Daily Archives: February 24, 2020

Batteries

Published on February 18th, 2020 | by Guest Contributor

February 18th, 2020 by Guest Contributor

Photo by Zach Shahan, CleanTechnica

MILWAUKEEThe Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC) a leading coalition of companies, academics and organizations dedicated to the responsible management and environmental sustainability of batteries applauded research published today by the University of Michigan (U-M) in theJournal of Energy Storageon best practices for consumers for extending the life of lithium-ion batteries, as well as the cost savings associated with minimizing degradation. The link to the paper can be foundhere.

This research is the second phase of work conducted by U-M and supported by RBC. The first phase was published in May 2019 and outlined ten Green Principles for Vehicle Energy Storage (Green Principles)that represent a comprehensive set of recommendations to guide mobile battery deployment and technology development from an environmental perspective, particularly defining best practices for minimizing the environmental impact of electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

In the new research published today, the U-M team expands onGreen Principle #6 todesign and operate battery systems to maximize service life and limit degradation by outlining nine consumer best practices for extending battery life to decrease costs and reduce environmental burdens associated with the production of new batteries. The new best practices address material consumption, mining impacts and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the disposal of used batteries.

As the nation and world shift to economies powered by batteries, it is paramount as responsible stewards of the environment that we extend the life of all types of batteries, particularly those in our cars and trucks, saidSteve Christensen, executive director of the Responsible Battery Coalition. This work by such a respected research institution as the University of Michigan is an important first step toward creating a generational change in how consumers use and manage batteries.

The International Energy Agency has predicted that 125 million electric vehicles will be on roads globally by 2030.The RBC seeks to develop a circular economy for batteries that ensures that they are part of the solution in creating a more sustainable environment.

Many of the recommended practices discovered by the U-M research team are related to three main variables that impact battery health: temperature, state of charge, and current. Specific recommendations in the findings include:

As the mobile electronics and EV industries continue to grow, even small improvements in lifetime extension will have significant environmental benefits, the authors of theJournal of Energy Storagepaper wrote.

By minimizing exposure to the conditions that accelerate degradation, batteries can last longer. And this has a positive environmental impact, as battery production is a source of greenhouse gas emissions and many other pollutants, said study corresponding authorGreg Keoleian, director of the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems at the School for Environment and Sustainability.

Additionally, there are significant financial incentives for users to avoid adverse conditions, as the cost of lithium-ion batteries can range from 5% to over 50% of a products cost,Keoleiansaid.

As an organization whose members include the worlds largest battery manufacturer and recycler, leading automotive aftermarket retailers, and some of the largest auto producers and transportation fleet owners, were proud to have been able to support this research to help both industry and consumers get maximum life and value out of their lithium-ion battery products, addedChristensen.

In developing its list of nine best practices for lithium-ion battery life extension, U-M researchers, supported by the RBC, based their search on a range of sources, including academic publications, manufacturers user manuals, and open-source consumer information from customer-support websites.

Research Details

In addition to the academic literature reviewed, researchers also surveyed publicly available information from manufacturers, looking for instructions, guidance, warnings or tips regarding the use and maintenance of lithium-ion batteries.

Those companies included 10 cell phone manufacturers (Apple, Google, HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony and ZTE), 10 laptop manufacturers (Acer, Apple, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Microsoft, Samsung and Toshiba), four power tool manufacturers (Bosch, DeWalt, Makita and Milwaukee Tool), and 10 electric vehicle manufacturers, including RBC members Ford Motor Company and Honda.

Authors of theJournal of Energy Storagepaper, in addition to Keoleian, are Maxwell Woody, Maryam Arbabzadeh and Geoffrey M. Lewis of the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems and Anna Stefanopoulou of the U-M Energy Institute.

Read the paper: Strategies to limit degradation and maximize Li-ion battery service critical review and guidance for stakeholdershttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352152X19314227?dgcid=author

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Tags: Acer, Apple, asus, dell, Google, hp, HTC, Huawei, Lenovo, LG, microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Responsible Battery Coalition, samsung, SONY, toshiba, U-M Center for Sustainable Systems, U-M School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, ZTE

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Responsible Battery Coalition Applauds University of Michigan Research on Lithium-Ion Battery Degradation Calls Research Important Step in Educating...

A collaboration between Cambridge's Automation Tooling Systems and Bruce Power took major next steps that will result in the creation of further jobs in the province.

On Friday, Feb 21, ATS unveiled the tooling systems that will be used to perform major work in Bruce Power's Major Component Replacement (MCR) project.

The MCR project, launched last month with the start of refurbishing the Unit 6 nuclear reactor at the Bruce B generating station, is the centrepiece of Bruce Powers Life-Extension Program, which will ensure the company continues to produce carbon-free, low-cost and reliable electricity through 2064. ATS Automation has a multi-year tooling agreement with Bruce Power for the supply of automated tooling systems and related services.

The tools designed and built to safely remove the irradiated reactor components have, over the last year, undergone significant testing at ATSs Major Component Replacement Integration Facility. As this phase of the work for tools for Unit 6 is being completed, ATS in collaboration with Bruce Power is preparing the tools for shipment to site for use in the hands-on training and preparation for work in the Unit 6 refurbishment.

The delivery of the tooling for the MCR project is a significant accomplishment for our team and represents the culmination of several years of effort that spanned design, first-off tool builds and quality testing and, finally, production tooling with detailed integration testing for the Unit 6 refurbishment, said Andrew Hider, CEO of ATS. This work drew upon many of our highly skilled people at ATS, which included engineers, programmers, vision experts, electricians, toolmakers, integrators, technicians and support staff.

We are proud of the work accomplished by our team in collaboration with Bruce Power.

The Life-Extension Program at Bruce Power will create and sustain 22,000 direct and indirect jobs annually, while creating $4 billion in annual economic benefit to Ontario through the direct and indirect spending on operational equipment, supplies, materials and labour income.

The Ontario government, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, is also supporting ATS Automation through an investment of $1.5 million from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund for its expansion of its Cambridge, Ont., campus. With Ontarios support, ATS is expanding its operations by 122,000 square feet, including dedicated space for an Innovation Centre and creating 80 new positions.

Our government has been working hard to create the best conditions for businesses and job creators, said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. That is why we are supporting forward-thinking companies like ATS Automation through the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. Through our continued commitment to supporting key sectors, like advanced manufacturing in regional communities, we are helping make Ontario open for business and open for jobs.

This collaboration between ATS and Bruce Power is excellent news for our community and the province of Ontario, said Amy Fee, MPP for Kitchener South-Hespeler. The substantial number of jobs created through this project will have a tremendous economic impact for many years to come.

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Bruce Power marks next step of major project collaboration with ATS in Cambridge - TheRecord.com

VANCOUVER Feb 23, 2020 (Thomson StreetEvents) -- Edited Transcript of Eldorado Gold Corp earnings conference call or presentation Friday, February 21, 2020 at 4:30:00pm GMT

* Tanya M. Jakusconek

Thank you for standing by. This is the conference operator. Welcome to the Eldorado Gold Corporation Fourth Quarter and 2019 Year-End Results Conference Call. (Operator Instructions)

I would now like to turn the conference over to Peter Lekich, Manager, Investor Relations. Go ahead, Mr. Lekich.

Thank you, operator, and thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for taking the time to dial into our conference call today. With me in Vancouver this morning are George Burns, President and CEO; Phil Yee, Executive Vice President and CFO; Joe Dick, Executive Vice President and COO; Paul Skayman, Special Adviser to the COO; and Jason Cho, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer.

Our release yesterday details our 2019 fourth quarter and year-end financial and operating results. This should be read in conjunction with our fourth quarter and year-end financial statements and management's discussion and analysis, both of which are available on our website. They have also been filed on SEDAR and EDGAR. All dollar figures discussed today are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise stated. We will be speaking to the slides that accompany this webcast. You can download a copy of these slides from our website.

Before we begin, I would like to remind you that any projections included in our discussion today are likely to involve risks, which are detailed in our 2018 AIF and in the cautionary note on Slide 1. I will now turn the call over to George.

Thanks, Peter, and good morning, everyone. It's fantastic to see the response to our release this morning. Here is the format for today's call. I'll give an overview of the highlights along with some comments, then I'll pass it over to Phil to go through the financials. Paul will follow by reviewing operational performance, and Joe will say a few words on 2020 plans. Then we'll open it up for questions.

Before we get into things, I want to say a warm welcome to Joe, our new COO. Joe has been with us for a few months and has had the opportunity to spend some time at our sites. He joins us from Newmont, where he was SVP for Latin America. He also has experience with Barrick and Rio Tinto. Welcome, Joe.

Moving on to the highlights on the next slide. It was another solid quarter for -- both operationally and financially. We produced a record 118,955 ounces of gold, our highest quarterly production in nearly 4 years. This was a result of increased production at Lamaque and Kisladag. Consolidated annual gold production came in on plan, and we ended the year with over 395,000 ounces, our highest total production in 3 years. Cash operating cost remained steady.

Looking back, 2019 was a pivotal year in Eldorado's 25-year history. We put our first Canadian mine into commercial production, we restructured the balance sheet and reduced our total debt by USD 100 million, and we received long-awaited permits in Greece. On top of these accomplishments, our cornerstone asset, Kisladag, is now back on track. We are confident that the results of recent test support and extended mine life of 15 years.

I'm proud of the benefit that will come to local communities and the Greeks. Kisladag will once again provide long-term value for Eldorado stakeholders. Over to Greece, our team is working with ministry officials to advance our investment. To recap, we have received the Skouries construction permits that held us up since 2017.

However, an updated investment agreement and permits for dry stack tailings are essential for the advancement of the investment and restart of the project. The revised investment agreement would not only provide a stable platform irrespective of future governing parties, it would also help in demonstrating Greece's commitment to working with foreign investors in order to attract capital needed to grow its economy.

Just to remind everyone, we view Skouries as a world-class asset that will create approximately 1,000 well-paying jobs over its current 23-year mine life and generate significant tax and export revenues for the benefit of local communities and the Greek state. Before I hand it over, you may have noticed that our logo is slightly different throughout this presentation. This refreshed logo is reflective of the evolution of our business and the new path forward.

The new green color highlights the company's continuing commitment to put sustainability at the core of our business. As evidence of this, we are currently building a global sustainability management system that outlines the common set of performance standards by which we will operate. This will allow us to simplify our existing systems through harmonizing the way we do things. It will also improve efficiencies and consistencies across our business that will drive productivity. That's it for me. Over to you, Phil.

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Philip Chow Yee, Eldorado Gold Corporation - Executive VP & CFO [4]

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Thank you, George. Good morning, everyone. Starting on Slide 4, we provide an overview of Eldorado Gold's financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2019. Eldorado generated $191.9 million in total metal revenue in the fourth quarter. This includes $176.1 million in gold revenue and is an increase of 107% over the comparative quarter in 2018. The increase resulted from higher gold sales volumes of 118,900 ounces versus 58,860 in Q4 of 2018 and a higher realized average gold price in the fourth quarter of $1,475 an ounce versus $1,245 per ounce in Q4 of 2018.

For the full year 2019, Eldorado generated total metal revenue of $617.8 million, of which $530.9 million was gold revenue. This represents a 35% increase over 2018 and also resulted from higher gold sales volumes and a higher average gold price in 2019. Net earnings to shareholders in the fourth quarter was $91.2 million or $0.57 per share compared to a net loss to shareholders of $218.2 million or $1.38 loss per share in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Net earnings in the fourth quarter reflect an impairment reversal of $85.2 million or $68.2 million net of deferred tax for the Kisladag leach pad and related assets, reflecting the Kisladag mine life extension to 15 years. There was also an increase in depreciation in the fourth quarter, in line with increased sales volumes.

Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2018 included an impairment adjustment of $330.2 million or $247.7 million net of deferred tax, which is related to Olympias. For the full year of 2019, net earnings to shareholders was $80.6 million or $0.51 per share, reflecting essentially the same drivers as outlined for the fourth quarter. This represents a significant improvement over the full year 2018 net loss of $361.9 million or $2.28 loss per share.

Adjusted net earnings for the fourth quarter was $20.3 million or $0.13 per share, which was a significant improvement over the fourth quarter 2018 adjusted net loss of $18.9 million or $0.11 loss per share. In both periods, net earnings were adjusted primarily to remove the impairments and the impairment reversal.

For the full year 2019, adjusted net earnings were $5.6 million or $0.04 per share, adjusted to adjusted net loss of $28.6 million or $0.17 loss per share for 2018. The strong sales in the fourth quarter resulted in EBITDA of $158.7 million and adjusted EBITDA of $80.3 million, an improvement over the loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $327.9 million and adjusted EBITDA of $9 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.

For 2019, EBITDA amounted to $311.3 million, and adjusted EBITDA was $235.6 million. This is compared to a loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $361.8 million and adjusted EBITDA of $99.6 million for 2018. Again, adjustments were primarily the impairment items discussed earlier.

Fourth quarter also represented a third consecutive quarter of positive free cash flow after achieving commercial production at Lamaque at the end of March of 2019. Finance costs were $8 million in the fourth quarter and $45.3 million for the year compared to $5.6 million for the full year of 2018. The significant increase in 2019 over 2018 primarily reflects interest no longer capitalized, following the commencement of commercial operations at Lamaque in the second quarter of 2019 and the transfer of Skouries to care and maintenance at the end of 2018.

Income tax expense amounted to $39.8 million for 2019 compared to a tax recovery of $86.5 million in 2018. The tax expense in 2019 primarily relates to income tax on operations in Turkey and mining duties for Lamaque. Deferred tax recoveries in 2019, relating to fixed asset movements, currency movements and a corporate tax rate reduction in Greece were almost fully offset by a $17 million deferred tax expense as a result of the impairment reversal for Kisladag. The tax recovery in 2018 primarily resulted from the impairment charges in that year.

Depreciation and amortization increased to $153.1 million in 2019 from $105.7 million in 2018. Reflecting the increase in sales volumes in 2019 as well as the commencement of commercial operations at Lamaque during the year.

Eldorado reported $64.2 million in net cash generated from operating activities in the fourth quarter and $165.8 million for the full year 2019. This was also a significant increase from the fourth quarter of 2018 of $4.9 million and $67.5 million for the full year 2018. We finished the year with approximately $366 million in available liquidity. Of this, $181 million was in cash, cash equivalents and term deposits as at December 31, 2019, and approximately $185 million remained available under the $250 million revolving credit facility, which remains undrawn. Approximately $65 million of this facility is allocated to secure certain reclamation obligations in connection with our operations.

I will now turn it over to Paul for a recap of operations.

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Paul James Skayman, Eldorado Gold Corporation - Special Advisor to the COO [5]

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Thanks, Phil. I'd like to echo George's comments and welcome Joe onboard as well. Here's a quick summary of our quarterly and year-to-date operating results. As George mentioned, we produced 118,955 ounces of gold in the quarter, a cash operating cost of $621 per ounce sold. And all-in sustaining costs of $1,110 per ounce sold. This was more or less in line with expectations.

Similarly, production for the year was also in line with expectations. We produced 395,331 ounces at a cash cost of $608 per ounce, and an all-in sustaining cost of $1,034 per ounce. This was our highest total production rate in 3 years.

Looking forward, our 2020 production is expected to grow approximately 35%. Forecasting annual production of between 520,000 and 550,000 ounces of gold at cash cost of $550 to $600 per ounce and all-in sustaining cost of $850 to $950 per ounce in 2020. We expect lower all-in sustaining cost in 2019 actuals as production is expected to increase this year.

That's it for me, a short section this time around. Over to Joe.

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Joseph Dennis Dick, Eldorado Gold Corporation - Executive VP & COO [6]

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Thanks, Paul, and good morning, everyone. It's a pleasure to be part of the Eldorado team, especially at such an exciting time in our business.

I'm going to Slide 6, we'll get a look at our 5-year outlook. Full year production figures remain the same for 2020, as what you saw in January 2019. And as we've talked before, production will decrease in 2021 as we mine lower grade at Kisladag. What I want to highlight is our sustained annual gold production beyond 2020. This is a sizable improvement over what you saw last year. In addition to the mine life extension at Kisladag, we are forecasting a step-up in production at Lamaque to 150,000 ounces per year through accelerated development. This does require an expansion to the existing permit for triangle underground extraction rates. We are also forecasting an increase in production from Olympias, and we'll discuss that a bit further later in this call.

Post-2020, we are now forecasting an annual average of over 450,000 ounces of gold per year from our base operations, and our key development projects provide potential growth to this production profile.

Over to Kisladag on Slide 7. The headline at Kisladag is an average of 160,000 ounces of gold per year for 15 years. The project is self-funding and reestablishes Kisladag as a cornerstone of our company. As you may remember, the company announced in January 2019 that it would suspend work on the mill in favor of resuming mining, crushing and heap leaching. The company also announced that it would continue test work on deeper material at Kisladag to see how it responded to longer leach cycles with the aim of extending mine life.

Later in 2019, the company announced that given the test work to date, it did expect to extend the mine life at Kisladag.

Additionally, the company conducted a high-pressure grinding roll, or HPGR, test work on several bulk samples. These samples were then tested to see how they would perform under a 250-day leach cycle. The results of the test work indicate that a combination of HPGR and longer leach cycles will yield recoveries of approximately 56%. This test work now complete and coupled with extensive test work covering the remaining reserve, we have a comprehensive understanding of how the ore body will behave going forward.

As a result, we collectively are confident -- very confident in our new mine plan. A 43-101 compliant report confirming our new reserves of over 4 million ounces of gold will be published before the end of this quarter.

Looking at Slide 8. We have an outline showing the scale of the new pit booking to the north. The darker yellow is the existing pit mine to date, and the shaded yellow is the new reserve pit. This new pit contains 173 million tonnes of ore, resulting in a 15-year mine life.

Slide 9 takes us to Lamaque. Our guidance for Lamaque increases to approximately 150,000 ounces per year by 2022. We will achieve this by increasing our mining rates to roughly 2,200 tonnes per day, which is the current capacity of the Sigma Mill.

This expansion requires no incremental capital and it simply accelerates underground development. Eldorado will continue to study ways to optimize the triangle deposit. Initially, we will focus on the decline from triangle to the Sigma Mill. Following that, we will look at debottlenecking the mill and a long-term tailings solution to enable us to go beyond 2,200 tonnes per day.

With the recent discovery of the Ormaque zone and continued exploration success at Triangle, the company has deferred release of a PEA. We feel that incorporation of new information into the study will allow us to better scope the full potential of Lamaque.

On to Olympias at Slide 10. 2019 was disappointing. Olympias finished the year with lower production and higher costs than planned. However, we did establish a positive trend in the second half of the year by improving the underground development and backfill cycles. During 2020, we will continue to focus on development and include additional initiatives aimed at further enhancing our productivity. The guidance we have issued shows continued positive trend and shows we are expecting to achieve higher production at lower costs than 2019.

We expect continued progress beyond 2020, resulting in improved cost performance over time. We still have a ways to go at Olympias. But we are making progress, and we expect the necessary step change in productivities over the next 2 years. On that basis, our 5-year plan includes an expansion at Olympias to 650,000 tonnes per year. Further details on the expansion will be outlined in a technical study that will also be published by the end of this quarter. With that, I'll turn it back to George for closing remarks.

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George Raymond Burns, Eldorado Gold Corporation - President, CEO & Director [7]

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Thanks, Joe. Before wrapping up, I want to take a moment to thank our global teams for their collaboration and drive in 2019, particularly the Kisladag team for putting the mine back on track and Lamaque team for an excellent first year.

Together, we achieved multiple significant milestones, making it a pivotal year for Eldorado. I'm very proud that we delivered our highest annual production in 3 years, while maintaining steady operating costs. We expect this positive momentum to continue with 2020 production forecasted to grow to between 520,000 and 550,000 ounces. The expected increased cash flow will give us options to invest in our growth projects and pay down our debt. We will continue to put safety, sustainability and governance at the core of our business as we seek ever better ways to operate.

Thank you, everyone. I will now turn it over to the operator for questions.

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Questions and Answers

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Operator [1]

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(Operator Instructions) The first question comes from Mike Parkin with National Bank.

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Michael Parkin, National Bank Financial, Inc., Research Division - Mining Analyst [2]

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With the Olympias expansion study coming out, should we be looking for that largely to be the addition of the ball mill that you've spoken to in the past?

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Paul James Skayman, Eldorado Gold Corporation - Special Advisor to the COO [3]

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Yes, that's correct. There's some subtle changes elsewhere in the plant, but the major changes that addition of a ball mill.

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Michael Parkin, National Bank Financial, Inc., Research Division - Mining Analyst [4]

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So are we still thinking on CapEx somewhere around like $20 million, $25 million?

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Paul James Skayman, Eldorado Gold Corporation - Special Advisor to the COO [5]

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Yes, a little bit more than that, Mike, but not significant.

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Michael Parkin, National Bank Financial, Inc., Research Division - Mining Analyst [6]

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Okay. Where do you see OpEx per tonne on an overall basis, kind of trending as whatever percent drop from where it's kind of been or however you want to kind of communicate it with that expansion?

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Joseph Dennis Dick, Eldorado Gold Corporation - Executive VP & COO [7]

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I see that we've been looking in the plus 30% improvements in OpEx roughly and perhaps more.

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Paul James Skayman, Eldorado Gold Corporation - Special Advisor to the COO [8]

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I guess, you've got a double whammy. You're increasing your lead and zinc as well. So that makes a big difference to cash operating costs, yes.

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Michael Parkin, National Bank Financial, Inc., Research Division - Mining Analyst [9]

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Okay. And then with Kisladag, can you just give us an update on the fleet there? Is it owner operated? And if it is, what's the condition of it, now that you're looking at such a massive mine life extension there? Will there be a need to replace the fleet in the next few years?

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Joseph Dennis Dick, Eldorado Gold Corporation - Executive VP & COO [10]

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See original here:

Edited Transcript of ELD.TO earnings conference call or presentation 21-Feb-20 4:30pm GMT - Yahoo Finance

SALT LAKE CITY In the last 18 years, Utahs Newborn Safe Haven law has saved at least 42 babies whose mothers were able to relinquish them anonymously.

Well be able to save even more, said Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, who is co-sponsoring HB97, which would extend the amount of time that parents can safely give up their baby from 72 hours to up to 30 days after the birth.

There are times when girls need more time to decide, Sandall told members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday. They find out when they get home that they are in no position to care for the child and in the position where they dont know what to do.

It seems like were probably going to save more babies lives, and were going to be able to get more babies into adoptive homes where they can be loved and grow, Sandall continued.

Years ago, Lon Hatch and his wife were able to adopt a baby whose mother was raped and she didnt want to keep the child as a reminder of her circumstances.

She was in crisis and didnt know what to do, he said, adding that the young woman hid her pregnancy, but somehow knew about Utahs Safe Haven law and gave her baby to someone who desperately wanted him.

This gave her an outlet, Hatch said. She could have chosen to have an abortion. She could have chosen to abandon him in an unsafe location. She could have made a tragic decision that could have harmed him or ended his life. But she chose to use the law.

That law changed our lives forever, he said. The Safe Haven law saved the life of our son.

Hatch said his son is active, smart and engaging; loves to play in the dirt and climbs everything.

He is wonderful and he is the outcome of this law, he said, adding that the boy is not defined by his mothers tragic circumstance ... it was not his choice.

Bill sponsor Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Holladay, said the Safe Haven law is one of the most important pieces of legislation shes ever worked on in the nearly 20 years as a Utah lawmaker.

Its not just for the kids, but the women who can move on with their lives and not live with the guilt, she said.

HB97 asks for $50,000 to help educate women about the law and its potential changes, should it be adopted by the full body before March 12, the last day of the session.

It has achieved support from the Utah House, and the senate committee on Wednesday also unanimously supported the bill, with a favorable recommendation to the full Senate.

There are a number of the things we do that affect people, but only a few of them affect life and death, Sandall said. This is one of those things, to me, that is really emotional.

He called the extension a no-brainer.

Read the original post:

Senate panel agrees adding time to safe haven for babies a good step - KSL.com

By Kapil AroraIowa State University Extension and Outreach

AMES, Iowa The overall profitability of a livestock production operation greatly depends on the age of the buildings.

Maintenance of buildings is critical for their continued use. Techniques that can help improve the usable life of roofs, concrete, slats, and trusses need to be considered and implemented, notes Kapil Arora, an agricultural engineering field specialist with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach.

ISU Extension and Outreach is joining industry partners to offer five workshops on the maintenance issues faced by facility managers and maintenance crews.

These workshops will discuss concrete pit maintenance and construction, truss management, roof and moisture management, and other repair and maintenance issues that can help protect the building and extend its life.

Participants also will learn about unique ways to allow clean air into the attic space and minimize pit-ventilated gases from entering the attic during periods of minimum ventilation during winter months, helping to reduce roof corrosion. Ways to maintain concrete slats including their repair, to help enhance their usable life, will also be discussed.

The workshops are geared toward livestock producers, livestock building owners and contractors, facility managers, maintenance crew members, engineers, designers, and others interested in swine building maintenance.

The workshops are being offered in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and are sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Hog Slat, Pinnacle, Integrity Builders & Supply Inc., AgVice, Precision Structures Inc., QC Supply, and Premier Ag Systems.

Workshops will be held in Carroll (March 9), Webster City (March 16), Le Mars (March 17), Nashua (March 23), and Washington (March 24). Additional workshop details including registration deadlines and workshop locations are available in the online brochure.

All workshops are the same and participants may register for one location only.

Registration is $35 per participant and pre-registration is required, as space is limited. Walk-ins will only be accepted if space is available. Participants can register by sending payment with the completed registration form to the address included on the online brochure for the respective location. Payments using a credit card (fees apply) can be made for any of the five locations by calling the ISU Extension and Outreach Hamilton County office at 515-832-9597.

Excerpt from:

Swine building maintenance the topic of statewide workshops - Discover Muscatine

Would you say life today is more stressful than ever before? Unpredictable weather, health and well-being, providing for the family: the struggles are real and have tested human endurance since the beginning of time.

Today, farmers struggle with the issues of climate change that can wipe out their crops in a moment, devastating to their livelihood.

The economy affected everyone when the steel mills closed in the late 1970s, and even laypersons came to understand the concept of ripple effect during what became known as the economic malaise, a less disturbing term than depression, but those affected can still tell you about that depression. Men lost their sources of income that had allowed them to provide for their families needs and the luxuries they had enjoyed. Newspapers buried the news briefs about farmers who took their own lives, sometimes taking their families with them because they couldnt see any other way, no way out of the black pit of despair and depression.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, if you are on the verge of the precipice, please, dont. Please understand that you are not alone. You are not weak because you have reached a point where you see no options. You are not weak because you dont have all of the answers. You arent weak because you keep trying, keep putting one foot in front of the other. Its OK if you dont have all the answers. Does anybody?

What is not OK is keeping everything inside, not talking to the people you trust, your supporters, who happen to be the people you support. Youve hit some bumps in the road. OK. Some of those bumps look like mountains you cant go over, around, or through. Dont give up. You can get past this point, even if it means talking to someone, a professional.

A lot of people think talking to a professional is a sign of weakness. Actually, it takes courage to pick up the phone and ask for help. And everyone needs help sometime.

The Ohio State University Extension Office and the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board joined together to provide an informative document, Crisis in the Farmland. It may be directed at farmers, but the information is valuable for others, as well. This four-page publication defines stress, what to do if you are stressed, where you can go for help. (Check out mantherapy.org) Having the backs of your farmer friends means you have someone at your back, too. And helping each other is what humans are about or supposed to be because you never know when you will be the one who needs help.

Know the signs and symptoms of stress.

Know the warning signs of suicide.

Know that you are not alone, and you arent weak when you reach out for help.

But dont just know these things. Put them to work in your daily life when you reach out to your friends and colleagues.

If you are interested in reading Crisis in the Farmland, contact the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board at 330-424-0195 or email your request to jthorn@ccmhrsb.org. It will be sent to you.

Addiction has no address, but Family Recovery Center does. For more information about the education, prevention and treatment programs for substance abuse and related behavioral issues, contact the agency at 964 N. Market St., Lisbon; phone, 330-424-1468; or e-mail, info@familyrecovery.org. Visit the web site at http://www.familyrecovery.org. FRC is funded, in part, by Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board.

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Amsterdam, February 24, 2020 Arcadis (EURONEXT: ARCAD), the leading global Design & Consultancy organization for natural and built assets, today announced that it is continuing its partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation on two critical programs: the Regional Traffic Operations Program (RTOP) with a contract value of $45m through 2024, and the Maintenance, Engineering and Inspection (MEI) program, part of a $15m extension.

Following two decades of population growth, Georgia continues to face challenges when it comes to accommodating more and more drivers on its roads. These projects will help GDOT reduce congestion, cut commute times, and improve safety.

Since 2010, Arcadis has helped GDOT deliver unique active arterial management, coordinating with local agencies to support operation, management and maintenance and developing innovative operational strategies. RTOP now manages over 1,900 traffic signals across 12 counties, using advanced detection technologies, control strategies and communication architecture to optimize traffic flow. The program supports regionwide goals and provides transparent, accessible reporting to all stakeholders.

Through the MEI program, Arcadis has also helped with maintenance, engineering and inspection of all state and federal highways. Through the extension, Arcadis helps with state-wide long line striping, guardrail strike collection and overall maintenance innovation through digital solutions.

"As urbanization increases, it brings unique challenges on how to manage traffic congestion. Arcadis is committed to helping cities solve these problems and improve quality of life for citizens," says Peter Oosterveer, Arcadis CEO.

-End-

Improving quality of life

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:ARCADIS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONSMonika GrabekMobile: +31 6 11 40 36 96E-mail: monika.grabek@arcadis.com

ARCADIS INVESTOR RELATIONSJurgen PullensMobile: +31 6 51599483E-mail: jurgen.pullens@arcadis.com

ABOUT ARCADIS

Arcadis is the leading global Design & Consultancy organization for natural and built assets. Applying our deep market sector insights and collective design, consultancy, engineering, project and management services we work in partnership with our clients to deliver exceptional and sustainable outcomes throughout the lifecycle of their natural and built assets. We are 28,000 people, active in over 70 countries that generate 3.5 billion in revenues. We support UN-Habitat with knowledge and expertise to improve the quality of life in rapidly growing cities around the world. http://www.arcadis.com

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Arcadis working with the Georgia Department of Transportation to improve traffic congestion - Benzinga