Online Registration Now Open for ISEE's Annual Conference
from the ISEE
Online registration is now open for ISEE's Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique, taking place Feb. 7-10, 2010, at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla.. Attendees who register before Nov. 30, 2009, will receive the discounted early bird rates. Register online today, where conference information is accessible 24/7. More

BHP's Remote Blasting a First for World Mining
from ABC Rural
A mine in North West Queensland, Australia, has become the first in the world to introduce remote blasting, instead of firing underground. BHP Billiton's Cannington Mine, near Cloncurry, has introduced new technology that gives miners the luxury of using radio communication channels to fire explosives. More

Army Seeks Super-Sniffer to Detect Explosives, Bio-Agents
from Wired
Coverage of the new technology of metamaterials has tended to focus on the possibility of a real-life invisibility cloak. That kind of application is a long way off, but in the much shorter term the Army is developing new materials to build an ultra-sensitive sensor capable of detecting the faintest trace of a scent: a nose like no other. More

Anglogold Suspends Ops at South Africa Mine After Accident
from Reuters
Anglogold Ashanti, said it had suspended drilling and blasting operations at its Great Noligwa mine in South Africa after a worker died and another was injured in an accident. More

EPA Reviews 79 Mountaintop Removal Coal Permits
from Bloomberg
The Environmental Protection Agency said that 79 permits to mine coal by removing mountain tops and discarding the debris in neighboring streams must be held for further review. More

Downer EDI Wins $500 Million in Contracts
from Mining Australia
Australian company Downer EDI has announced its mining division has secured new contracts and work under management with major international clients totaling over $500 million. These include a five-year contract with Ensham Resources to provide blasting services to its western Bowen Basin open-cut coal operation, including the supply, delivery and placement of explosives and shot-firing. More

China's Mine Explosions
from Forbes
Two deadly mine accidents recently occurring within 24 hours of each other in China's Henan province have taken 56 lives so far and put 13 local officials and mine owners under investigation. The death toll is expected to rise as hope to rescue the 36 workers trapped in the coal mine is turning dim. More

Airport Screeners Will Test Some Powders for Explosives
from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Transportation Security Administration said it will soon start additional screening for powder explosives at airport checkpoints but expects that only a small percentage of powders will require it. The TSA said it will begin using the detection kits at Hartsfield-Jackson and other airports around the country this week. More

Omnia Says Africa's Mineral Resources to Sustain Growth of its Mining Division
from Creamer Media's Mining Weekly
The mining industry will remain a feature of the African continent's future growth and development, and specialist chemical services group Omnia says the growing demand for explosives and chemicals to exploit the continent's rich mineral deposits will continue to underpin the growth of the company's mining business. More

International Symposium and Workshop on Explosives Detection Set for San Diego, Calif. in October
from Reuters
Several U.S. Government departments and agencies will sponsor the Explosives Detection 2009 Symposium and Workshop to be held in San Diego, Calif., during Oct. 20 - 23. It is part of the United States' continuing effort to enhance security and combat terrorism here, in military operations abroad, and among allied nations. More

R.I.P. Freddie: Seattle's Bomb Dog
from Reuters
The Seattle Police Department said Freddie, a dog and part of the bomb squad for more than six years, has died. Office Craig Williamson and Freddie had been a team since 2003. They conducted hundreds of missions, including bomb sweeps for dignitaries and evidence searches for weapons and explosives. More