A current count of employment at the mine wasn't immediately available, but state and federal records and industry reports have variously listed worker. Brine and oil leaks and gas seeps were examined and thought to be localized phenomena that did not affect mine stability and should not affect crude oil containment. The Department of Labor (DOL) fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements. Salt crystals fall to the bottom of the pan as a slurry and is then dried and packaged. To meet growing customer demand, Morton Salt is nearing completion of a $35 million transformation project at its Weeks Island mine to significantly improve processing capabilities and storage capacity, while modernizing key operating equipment. MSHA offers two online calculators to help mine operators monitor compliance, including thePattern of Violations Calculator, which allows mine operators to monitor performance under the POV screening criteria and alerts mine operators that corrective actions are needed, and theSignificant and Substantial Calculator,which enables mine operators to monitor their S&S violations. In 1947, Morton Salt Company purchased Weeks Island from the property owners who had been operating a salt mine there since 1897. Sun and wind evaporate the water and salt crystallizes and is collected using mechanical harvesting equipment. Using our online tools, operators can easily monitor their performance under the screening criteria and take proactive measures to improve compliance and protect miners safety and health, Williamson added. The site was purchased in the 1970's from the Morton Salt Company. Extensive geological work in three salt mines, a brine field operation and the former . The purpose of the evaluation was to confirm the suitability of the underground facility for the long-term storage of crude oil under the Federal Energy Administration's Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program. Pennsylvania Medical Supply Company Agrees to $5 Million Settlement. An operator can be removed from Section 104(e) sanctions if no S&S violations are found within 90 days of the POV notices issuance. to mine operators who are chronic violators and demonstrate a disregard for the health and safety of miners. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. The principal operating official was Daniel A. Schmit, Facility Manager. Lets begin! This marks the first time since 2014 that a mine operator has received a POV notice for persistent serious health and safety violations. At our solar sites, we draw ocean, sea or saline lake water into large ponds. Date Created. Departments Release Update on No Surprises Act Independent Dispute FY 2024 H-1B Registration Period Indicates 780,884 Registrations; A Look Back at Key Takeaways from RSA Conference 2023. The S&S rate per 100 inspection hours was 11.2, while the national average for underground metal/nonmetal mines was 3.2. So, I put her in the car, and you know where the railroad is? A portion of the Weeks Island Salt Dome in southern Louisiana has been purchased by the Department of Energy for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program. Salt from our evaporation sites is used for various products for consumer and industrial use, such as culinary salts and water softening salts. @media only screen and (min-width: 0px){.agency-nav-container.nav-is-open {overflow-y: unset!important;}} It is the responsibility of mine operators to track their violation and injury histories to determine whether they need to take action to avoid triggering a POV notice. These measures vastly, This detailed geologic site characterization of the Weeks Island salt dome in Louisiana was carried out by Acres International Corporation under contract with Sandia National Laboratories. Weeks Island Strategic Petroleum Reserve geological site Weeks Island, Louisiana HETA 88-391)) The Mine Safety and Health Administration issued the notice after finding that Morton Salt's Weeks Island Mine and Mill in New Iberia, Louisiana, had a high number of "significant and. The mine has two levels of workings, at depths of approximately 185 and 245 m (600 and 800 ft) with development more by the room-and-pillar mining technique. Copyright 1995-2021 Morton Salt, Inc. All rights reserved. Morton Salt | Mining Services Company | American Mine Servicies Morton Salt The Weeks Island underground mine produces 2,000,000 tons of salt annually. Scheduled for completion in summer 2017, these initiatives at the companys Weeks Island mine will deliver a capacity increase of 60 percent, to 2.3 million tons of salt per year. Morton Salt Focuses on the Future With Continued Investment in The complex will be a crude oil storage facility converted from a conventional underground salt mine. Salt Mine. The friends made a private Facebook group. The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration has notified the operator of the Morton Salt Inc.'s Weeks Island Mine and Mill in New Iberia,. MortonSalt.com uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and track data to improve performance. Under the Mine Act, MSHA identifies mines exhibiting a pattern of S&S violations and is authorized to issue a POV noticeone of the agencys toughest enforcement actionsto mine operators who are chronic violators and demonstrate a disregard for the health and safety of miners. Morton Salt took over operations in 1947. However, environmental protection during oil withdrawal and facility decommissioning was considered critical and alternative solutions were essential. He speculated that the strike at the Cote Blanche Island mine could prompt the two other unions to do the same. This Environmental Assessment describes the proposed decommissioning operation, its alternatives, and potential environmental impacts. @media (max-width: 992px){.usa-js-mobile-nav--active, .usa-mobile_nav-active {overflow: auto!important;}} .paragraph--type--html-table .ts-cell-content {max-width: 100%;} As part of its commitment to learning and development, Morton Salt opened a new, 7,200-square-foot training center this year to serve as a hub for Morton Salt employees to continuously update their industrial training, skills and education. It is then hoisted to the surface for further processing. Statement by US Secretary of Labor Walsh on November Jobs Report, US Department of Labor finds Family Dollar Stores again exposing workers to fire, entrapment, struck-by hazards, this time at Richmond Hill location. Some of the old mines were converted to oil storage for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but this was abandoned in the 1990s, after leaks occurred. View the map below to find our locations. Since 1848, we have been improving lives and enhancing every day moments - at home, at work and virtually everywhere in between. Residual oil will be removed; environmental monitoring has been initiated and will continue until the facility is completely plugged and abandoned, and environmental surety is achieved. 7.9K views 3 years ago Morton Salt has one of the broadest and most expansive production networks in the salt industry. . The salt dissolves, and is pumped back to the surface as saturated brine, which is boiled in a series of vacuum pans. Morton has over 20 production facilities across the U.S., Canada and the Bahamas, each devoted to bringing you the high quality products you expect. As we continue to modernize and expand our facilities, its critical that we have a deep pool of highly skilled talent to maintain our commitment to delivering high quality products and service.. California Supreme Court Lets It Stand That CDTFA Can Decide Who Is OFCCP Requires Federal Contractors to Implement Revised Voluntary DOJ Targets Health Care Fraud Schemes Exploiting COVID-19 Pandemic In EPA has issued an "order" permitting continued PFAS Montana and Tennessee Could Become Eighth and Ninth States to Enact Hunton Andrews Kurths Privacy and Cybersecurity. Donald H. Kupfer; Structure of Morton Salt Company Mine, Weeks Island Salt Dome, Louisiana. This characterization only addresses the geologic/geotechnical aspects of the Weeks Island facility and does not take into account other technical or non-technical DOE activities such as operations and surface facilities which could adversely impact the facility. AMS has since constructed the modifications to the system including, suspension of the tripper deck from the salt back with consideration to the ground movement, installation of 120,000 lbs. https://americanmineservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Industrial-Construction-Company-American-Mine-Services.png, https://americanmineservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Logo-Small.png, https://americanmineservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Surface-Mining-Process-High-Wall-Mine-American-Mine-Services.png, https://americanmineservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/mine-tunneling-process.png, https://americanmineservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/development-of-underground-mining.png. To improve the water in baths, pools and homes. In his speech, Pavy spoke of a friend who caught a 1,000-pound alligator near the island. To make roads and sidewalks safer. At Morton Salt, we are passionate about building a sustainable future for our company, the communities in which we operate and the world around us. Drone video: Weeks Island Mine - YouTube Following that, a POV designation can be terminated after an inspection of the entire mine results in no S&S violations. Under the Mine Act, MSHA identifies mines exhibiting a pattern of S&S violations and is authorized to issue a POV notice, one of the agencys toughest enforcement actions. New Iberia, LA 70560. Over the past two decades Rel-Tek developed and supplied permissible gas detection systems (GDS) for two large salt minesMorton Salt, Weeks Island Facility, New Iberia, Louisiana, USA and Compass Minerals (formerly North American Salt) Franklin, Louisiana, USA. Acres was supported throughout this study by Dr. Thomas Magorian, Consulting Geologist and Geophysicist, who was engaged under a seprate contract with SNL. You have permission to edit this article. Morton Chemical - Nemeroff Law .agency-blurb-container .agency_blurb.background--light { padding: 0; } Oil filling began in October of 1980, and was completed by 1982, by which time 72.5million barrels of oil had been stored. If you require legal or professional advice, kindly contact an attorney or other suitable professional advisor. Part I. Geotechnical evaluation, Summary of events and geotechnical factors leading to decommissioning of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) facility at Weeks Island, Louisiana, Environmental Assessment for decommissioning the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Weeks Island Facility, Iberia Parish, Louisiana. .manual-search-block #edit-actions--2 {order:2;} Final Report - Fatality #12 - June 20, 2009 | Mine Safety and Health At our evaporation sites, water is pumped into an underground salt deposit. WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration has notified the operator of the Morton Salt Inc.s Weeks Island Mine and Mill in New Iberia, Louisiana, of the existence of a pattern of violations of mandatory health or safety standards under section 104(e) of the federal Mine Safety and Health Act. The pattern of violationsscreening processexamines all of the nations mines and identifies mines with a high number of significant and substantial violations and other safety and health compliance problems. which enables mine operators to monitor their S&S violations. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) geological summary report, Weeks The Mine Act is also clear that mine operators have the ultimate responsibility to keep miners safe and healthy.. During the duration of the project, AMS has also reviewed and addressed the creep characteristics of the salt as it pertains to ground control. Based on this, Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) geological summary report, Weeks Island salt dome, 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES, 580300* - Mineralogy, Petrology, & Rock Mechanics- (-1989), 052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage, 510500 - Environment, Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989). Total employment was 160 persons. The National Law Review is a free to use, no-log in database of legal and business articles. Morton Salt Weeks Island About See all Morton Salt is an American food company producing salt for food, water conditioning, industrial, agricultural, and road/highway use. Weeks Island Mine Modernization To meet growing customer demand, Morton Salt is nearing completion of a $35 million transformation project at its Weeks Island mine to significantly improve processing capabilities and storage capacity, while modernizing key operating equipment. Prior to initiating the oil removal, a freeze wall was constructed at depth around the sinkhole in 1995 to prevent water inflow; a freeze plug will remain in place until the mine, The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Weeks Island site is one of five underground salt dome crude oils storage facilities operated by the Department of Energy (DOE). And our products remain staples in the hearts and homes of millions of Americans. Following that, a POV designation can be terminated after an inspection of the entire mine results in no S&S violations. The salt handling systems include the crushing and screening tower, tripper conveyor, stockpile and reclaim tunnel, and the loading flasks and surge bin. Slowing the Spread of Litigation: An Update on First Circuit COVID-19 Has Your Business Attorney Met Your Estate Planning Attorney? Our story has unfolded over generations and continues to unfold today in homes and businesses all across America and beyond. First issuance of pattern of violations notice since 2014. Salt dissolution sinkhole at the Weeks Island, Louisiana, Strategic Headquartered in Chicago, Morton has nearly 3,000 employees committed to safety, quality, service and the communities in which we operate. The objective of this study is to provide a thorough geological characterization and identify any structures which could adversely affect mining or storage operations of the facility. At Morton Salt, were passionate about what we do and how we do it. A lot has happened over the past 165 years. AMS Mining Services Company, with Morton Salt, worked to develop a plan to incorporate all the existing infrastructure while bringing the design to current engineering codes and standards. Using our online tools, operators can easily monitor their performance under the screening criteria and take proactive measures to improve compliance and protect miners safety and health, Williamson added. In addition, the company has identified further expansion potential at the mine to support market growth in the decades to come. French Insider Episode 21: Between Warring Giants: How European What Appellate Courts Are Missing About PAGA Standing After Viking New Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petition on Non-Refillable After May 15, 2023, PERMs Must Be Filed Via DOLs FLAG System, Applying for an Emergency or Urgent Expedited U.S. Passport, UFLPA Enforcement Remains Work in Progress. USTR Releases 2023 Special 301 Report on Intellectual Property Washington Signs Into Law an Act for Consumer Health Data Privacy: Dont Look Twice, Its Alright The FCC Pulls Back the Curtain on Trending in Telehealth: April 18 24, 2023. div#block-eoguidanceviewheader .dol-alerts p {padding: 0;margin: 0;} Thats because were a company with vision, drive and a big heart. .usa-footer .container {max-width:1440px!important;} examines all of the nations mines and identifies mines with a high number of significant and substantial violations and other safety and health compliance problems.