Rhode Island asphalt producer will pay a $23,700 penalty related to air emissions.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with T. Miozzi Inc., an asphalt maker based in Coventry, Rhode Island, to help bring the company into compliance with its Clean Air Act permit.
As part of the settlement T. Miozzi Inc. will pay a penalty of $23,700 to settle EPA claims that it operated its hot mix asphalt plant in violation of an air permit issued by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM). The settlement requires that the company comply with its air permit and provide a report to EPA demonstrating compliance for the 2014 operating season.
The EPA and RIDEM conducted an inspection of the plant in April 2013. After the inspection, EPA determined that T. Miozzi failed to comply with certain provisions of its air permit. The EPA alleged that T. Miozzi failed to maintain certain records, including records relating to testing of emissions from the company’s rotary drum burner used in making the asphalt and the testing of equipment used to control particulate emissions.
The company’s air permit contains provisions designed to limit the emissions of particulate matter, fugitive dust, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.
The EPA says T. Miozzi worked quickly to correct the violations, and cooperated with EPA in reaching a settlement.
In addition to producing asphalt, T. Miozzi Inc. also provides construction, asphalt reclamation, micro mill, fine grading and asphalt paving services, according to its website.
Expanded facility will include a lab where multiple tests can be conducted simultaneously.
Munson Machinery, a maker of mixing and blending machinery, has expanded the size of its Utica, New York, headquarters location by more than 30 percent, according to Charles Divine, Munson Machinery president and CEO.
“The expansion will boost our fabrication and assembly capabilities to increase production and reduce lead times and permit reorganizing of existing manufacturing space to improve work flow and efficiency,” Divine says. “It will also allow us to increase the size of our test lab.”
The additional space includes an expanded assembly area with 22-foot-high bays and two bridge crane systems to accommodate larger machines, a new shipping and receiving area with loading dock and space for a new water jet, sheet metal rollers and additional welding centers.
The test lab, where customers can test their materials on full-sized Munson equipment, will double in size, allowing multiple tests to be conducted at the same time.
Munson Machinery equipment includes rotary batch mixers; fluidized bed mixers; ribbon, paddle and plow blenders; vee-cone blenders; rotary continuous mixers; and high intensity mixers.
Size reduction equipment made by Munson includes hammermills and shredders, screen classifying cutters, pin mills, attrition mills, lump breakers and rotary knife cutters.
Dual-shafted, hydraulically powered preshredder is designed to pull apart aluminum bundles.
IBTTA and AED call for longer-term infrastructure attention.
The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), a Washington, D.C.-based association representing toll facility owners, operators and vendors, has released a statement calling the U.S. Senate passage of H.R. 5021 (the Highway and Transportation Funding Act) an incomplete solution. The bill funds the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) through the end of 2014. “Today’s Senate passage of the Highway Trust Fund patch does not negate the need for a long-term solution to our country’s infrastructure funding crisis,” says Patrick D. Jones, executive director and CEO of IBTTA. “Congress must develop a comprehensive plan to address the critical funding needs of our nation’s surface transportation system.” Jones has nonetheless called on Congress to bring the bill to President Obama. “In the interim, we encourage Congress to quickly resolve any differences between the House and Senate bills to keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent.” Among further actions recommended by the IBTTA, as spelled out by Jones, are:
In his statement, Jones also quotes a five-year old National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission document with this warning: “The roots of our current crisis lie in our failure as a nation to fully understand and, more important, act on the costs of deferred investment in our surface transportation infrastructure, especially in the face of an aging infrastructure, a growing population, and an expanding economy. This problem will only worsen until Congress addresses the fundamental fact that current HTF revenues are inadequate to support current federal program spending levels.” Jones also urged bipartisan cooperation to craft a long-term bill. “We stand with the members of that congressionally appointed commission in calling for long-term, comprehensive and sustainable solutions to fund and finance America’s roads, bridges and tunnels. Bipartisan ideas like the fuel tax increase introduced by Senators Murphy and Corker and the historic Obama Administration proposal to lift the ban on tolling existing lanes of interstate highways for purpose of reconstruction must be considered if we are to achieve a long-term solution.” Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) President & CEO Brian McGuire released the following statement regarding final passage of legislation to patch the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (H.R. 5021) and keep federal surface transportation programs operating through May 2015. "While we're relieved that H.R. 5021 is on its way to the president's desk, this isn't a moment to celebrate," McGuire said. "By waiting until the last minute to solve a problem we've known for years was coming, Congress brought the highway program and the construction industry to the brink of disaster. We hope this exercise has underscored to everyone on Capitol Hill that the Highway Trust Fund is in dire shape and needs additional revenues, be it from a gas tax increase or some other source. Providing the infrastructure that allows the economy to function is a core obligation of federal government. Now it's up to Congress to fulfill that obligation and put the HTF back on the road to long-term solvency."
New site features expanded content and product support.