January, 08 2006
Supreme Court blocks entry of French warship at Alang
India has put a temporary block on a French aircraft carrier Clemenceau with about 50 MT of toxic asbestos material from entering Indian waters, saying that it needs more information. The Supreme Court ordered a monitoring panel on hazardous waste to deliberate on the issue in Mumbai. The panel told the ship not to enter Indian waters until it made a final decision in two weeks' time.
Chairman of the monitoring committee Mr G Thyagrajan said that the decision to ask the ship to stay outside Indian waters was not final. He said the information about the vessel was inadequate and therefore it was asked to stay 200 nautical miles away. Mr Thyagrajan said: "At present, the information regarding asbestos varies from 50 tonnes to 1,000 tonnes and therefore we need more information to take a final decision. "We cannot allow the ship to enter Indian waters because we don't have a clear picture."
The committee also felt the ship violated the Basel Convention on hazardous waste, which prevents transportation of hazardous material from one country to another.
The 27,000 MT aircraft carrier Clemenceau was bound for Alang ship breaking yard
Human rights group urges inquiry in Orissa tribal killing
The South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre SAHRDC has urged National Human Rights Commission NHRC to conduct an inquiry into the reported mutilation of bodies of the 12 tribal killed in police firing in Orissa. The forum pointed out that several newspapers had reported that the bodies of the protestors were returned to their families with mutilated hands and chopped off palms.
The forum condemned the police explanation that the hands were supposedly cut off for forensic identification. "Such an inhuman and barbaric act by the doctors conducting the autopsy in complicity with the police goes against the very basic standards of forensic examination and international human rights law, it said in a letter to NHRC
The forum said NHRC should take up the issue of violation of medical ethics by the medical doctor involved in the mutilation of the dead bodies with the Medical Council of India and asked for his disbarment from medical practice.
Chhattisgarh to adequately compensate tribal for TATA Steel land
Chhattisgarh Industries Minister Mr Rajesh Munat said that land acquisition for TATA steels proposed plant in mineral-rich Bastar would begin soon and Chhattisgarh would not commit an Orissa-type error and would compensate the tribal adequately for the land.
"We will not allow an Orissa-type massacre in Chhattisgarh. The state government is in the process of unveiling a massive compensation package that would include offer of jobs to families facing displacement due to the new steel plant," Mr Munat said.
He said the district administration had formed village committees comprising local leaders, tribal and intellectuals in Bastar for the "smooth handover of over 5,000- hectare land to Tata Steel".
TATA Steel had signed a MoU with the Chhattisgarh government in June last year for setting up a 5 million tonne per annum integrated steel plant in two phases with a Rs 100 billion investment in the impoverished but mineral rich Bastar region.
Negotiations with TATA resumed in Bangladesh
Negotiations between the Bangladesh government and the TATA Group resumed yesterday with positive conclusions likely on some issues on the proposed US$ 2.5 billion investment proposal of the Indian industrial giant. Official sources said this time the negotiations may continue for two days and the talks would concentrate on the issues related to fiscal incentives Tata wanted to go ahead with its investment plan.
Executive Chairman of Board of Investment and Advisor to the Energy Ministry Mr Mahmudur Rahman said he is hopeful that both the government and the Indian company would be able to make a breakthrough, particularly on the fiscal incentive issues.
On the first day, Tata negotiation team held a meeting with the officials of National Board of Revenue (NBR) to bargain the financial incentive issues.
According to the sources, Tata officials have sought 25 years of tax holiday on its proposed investment while the government offered the existing seven years tax holiday, which is applicable for all foreign investors. The sources said Tata might now come up with a new offer to get 10 years of tax holiday as part of fiscal incentives. The government, according to a highly placed source, may accept the new proposal of the Indian conglomerate.
The Tata Group was also demanding an exemption from paying the registration fee against its land purchase for industrial purpose. But now the Indian company has revised its original demand, the source said. ''Tata is now ready to accept 50 per cent exemption on land registration fee...the same is now applicable to foreign investors setting up industries in the export processing zones .''
Under the proposed investment, Tata will set up a steel plant, a 1000 MW power plant and a fertilizer factory. Tata's proposal also includes coal mine development. The negotiations between Tata and the government began in May last year.
Kalinganagar land dispute continues
The Orissa government had acquired 12,000 acres of land between 1992 and 1994 for the Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex. Of this, only 5,000 acres were used, by Neelanchal Ispat and Mid-East Integrated Steel, till 2002, and many tribal stayed on in the vacant land.
TATA Steel was allotted 2,000 acres for setting up a 6 million tonne plant. The plot had two villages, Chandia and Gadapur, and six hamlets. Their residents are opposing the allotment on the grounds that they were paid Rs 37,000 per acre by the government in 1994 for land that is now being sold at Rs 350,000 per acre to the TATA.
"When we protested and demanded higher compensation, the police fired on us," says Bhagaban Gagaria of Gadapur village. "Now, compensation or no compensation, we will not vacate our land," says another villager of Ambagadia village. "Let Naveen Patnaik come and discuss the issue with us."
"No displacement at any cost. Let the police kill me and my children, but we will not give up our land for industry," says Rama Jarika of Bamiagotha village.
Court declines to spare judge to probe Orissa firing
The Orissa High Court has declined to spare a judge to probe into a firing that killed 12 tribal. The state government had ordered a judicial inquiry and requested the chief justice of Orissa High Court to nominate a sitting judge to probe the incident.
The chief justice informed the state government about his inability to spare a sitting judge because the high court was "already facing trouble in delivering justice due to a shortage of judges", a senior state home department official said.
Chief Minister Mr Naveen Patnaik said he would again request the chief justice to nominate a sitting judge for the inquiry.
Shanghai now the world's largest cargo port
Shanghai port has become the world's largest cargo port, with processed cargo topping 443 million tons in 2005, higher than that of Singapore's port, according to the latest statistics of the Shanghai Port Management Department. The rapid development of the Chinese economy and the large industrial and trade base of the Yangtze River Delta region are the main reasons underlining Shanghai's achievement.
Shanghai port took five years to double cargo handling capacity from 200 million tons to 400 million tons.
Wheeling Nisshin produces 10 millionth ton of steel
Wheeling-Nisshin Inc has produced the 10 millionth ton of steel at its plant since it opened in April 1988. Mr Rich Carter, president and COO for Wheeling Nisshin, said the coil represents a team effort by the plant's workers, most of whom have worked at Wheeling-Nisshin since the mill came on line. "We have an extremely good work force," he said.
When it opened, Wheeling-Nisshin was hailed as a sign of Japanese and American cooperation in the steel industry during a time when Japanese competition was being blamed for much of the decline of domestic mills in the 1980s. Wheeling-Nisshin was a leader in technology when it came on line and Mr Carter says it remains so today. Wheeling-Nisshin started with an aluminum galvanizing line in 1988 and added a continuous galvanized line in 1993.
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. holds a 35.7% stake in Wheeling-Nisshin while Nisshin Steel of Japan holds a 64.3% stake.
Foundation Coal sets production records
Foundation Coal Holdings said three of its affiliates broke production and shipment records in 2005.
Cumberland Coal Resources LP produced more than 7 million tons of clean coal and shipped 6.9 million tons, both records for a Foundation operation in Pennsylvania. Cumberland's output surpassed the prior record
Another affiliate Emerald Coal Resources LP, enabled Foundation to record a production high of 13.8 million tons from its Pennsylvania business unit, the company said.
In Wyoming, Foundation's Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte mines combined to ship 43.6 million tons, beating the prior record of 42.6 million tons set in 2003.
Foundation Coal is US's fourth-largest coal producer, with capacity to produce about 70 million tons of coal annually from its 13 mines in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Illinois.
Brazils Acesita shares soar on Arcelor announcement
Shares of Brazilian specialty steelmaker Acesita soared Friday on the Brazilian Stock Exchange after Arcelor said that it had bought the stake of a pension fund and would make an offer for the Acesita's remaining outstanding shares.
Acesita's preferred shares were up 10.62% at BRL 32.51 while common shares climbed 5.34% to BRL 34.50.
Arcelor said that it had paid BRL 45.08 per share for the 4.05% stake in Acesita held by Sistel the pension fund for workers at Brazilian phone company Telemar. Arcelor also said it would make a compulsory offer for Acesita's remaining common shares. In addition, the company will also purchase up to one-third of Acesita's preferred shares currently in circulation. Arcelor will pay BRL 36.02 per common or preferred share or 80% of the average price Arcelor paid Sistel and two other pension funds, Previ and Petros, for their Acesita stakes.
With the deal, Arcelor now holds 75.75% of all shares and 96.87% of the shares in Acesita's controlling shareholder group, becoming the company's sole controlling shareholder.
Steel Dynamics joins Forbes list
Steel Dynamics is ranked 106 in Forbes magazines annual list of Americas 400 Best Big Companies.
They must have missed us last year, joked Mr Keith Busse president and CEO at Steel Dynamics. How could we have gone from 401 to 106? On a more serious note, Mr Busse said the combination of a talented workforce and a strong management team has led to the companys strong performance. In 2004, Steel Dynamics annual revenue jumped to $2.2 billion from $987.3 million a year ago.
To be included, companies must have annual revenues of at least $1 billion, be public for at least two years and have a stock price of more than $5 per share. Forbes ranked candidate companies on financial performance against their direct competitors over the past five years and the most recent 12 months. Having narrowed the universe to 400 companies in 26 industry groups, Forbes editors and writers evaluated the leading companies in each industry on factors such as innovation, efficiency and market leadership.
US Steelworkers protest Mr Bush policy on Chinese pipe import
Several steelworkers have raised a banner, "Make Steel, Not War" and signs criticizing the free import of Chinese steel pipe.
Steve Kramer, president of USW Local 9777 at Allied Pipe and Tube in Harvey, said Bush's refusal to place quotas on overseas pipe imports has put steelworkers at risk. "We have had a reduction in hours, reduction in shifts and some reduction in people," he said.
Steelworkers complain Chinese steel pipe imports have surged from 10,000 tons three years ago to 380,000 tons last year because the Chinese sell it below the average cost of the raw materials.
ICG coal mine blast data recorded
Seismic equipment apparently recorded the West Virginia coal-mine explosion within seconds of a lightning strike near the mine in which 12 miners died. The force of the explosion in registered at a seismic monitoring station 56 miles away as if it were a slight earthquake, said Mr Martin Chapman, director of the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory.
Mr Chapman said that he found a "low-level signal, barely out of the background noise," that appears to be the explosion at the mine. The seismic signal occurred at 6:26:38 a.m. on January 2 and registered at the monitoring station in less than a minute, he said. The explosion occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m.
National Weather Service which monitors thunderstorms told that two lightning strikes struck at 6:26 a.m. within 1 miles of the mine.
Federal and state authorities are investigating all possible causes, including suspicions that lightning ignited naturally occurring methane gas or coal dust. Coal-mine explosions are typically caused by buildups of naturally occurring methane gas, and the danger increases in the winter months, when low barometric pressure can release more of the odorless, colorless and highly flammable gas.
Shanxi coal maker records 30 million tonnes in 2005
Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group has yielded 30 million tons of crude coal over the past year, according to a statement by the group. This can be attributive to its numerous mines and upgraded equipment, said a company official. In 2005, the company invested more than CNY 90 million in upgrading some key production equipment, and also over CNY 400 million in constructing safety facilities.
Its crude coal output has seen an average growth of more than 3 million tons yearly. In 2004, its crude coal output reached 24.431 million tons.
The company, located in the coal rich Shanxi Province, has been one of China's 13 biggest coal bases. Since founded 47 years ago, it has made 265 million tons of anthracite totally.
Smorgon Steel & Intec sign agreement for EAF dust
Australian Smorgon Steel Group Limited and Intec Ltd announced that they have entered into a Heads of Agreement for the initial and ongoing supply of Electric Arc Furnace Dust from Smorgon Steel to Intec Ltd for use in INL's Hellyer Metals Project in northwestern Tasmania
Closure of the transaction is expected to occur not later than 31 January 2006.
State and federal citations against International Coal Group
ICG owned Sago Mine had 208 alleged violations of federal mine rules in 2005, a number higher than normal for a mine of its size. The 208 violations included 18 orders shutting down parts of the mine until alleged violations were corrected, but none serious enough to shutter the entire operation.
The mine's injury rate among employees per hours worked of 17.4 in 2005 is nearly three times higher than the national average rate of 6.54.
International Coal Group Inc., the mine's owner, says it inherited many of the safety problems from the mine's former owner and has been working to correct the violations.
According to Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration records reviewed by The Associated Press ICG employees filed 665 claims for mostly minor work-related injuries during the company's existence, a number steel unions say is far less than under previous ownership.
Bay Bridge considering Coos Bay for ship breaking
Virginia based ship breaking company Bay Bridge Enterprises wants to salvage steel from old government ships is negotiating with land's owner Mr Robin Stevenot, who has been unsuccessful with plans for a residential community near Coos Bay. Bay Bridge wants to open an Oregon operation so it can scrap the ships and sell the steel domestically or overseas to South Korea, China or India.
The U.S. Maritime Administration is under orders from Congress to sell the "ghost fleet" of former naval and merchant ships that sits in Suisun Bay, in the San Francisco Bay estuary. No West Coast ship-breaking yard exists, forcing the government to pay millions of dollars to have the ships towed to scrap yards in Texas.
Bay Bridge Enterprises is owned by an Indian company Adani Global. Bay Bridge is also looking at a site at Newport. Bay Bridge has scouted sites from Portland to Astoria to Coos Bay in recent months.
QASCO releases updates on expansion projects
Industries Qatar, the holding company for Qatar Steel Company has released updates on expansion projects currently underway.
QASCO has a 25% interest as an incorporating partner in the Bahrain-based United Stainless Steel Company, which will go on stream in 2007. The QASCO PC Strands project, costing around QR110 million is expected to start up late this year, with production capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes per year The QASCO Steel Melt Shop Furnace plant, due to go on stream in 2008, will have an annual production capacity of over 1,000,000 MTPA
