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SME Annual Conference & Expo is only Six Weeks Away
The Future For Mining In A Data-Driven World is the theme for the SME 2016 annual conference at the Phoenix Convention Center, February 21-24. The full technical program is available enabling you to plan ahead and make the most of your time in Phoenix.
Don’t miss out on the keynote address, networking opportunities in the Expo Hall and the many social events the conference, SME Foundation, and SME Divisions have to offer.
Register before January 20 to receive advance registration special pricing.
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| Upcoming Meetings & Webinars |
| First Annual SME Health and Safety 5K |
| Join the SME Health & Safety Division for a healthy start to the 2016 Annual Conference and Expo with a 5K Fun Run, sponsored by Predictive Safety, LLC. The run will take place on Monday, Feb. 22 at Papago Park in Phoenix at 6:30 am and will conclude in time for the Keynote address. Entry fee for the fun run is $35 and participants will receive a T-Shirt, SME swag bag and bragging rights over colleagues who choose to sleep in. Bus transportation to the course from the Phoenix Convention Center is limited to the first 50 people, but the run is open to the first 100. For more information and to register, visit the conference website. |
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| January 31 Deadline to apply for Grants |
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Applications for both the Ph.D. Fellowship Grant and the Academic Career Development Grant are being accepted through January 31, 2016. Grants ranging from $60,000 - $100,000 are awarded annually to qualified candidates. The grants program was implemented to address the challenges that threaten the sustainability of U.S. mining engineering, mineral processing and extractive metallurgy academic degree programs and the balance of faculty members. For more information, please visit www.smenet.org/students/grants-scholarships or send an email to Academicgrants@smenet.org. |
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| Door Prizes, Special Awards and More |
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Tickets for the SME Foundation Annual Gala Dinner are going fast so order yours with your online conference registration. Ticket price includes entry into a drawing for AMAZING door prizes. You won’t want to miss out on this great opportunity to network at THE place to be at the 2016 SME Annual Conference & Expo, and the best place to promote your company or organization. Contact Megan at wayne@smenet.org to be a table sponsor!
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| SME PE Committee Seeks Volunteers for Panel |
| SME is actively recruiting members who haven’t served on the SME Professional Engineers Exam Committee to participate in the Cut Score Panel to be held in Denver Dec. 3-4, 2016. This activity occurs every 7 years as part of the required Mining / Mineral Processing PE Examination analysis, and is the most important activity of the exam development process. Volunteers will be reimbursed for expenses. Please contact Dr. Andrew P. Schissler PE, SME PE Exam Coordinator at Schissler@smenet.org, or 720-202-5683 for more information. |
Volunteers Needed!
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| Your Idea May Be Worth $20,000! |
| The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) sponsors an annual contest that offers a $20,000 prize. The T.C. Graham Prize is a global competition for the best innovative idea for a new application of steel. Your idea for something new that could be made of steel may be worth $20,000! Hurry - the deadline to submit a two-page abstract is January 31, 2016. |
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| Inspire New Innovation: Call for Papers |
The International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISS R&D) is the must-attend event for exploring the unmatched research opportunities available on the ISS. The American Astronautical Society, NASA and CASIS are now calling for papers and invite you to share your depth of knowledge, experiences and thought leadership at the fifth annual conference, July 12-14, 2016, in San Diego, CA. Conference organizers seek to deliver an agenda that inspires groundbreaking innovations for tangible benefit to life on Earth.
Download the Call for Papers prospectus or submit an abstract today. The deadline is February 25, 2016. For more information, visit ISS R&D Conference 2016.
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| Kimball confirmed as USGS Chief |
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The U.S. Senate has confirmed Dr. Suzette M. Kimball as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey almost two years after her nomination. In an August 17 letter to Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chair of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Committee, SME and five other geoscience societies asked for immediate action to confirm Acting Director Kimball as Director. She was nominated by President Obama in January 2014 to serve as the sixteenth Director of the USGS but had yet to be confirmed.
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| Washington Updates & Noteworthy News |
SME is dedicated to providing you with the latest mining news, from daily headlines at Mining Engineering Online to our technical journal Minerals & Metallurgical Processing to our Government and Public Affairs coverage.
- 2015 Mining Fatalities Decrease Dramatically
The mining industry has set a record low for fatalities in United States operations. According to preliminary data released by MSHA, deaths dropped from 45 in 2014 to 28 in 2015 – a nearly 40 percent decrease. This figure indicates the lowest number ever recorded and the first year that mining deaths dropped below 30. Preliminary data indicates that 11 miners died in work-related accidents at coal operations in 2015, and 17 miners died at U.S. metal and non-metal operations.
“The safety and health of our Nation’s mining workforce is paramount,” stated SME Executive Director David L. Kanagy. “Mine safety is extremely important to SME as evidenced by our creation of a Health and Safety Division, as well as an increase in the number of technical sessions and symposia focused on worker safety. We are pleased to see the industry’s progress toward achieving the goal of zero fatalities and a 50 percent reduction in rate of injuries by 2020.”
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- OSHA Final Rule on Silica Goes for Review; MSHA Likely to Follow
OSHA has sent a draft of its final rule on silica to the Office of Management and Budget, one of the final steps in a process that will lead to the publication of the long-awaited standard. The proposed rule has been under OMB review for more than two years. The agency has received more than 2,000 public comments with more than 34,000 pages in submitted materials. OSHA estimated that its proposed rule would save more than 600 lives and prevent more than 1,500 new cases of silicosis per year, once the full effects of the rule were realized.
Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez made the announcement Dec. 21 during a conference call with stakeholders. “Current standards that we have are more than 40 years old. They have been inadequate in protecting workers,” Perez said.
OMB reviews are limited to 90 days, but in many cases are extended. OSHA has indicated plans to publish the final silica rule in February.
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