVID-19 ETS
The January 26, 2021 Federal Register included this notice from OSHA indicating they are withdrawing the COVID-19 vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued on Nov. 5, 2021, designed to protect unvaccinated employees of large employers with 100 or more employees from workplace exposure to COVID-19. The withdrawal is effective January 26, 2022.

OSHA indicates that although they are withdrawing the vaccination and testing ETS as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, the agency is not withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule. The agency will be prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard.

OSHA notes they are still strongly encouraging vaccination of workers against COVID-19.

Provided there is no other local mandate, or Governor Wolf doesn’t issue a vaccine and testing mandate, companies may now choose to implement policies and practices most appropriate for protection of your company’s employees. Of significant note is that OSHA will continue to utilize existing standards regarding respiratory protection, personal protective equipment and sanitization. Also, it continues enforcement of the General Duty Clause which requires you to address recognized hazards, including workplace response to COVID-19.

Should you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact Josie Gaskey.
Safety & Health News
OSHA ETS Update
OSHA has recently updated their COVID Frequently Asked Questions webpage to address questions on scope, determining employee vaccination status, and employee notification to employer of a positive COVID-19 test and removal. It can be found here.

With respect to the Supreme Court’s January 13, 2021 ruling on OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard on vaccination and testing, OSHA has indicated: “Regardless of the ultimate outcome of these proceedings, OSHA will do everything in its existing authority to hold businesses accountable for protecting workers, including under the Covid-19 National Emphasis Program and General Duty Clause.”

Should you have any questions, contact Josie Gaskey.
Safety & Health News
Federal Civil Penalties
Many federal agencies, including MSHA, OSHA and EPA, updated their civil penalties amounts based on cost-of-living adjustments for 2022, as required by law. OSHA’s maximum penalties for serious and other-than-serious violations will increase from $13,653 per violation to $14,502 per violation. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $136,532 per violation to $145,027 per violation. More info can be found

here.

MSHA’s penalties are also increasing 1.764%. The new MSHA penalty amounts are applicable to MSHA citations issued after January 15, 2020, for violations occurring after July 15, 2019. 104(b) Failure to Correct goes from maximum of $7,867 to $8,006 and Flagrant Violations go from max of $266,275 to $270, 972. The new MSHA penalty amounts are applicable to MSHA citations issued after January 15, 2020, for violations occurring after July 15, 2019. More info can be found here.

EPA’s penalties for Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act violations also increase depending on the type of violation. More information can be found here.

Should you have any specific questions, contact Josie Gaskey.
Jim
Technical News
As reported by Jim Casilio, P.E., PACA's Director of Technical Services.
Email Jim
Technical News
PACA Technical Communities Meetings Postponed
The three Regional PACA Technical Community Meetings that were scheduled for February and March have been postponed.

These will be rescheduled in the near future, most likely in April or May.

We will be sure to provide plenty of notice with the new dates and locations.
Technical News
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