Urgent Silica Alert

Words: Jeff BuczkiewiczAs you may know we have been working to try to come to a resolution on the final silica rule. We had made what we felt was nice progress. Unfortunately, last night we were informed by our attorney that negotiations were broke off by the DOL. The rule will be implemented as planned, this coming Saturday without any modifications or enforcement directives. We are making our members aware that they need to be prepared for full implementation starting Saturday. Our coalition will begin litigation on Monday next week to see if the courts will help provide any relief from the rule. Make sure your written exposure control plan is in place on job sites by Saturday and that your training of employees is complete by then as well.

We are making a last ditch effort to try to get members of Congress to call the White House and ask for action to be taken ASAP to address this rule. If you have any relationships with members of Congress, we ask that you call today.

This is a quick note from Steve Borg from the Keelen Group on our ask for our members of Congress.

"Once again thank you for all your efforts in calling those offices you met with during the fly-in or are close with in regards to the silica Amendment! We need your help once again! Please call and follow up with the Republican offices once again and state since the amendment was not ultimately offered we are asking that the Member of Congress call the the White House personally to ask for delay and changes to the OSHA silica rule that is set to go into effect THIS SATURDAY! We want this request to carry the most weight so are asking that you request the Member themselves call. Also please ask them to respond to you with any feedback from the White House after the call.”
About: Legislative
 0
The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Shayne Sanders
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Conner Birdsong
Read More
Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More