A final rule on 27 CFR Part 555 was issued by the Department of Justice on Monday, April 1.
Beginning May 31, 2019, all ammonium nitrate will be subject to the § 555.220 Table of Distances when stored within the sympathetic detonation distances of high explosives and blasting agents listed under the table at § 555.220. Ammonium nitrate explosive mixtures that are high explosives pursuant to § 555.202(a), or are defined as a blasting agent pursuant to § 555.11, will be subject both to the table of distances for storage of explosives materials at § 555.218 and to the § 555.220 Table of Distances.
“The Department of Justice is amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to remove the reference to an outdated guidance document in an explanatory note following the table of separation distances of ammonium nitrate and blasting agents from explosives or blasting agents. This final rule also clarifies that those separation distance requirements apply to all ammonium nitrate,” states a summary from the Federal Register, Vol. 84, No. 62.
For more information contact, Denise Brown, Enforcement Programs and Services, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives at (202) 648-7070.
The ISEE Membership Directory and Desk Reference is the most comprehensive who’s who publication in the explosives industry. Now you can make your company shine and target explosives industry leaders by advertising in the Membership Directory Yellow Pages.
Ads start at $125. Reserve yours today. The deadline is Wednesday, April 17. For more information, contact Dede Manross at 801.942.5650 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
More than 1,800 people from around the world met Jan. 27-30, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn., for the 45th Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique, setting a new attendance record for the ISEE conference on explosives engineering.
The conference included technical and poster sessions, workshops, industry socials and more than 180 exhibits showcasing latest technology. Keynote presenter and futurist David Houle kicked off the event with his discussion on emerging global trends and how they could affect the future of the explosives industry.
The online SEE Education Foundation auction, which wrapped up Tuesday, Jan. 29, raised nearly $8,000. Big-ticket items included one-of-a-kind quilt from Crazy Horse Memorial, a lifetime ISEE membership and an Alaskan dog sledding adventure.
The money raised through the auction will go to the Education Foundation ISEE Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to college students from across the globe who are pursuing careers in the blasting industry.
Accolades
Ronald Elliott, International Blasting Consultants, won the Distinguished Service Award; Paul Downing, Lancer Insurance Company, and David True, Austin Powder Company, were honored with the Industry Service Award; Mark Dean, Texcel, Melvin Fletcher, Dyno Nobel, Cristian Rodriguez, Split Engineering, were awarded the President's Award; Donald McNeil, PDK Inc., was awarded the Blaster's Leadership Award; Donald Thompson, Thunderbird Mining Systems, was honored with the Driller's Leadership Award; and Gonzalo Marias, Austin Powder Argentina, won the Paper of the Year Award.
This year, the SEE Education Foundation will be awarding $88,000 USD in scholarships to students pursuing degrees related to the explosives industry. This year will also feature an inaugural award from the Dale Ramsey Memorial Scholarship Fund. Created to honor the memory and legacy of an ISEE leader, this scholarship will mark the beginning of a lasting tribute to a man who gave so much of himself to the ISEE, and more significantly, students wishing to join our industry.
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 potential top award of $7,500 USD made to an exceptionally qualified student. The scholarship acceptance period will run from Feb. 11 to May 3, 2019.
To be eligible for a scholarship, students must be, or plan to be, pursuing a technical, undergraduate, master’s or doctorate degree in fields of study related to the commercial explosives industries. Students will be evaluated on their academic and professional achievements, their goals related to the industry, a personal challenges narrative and a statement of financial need. The deadline to apply is May 3, 2019.
Visit www.isee.org/students for more information and to download an application.
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.
The Ohio Drilling and Blasting Conference kicks off from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2019, with a welcome reception and exhibits. On Thursday, learn about various topics such as underground blasting, waveforms, public relations, demolition blasting, current compliance issues and more. View the preliminary schedule.
Although retraining credit hours have been accepted in the past by a number of states, due to recent changes in regulations, you need to be careful and check with your state regulators to be sure you receive the proper retraining credit hours from this conference.
The DoubleTree Hotel Columbus/Worthington, 175 Hutchinson Avenue, is located just off the 270/71 Interchange. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Doubletree Hotel with rates for the conference at $109 single/double, call (614) 885-3334 or 1-800-870-0349. Conference participants are responsible for their own lodging arrangements and should identify themselves with the Ohio Drilling and Blasting Conference when making reservations. All reservations must be made by Feb. 27, 2019.
Click here to make your online conference registration.
Ohio Drilling and Blasting is co-sponsored by International Society of Explosives Engineers; Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association; Ohio Coal Association; and is endorsed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.