OCA News and Information

Ohio Coal Signs Onto Coalition to Urge Ohio Senators to Support Murkowski Resolution

March 3, 2010

The Honorable Sherrod Brown

United States Senate

455 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Brown,

The Ohio Chemistry Technology Council, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Coal Association, Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Association, Ohio Petroleum Council, Ohio Soybean Association, Timken Company, Ohio Council of Retail Merchants & Affiliates, Flexible Pavements, Ohio Contractors Association, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, Buckeye Industrial Mining Co.,  Nucor Steel Marion, Inc., Associated General Contractors of Ohio, Ohio Trucking Association,  Ohio Cast Metals Association, FirstEnergy Corp., Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., BP-Husky Refining LLC, Erie County Chamber of Commerce, IEU-Ohio,  Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Assoc., Ohio Steel Group and J’s Pizza Market collectively write to urge you to support the Murkowski resolution prohibiting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act (CAA).  Your support of this resolution will help save Ohio’s businesses, jobs, and families.

As you are aware, the U.S. EPA announced last December its intention to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the CAA.  U.S. EPA made this announcement despite ongoing efforts on Capitol Hill to address climate change and energy issues.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski has introduced a resolution to prevent the U.S. EPA from regulating greenhouse gases because, she believes, Congress is a more appropriate forum for addressing such major issues that have economy-wide impacts.

The above organizations have a variety of different viewpoints on climate change and energy issues.  However, we all agree that U.S. EPA regulations would be all cap and no trade.  This approach would be inflexible and cost prohibitive, thereby hurting Ohio businesses, workers and families. 

Last fall, you voiced concerns about the impact of cap-and-trade on Ohio’s economy.  Our collective organizations appreciate your clear understanding of our concerns as evident in your recent letter to U.S EPA.  In the letter you identify many of the same fears we have for the economy and energy security if U.S. EPA continues down this untenable path.    

The Murkowski resolution is expected to come up for a Senate vote sometime within the next few weeks.  We are asking you to declare your support for the Murkowski resolution as soon as possible. The future of Ohio may depend on this vote.

Please let us know if you need more information or if we can help you otherwise with respect to this vital matter.

InSeT Systems Develops Tracking System

InSeT Systems LLC, established April 2006, is finalizing development of a patented Inertial Sensor Tracking system that will dramatically aid rescue efforts in mines. The InSeT System uses miniature inertial sensors, proprietary software, and a wireless radio network to display and record the real-time location of miners working underground. The InSeT System provides unprecedented tracking accuracy tracking miners within a matter of a few feet, thereby enabling rapid, highly targeted rescue efforts when mining disasters occur.

The InSeT system was designed to meet the Federal legislation introduced in 2006 that requires mines to implement wireless communications and tracking systems. InSeT is working closely with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to comply with this new safety legislation. Demonstrations of the technology’s communication relay links and inertial tracking devices have been successfully completed in both government mines and the largest underground coal mine in Ohio. The technology can also be used to improve the operating efficiency of mines by providing ongoing tracking of mining supplies and equipment.

The InSeT underground miner tracking system utilizes highly advanced technology and software programming, similar to the navigation systems used on the NASA Space Shuttle, navy submarines, and military satellites, to accurately track miners working in underground mines.  Recent advances in the miniaturization of sensors have made possible the creation of small battery operated personal navigation devices that can be attached to the miners working underground. These devices communicate via an underground redundant radio mesh network to the mine dispatcher’s workstation where a display monitor shows the location of each miner on a map of the mine in real time. In the event of an accident in the mine, the redundant system is designed to continue to operate and give the current position of all underground miners. During a rescue mission, additional tracking units can be provided to the members of the rescue team to direct them to trapped miners. 

The InSeT system is superior to “zone” based tracking systems, due to location accuracy of less than 3 meters in both pre-disaster and post-disaster circumstances. In the event of an emergency, the underground mesh network continues to operate on batteries even when the power is cut off. The InSeT system can also be designed to work with existing wireless mesh networks that may already be present. A broad patent covering the use of inertial navigation in underground applications was issued to InSeT Systems on July 15, 2008.

Russell Breeding, Chief Technical Officer, served 10 years in the U. S. Navy as head technician on nuclear submarines in charge of maintaining and operating the ships’ inertial navigation systems. After retiring from the Navy, he worked as a Systems Analyst and troubleshooter for several government contractors. 

Jay Breeding, Chief Operating Officer, has over 45 years of management experience in both manufacturing companies and divisions of companies in the rubber and plastics industries. Jay has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University.

Mike Millam, Chief Engineer, served 6 years in the U.S. Navy as a Reactor Operator, and has more than 20 years of technical and project management experience with Navy contractors, 11 of these in direct support of inertial navigation systems. Mike has a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology.