1/08/10  ATF Publishes 2009 List of Explosive Materials Subject to Law.........The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) published a notice in the Federal Register on January 8, 2010 containing the list of 237 explosive materials that are subject to federal law and implementing regulations..........Read Press Release.

01/07/10  Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Issues Permit Revisions - Effective Date Change.........PHMSA has issued a revision of special permits DOT-SP 8554, DOT-SP 10751, DOT-SP 11579 and DOT-SP 12677.  Visit the Issue Briefs page in the Grass Roots Center to download the PDF files.

December 2009
12/31/09  ATF Announces Retirement of Explosives Training Specialist..........The Explosives Training Branch and the IABTI Region IV are hosting a retirement luncheon for Don Andrews on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at IABTI Headquarters, in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Don has served as an Explosives Training Specialist with ATF for 10 years, first serving at FLETC and later, opening the current training facility at  Fort AP Hill, Virginia. Long before his ATF employment, Don was an integral part of the ATF Explosives Training staff, serving as an assistant instructor in the State and Local Post Blast Investigation course deliveries at FLETC while serving with the North Richland Hills, TX Fire Department and Bomb Squad. Don's long service to ATF and its explosives programs and training is quickly coming to a close. Please join us in wishing Don the very best in his well earned retirement. Don's last day in the office will be Friday, January 8, 2010. If you have further questions, please contact Special Agent, Jeanne L. Sobol, at (202) 528-9453.

12/11/09  New Blasting Program at Fleming College a Resounding Success..........The Blasting Techniques program at Fleming College, in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada is successfully finishing up its first semester. Thirty-three students will be returning to class in January to finish this one-of-a-kind program. "Blasters, supervisors and blasting contractors rarely have time or funding to set aside for blaster training. Finally, people that wish to explore the possibility of joining the industry will have training available to reduce the learning curve on important blasting issues such as safety, regulations, documentation, blast design, execution and overall professionalism, " said Dale Laframboise, coordinator of the program.........Read Full Press Release.

October 2009
10/09/09  Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Issues Permit Revisions - Updated October 20, 2009..........PHMSA has issued a revision of special permits DOT-SP 8554, DOT-SP 10751, DOT-SP 11579 and DOT-SP 12677 (download PDF's). The changes incorporated within the revised permits are effective as of the October 5, 2009 date. If any of your vehicles are operating under the listed special permits you need to review to assure you are in compliance.  If you have any questions, please contact Christopher Howell or Kelli Cox at (440) 349-4400.

July 2009
07/20/09  ATF Publishes Open Letter to All Federal Explosives Licensees and Permittees (Rocketry Related).....WASHINGTON, DC - The purpose of the letter is to provide Federal explosives licensees and permittees with information about the recent district court decision regarding ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP)...........Download Letter (pdf)

07/13/09  Field Practice Guidelines for Blasting Seismographs - 2009 Edition Just Released.......CLEVELAND, OH - ISEE announced the release of Field Practice Guidelines for Blasting Seismographs, 2009 Edition. This booklet was created to help develop uniform and technically appropriate standards for the use of blasting seismographs and to improve accuracy and consistency in ground and air vibration measurements. Field Practice Guidelines for Blasting Seismographs was first published as a standard in 2000 by the ISEE Blast Vibrations and Seismograph Section. This section, which now takes on the role of keeping standards up-to-date, is comprised of seismograph manufacturers, researchers, regulatory personnel and seismograph users. The document can be obtained by contacting the International Society of Explosives Engineers at 30325 Bainbridge Rd., Cleveland, OH 44139 or emailing isee@isee.org

June 2009
06/29/09  Legislative Alert - U.S. HR 2454 Cap & Trade Bill.......With a margin of just seven votes, the House of Representatives on Friday evening passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act.........Read More
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1907528,00.html
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/martin-feldstein-cap-and-trade-=-protectionism/362252/

06/25/09  ATF Issues Ruling on Storage of Explosives in Law Enforcement Explosives Response Vehicles......The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has issued a ruling authorizing the storage of a limited amount of explosive materials within official response vehicles by State and local bomb technicians and explosives response teams under specific conditions........Read Ruling 2009-3

06/15/09  ATF  Posts Bi-Annual Explosives Industry Newsletter......The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) released the latest issue of their Explosives Industry Newsletter.  This issue features Explosives Safety and Security; Securing Storage Sites and Fireworks Safety.........Read Full Article

May 2009
05/19/09  Legislative Tracking - A New ISEE Member Benefit!..... - Now members can track legislative changes within the explosives industry through the ISEE website. ISEE is proud to partner with CQ State Track to provide our members with alerts of current legislation and proposed regulations concerning explosives and blasting in the US at both the Federal and state level.  This new feature alerts members of legislation occurring in their area while reducing the time and energy normally needed to find these changes that can affect you and your business. Combined with our Grassroots Legislative Action Center (GLAC), members will now be able to quickly and easily find legislation and proposed regulations through our tracking program that concerns the industry and be able to contact their Congressman or state legislator through our GLAC at the click of a button.
Anyone visiting the ISEE website can access this feature by following this link:  ISEE Priority Legislation.  Once there, a map at the top, with states highlighted, will show where legislation is occurring that deals with the industry. Just click on the highlighted state or federal area and you will be taken to those bill(s). These bills are marked with a priority (high-low).  Especially within the explosives industry, it is important to stay on top of legislative changes. This alert system will help you track progress and combined with the Grassroots program, it easily provides the information you'll need to voice your opinion when and where it really matters.

April 2009
04/27/09   ATF National Explosives Training Center's First Class....HUNTSVILLE, AL - The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will conduct explosives training and hold a ceremony for the first graduating class at the National Center for Explosives Training and Research (NCETR) facility located at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.......Read Full Press Release.

04/27/09   MSHA Urges Public to "Stay Out and Stay Alive"......ARLINGTON, VA - For the 11th consecutive year, the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) launched its annual "Stay Out-Stay Alive" public safety campaign to warn outdoor enthusiasts - especially children - about the dangers of playing on mine property.......Read Full Press Release.

04/2009 The Blaster’s Leadership Award.......The Blaster’s Leadership Award is presented each year to an individual who has distinguished themselves through outstanding service to their fellow blasters in the field.The recipient of the 2009 Blaster’s Leadership Award was Michael F. Barber.  Mike Barber earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography/Geology from the University of Wisconsin. He learned about explosives while serving as an officer for three years in the United States Marine Corp. In 1969, he started working in the product side of the explosives business, where he has been providing tech support for 33 years, with the same company, living in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas and Oregon. He has been a familiar face in the ISEE since 1980 serving on ISEE committees and on the ISEE Board of Directors. He was a technical resource for the 17^th Edition of the ISEE Blasters’ Handbook, the ISEE Certificate Program, and was Chairman of the Blasters Training Seminar. He is a go-to resource for technical information and explosives product information. Following retirement in 2002 he has stayed on in the explosives business in consulting, training and expert witness work. He has been a valuable resource for technical information and product information. He volunteers as a guest speaker for several elementary and middle schools. He speaks to kids about rocks, finishing up each presentation with a gift of rock samples to each student. He is part of the local GEM group and volunteers with Gold Pan. He is still a fixture in the industry participating at regional conferences and promoting education in the industry.

March 2009
03/30/09   ISEE Announces Call for Papers for 36th Annual Conference in Orlando 2010....CLEVELAND, OH - The International Society of Explosives Engineers announced it will be accepting abstracts for the 36th Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique, to be held in Orlando, Florida, February 7-10, 2010.......Read Full Press Release.

03/26/09   ISEE Executive Speaks at Cleveland Engineering Society Leadership Series .......CLEVELAND, OH - The Cleveland Engineering Society Leadership Series Breakfast today featured Jeffrey L. Dean, Executive Director and General Counsel for the International Society of Explosives Engineers. CES has been providing this leadership forum for Midwest region’s leaders for more than 32 years.  Mr. Dean, a former Member of the Ohio House of representatives and the State Board of Education of Ohio, presented an overview of the commercial explosives industry, it’s history, products, uses, and dynamics and trends within the industry.
The Cleveland Engineering Society is a non-profit professional society with more than 500 members representing a wide spectrum of the region’s engineering and technology community. The organization serves the educational and professional development needs of technical professionals, encourages young people to pursue careers in science and engineering and fosters the exchange of information and ideas to advance development and recognition of the region as a technology center.

03/20/09 Ohio Drilling and Blasting Conference Highlights Posted Online.....The Ohio Drilling & Blasting Conference took place March 18-19, 2009 at the Concourse Hotel in Columbus, Ohio.  Almost 200 attended this two-day event co-sponsored by the International Society of Explosives Engineers, Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association, and Ohio Coal Association.  The program was endorsed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources....
      
February 2009
02/26/09  ATF Posts Advisory Notice to All Explosives Industry Members......The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) would like to remind all Federal explosives licensees and permittees of the importance of security at their explosives storage sites.  Read Full Letter.

02/25/09  ISEE Provides Weekly Update of Industry News.....The ISEE Explosives Industry News provides members and other industry professionals with a weekly update of industry news. With the ISEE Explosives Industry News, participating industry professionals no longer have to hunt the Internet for industry-related news. Each weekly issue assembles news from around the world and delivers quality articles directly to your inbox.  Articles within each issue are hand-picked by editors familiar with the industry and reviewed by ISEE staff. This saves members' valuable time, and further establishes the ISEE as the "go-to" resource for industry information.
The ISEE Explosives Industry News also delivers the ISEE Marketplace search button with its unique online search capabilities in every email to give readers quick access to an extensive directory of industry-specific products and services.  These two products, working together, provide an invaluable tool to members, advertisers and the industry as a whole.  If you do not receive the Explosives Industry News you can subscribe on ISEE's homepage.

02/18/09  Distinguished Service Award Winner Announced at ISEE's 35th Annual Conference.......CLEVELAND, OH - ISEE's 2009 Distinguished Service Award was presented to Mr. Larry R. Cornelius at the recent 35th Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique.  This award is the most prestigious award of merit given by the Society to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of explosives engineering.....Read Full Press Release.

02/18/09  UK Professor co-hosts Discovery Channel's "The Detonators" .....LEXINGTON, KY - University of Kentucky mining engineering professor, and ISEE member is co-host of a new Discovery Channel series called The Detonators.  The series pairs Lusk with co-host Paul Worsey, a good friend and his former professor and mentor at the University of Missouri-Rolla - now the Missouri University of Science and Technology....... Read Full Article.

January 2009
01/02/09  ATF Publishes Annual List of 238 Explosive Materials .....WASHINGTON, D.C. -  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) published a notice in the Federal Register on December 31, 2008 containing the list of 238 explosive materials that are subject to federal law and implementing regulations.......Download Press Release