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At its 2019 annual meeting in Manhattan, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association (KARA) chose Lance Nelson of Alliance Ag & Grain LLC as its chairman. Nelson was chosen by the association’s 20-plus member board of directors to serve his two-year term through August of 2021. "I am honored to serve the agribusiness industry in this role,” Nelson said. “This honor is a tremendous privilege and I look forward to helping advance our industry through this association.” Nelson is the 54th industry leader since 1960 to be picked into KARA’s pinnacle role after previously...

After December 16, 2019, all motor carriers and drivers subject to the ELD rule will be required to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) to record hours-of-service data. To help the motor carrier industry and ELD providers prepare for this important deadline, FMCSA is hosting a series of live question and answer sessions. Register for a Live ELD Q&A Session To keep these sessions as informative for the participants as possible, FMCSA is segmenting the Q&A sessions by audience. Select the most relevant session for you and register using the links below. Sessions for...

Reservations are now being accepted for the biennial Region 7 Local Emergency Planning Committees Planning and Response Conference on August 8-10, 2019, at the Embassy Suites Omaha Downtown Old Market. The conference brings together experts from business, industry and government in the fields of chemical emergency, preparedness, prevention, transportation, and health and safety to collaborate and inform participants about chemical risk protection and promotion of chemical safety. Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) serve as focal points in communities for information about hazardous materials, emergency planning, and environmental risks. To assist LEPCs...

The new paraquat and dicamba labels are more restrictive than the restricted use pesticide product labels we’re used to. A significant change is that their use is limited to certified applicators. That is, there is no use of these products (e.g., mixing, loading, application) that may be performed by an individual without a current pesticide applicator certification — even if that individual is supervised by someone with a current pesticide applicator certification. This restriction applies to both commercial and private applications. The KDA pesticide and fertilizer program has made the following...

The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s agricultural advocacy, marketing and outreach team is seeking talented Kansans to serve on the Marketing Advisory Board. The mission of the KDA marketing division is to serve all Kansans through innovative programming and deliver solutions designed to create an environment that facilitates growth and expansion in agriculture while increasing pride in and awareness of the state’s largest industry — agriculture. The Marketing Advisory Board will advise the program team on a variety of topics through the following sub-programs: agricultural business development, international agricultural development/trade, From the...

By Randy Gordon, President and CEO, NGFA A proposed rule designed to update hours-of-service (HOS) guidance for commercial truck drivers is “in the final stages of review,” the U.S. Department of Transportation told Congress on June 19. In testimony before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Raymond Martinez said the proposed guidance is under interagency review within the White House Office of Management and Budget. He made the statement during the committee’s hearing preparing for the reauthorization of the so-called Fixing America’s Surface...

The Department of Homeland Security forwarded to the White House Office and Management and Budget late in 2018, a proposal to expand the Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards (CFATS) program’s Personnel Surety Program (PSP).  The PSP, stipulated by the CFATS risk-based performance standard 12, Part 4, requires that employees at, and visitors to, CFATS regulated facilities be vetted against the federal terrorist screening database.  This program was rolled out a few years ago to cover those CFATS facilities in risk Tiers 1 and 2.  There are approximately 120 facilities in these...

The updated Kansas Noxious Weed Law became official in February 2019.  The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) is beginning the revisions of the associated regulations.  A key part of developing the revisions is input from stakeholders and the general public. The KDA invites you to a public meeting to discuss the new law, revisions to the regulations and to introduce the State Noxious Weeds Advisory Committee.  This open discussion will be held at the Kansas Department of Agriculture, 1320 Research Park Drive, Manhattan, on Thursday, July 11 from 10:00 a.m. until...

Hearing Conservation 101 was designed to inform employers of the basic requirements of the regulations, focusing on insights to avoiding an OSHA citation and employ some “Best Practices” to support a safe workplace where industrial noise may be a concern. During this presentation we will discuss: Safety vs Compliance Hazard Assessments “Periodic” inspection requirements 29 CFR 1910.95 [T8CCR §5097] Multi-employer work sites Hearing Conservation “Best Practices” Who Should Attend? Facility Production Managers & Supervisors, Construction Superintendents/Foremen, Safety Managers/Staff Register for this free webinar below DATE: June 19, 2019 TIME: 2:00PM ET - 1:00PM CT - 11:00AM PT Speaker: Paul...

Effective July 1, 2019, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will have up to $5,000,000 available through the State Rail Service Improvement Fund (SRSIF) for railroad rehabilitation, capacity improvement and construction projects. Qualified entities that can make an application include:  any Class II or III (short line) railroad, as defined in 49 C.F.R., part 1201 holding a certificate of public convenience from the Surface Transportation Board; local unit of government (city or county) in coordination with the serving railroad; and shippers in coordination with the serving railroad.  The SRISF program...

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