Bettis Companies Lauded for Conservation, Safety Efforts

On January 13, 2022, Mid-States Materials, a division of Bettis Companies based in Topeka, Kan., received the prestigious Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award for their work in returning a 100-acre piece of the Plummer Creek Quarry to a productive agricultural asset. This is the fourth time Mid-States has won this award, a testament to their reclamation proclamation of protecting and preserving our environment.

“Our goal is to return the land that has provided the resources necessary for our infrastructure to a better condition than upon our arrival,” said Nick Jackson, Environmental Specialist with Mid-States.

Mid-States Materials received the commendation at the KAPA-KRMCA [Kansas Aggregate Producers Association] – [Kansas Ready Mixed Concrete Association] 55th annual convention. Special recognition to Nick Jackson and Buck Crumley at Mid-States Materials on the delivery of this industry leading project and to all the Mid-States employees who helped restore the land.

The Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award serves to recognize companies who achieve success under efforts introduced by the Surface Mining Land Conservation and Reclamation Act of 1994. The award is administered by the Kansas Department of Conservation and is awarded by a committee on an annual basis.

The winner of the Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award is then considered for the National Association of State Land Reclamationists (NASLR) award. Mid-States won this national award in 2018 for its reclamation of the Big Springs Quarry.

Previous Reclamation Awards received:

2011 Mid-States Materials, LLC - Lecompton - Big Springs Quarry2013 Mid-States Materials, LLC - Lecompton - Big Springs Quarry - Phase II2017 Mid-States Materials, LLC - Lecompton - Big Springs Quarry - Phase III2018 NASLR Outstanding Reclamation Award (non-Coal) - Big Springs Quarry2021 Mid-States Materials LLC - Scranton - Plummer Creek (Current Year’s Award)

Mid-States continued reclamation practices allow us to partner with communities far and wide while maintaining the rich and beautiful spaces Kansas has to offer.

ABOUT THE AWARD

Considerations for the following items are made in awarding this recognition according to the website for the Department of Conservation:

a. Grading: All affected lands, except water bodies, shall be graded to 3:1 slope. Water bodies and impoundments are acceptable forms of reclamation. When the topography of affected land is originally steeper than 3:1, then affected lands will be graded to blend with the surrounding terrain.

b. Topsoil: As stated in the Reclamation Plan, an approximately equal amount of topsoil that was on the affected land prior to mining shall be spread over the affected land areas that are to be seeded during reclamation. This means that some topsoil, depending on how much was originally on the site, must be stockpiled and saved for reclamation. An adequate amount of overburden must also remain on the site in order to achieve grading and vegetative cover requirements.

c. Vegetation: The types of plants to be used in revegetating sites will depend upon the postmining land use. DOC [Dept. of Conservation] encourages landowners and operators to use native species of plants where possible to maximize benefits. Additional information on plant types and their seeding requirements can be obtained from NRCS and the local conservation district. Overburden and topsoil stockpiles must be leveled and vegetated to control erosion.

d. Equipment Removal: All machinery, processing equipment, scales, junk iron, belting material and machinery must be removed. Large boulders must be removed, crushed, or buried.

The hard work of all our employees is greatly appreciated and we look forward to productively finding solutions to industry and community needs. Bettis Companies helps to make Kansas a good home for workers and their families by giving back to the communities where and when possible. We thank the Kansas Department of Conservation for recognizing these efforts as well as the people of Kansas.

We are also very pleased to share that Bettis Asphalt & Construction, Inc., another division of Bettis Companies, received a safety award at the KCA [Kansas Contractors Association] 99th Annual Convention Friday, January 28, 2022.

The award received was for the 2021 Safety Award-Category IV winner for total employee hours of exposure between 200,000 and 400,000 hours for Zero Lost-Time Injuries.

The recognition of all these efforts has Bettis Companies looking forward to a safe and productive 2022.