News Release

October 12, 2011

Contact:
Mary Geiger
Communications Director
Kansas Department of Agriculture
(785) 296-2653 phone
Mary.Geiger@kda.ks.gov

Bayer Construction Awarded National Land Reclamation Award

TOPEKA - For a third time, a Kansas aggregate producer has won the Non-Coal Reclamation award presented by the National Association of State Land Reclamationists at their 2011 Annual Meeting in Daniels, W. Va.  Bayer Construction of Manhattan, Kan. reclaimed a 20 acre limestone quarry along Hwy. 177 in Riley County.

Bayer Construction’s original plans were to fulfill the owner’s request that the land be returned to grazing pastures with smooth brome grass as the vegetation. Heavy equipment was used to contour the land and to place topsoil and seed.  To increase usability of the site, a small pond was constructed to facilitate grazing potential.  The waterway was lined with limestone ditch liner.  “Reclamation is very important to Bayer Construction,” said Scott Carlson, Kansas Mined Land Reclamation Program manager, who nominated Bayer for the award. “They routinely incorporate reclamation planning into their business decision making.” 

“We not only comply with regulatory standards and requirements, we take a proactive stance on reclamation because we believe in the vision it supports. We feel that by restoring disturbed land to a productive agricultural-based ecosystem we have a positive effect on our community, our environment and our industry,” Kelly Briggs, President of Bayer Construction said.

Bayer Construction Company, Inc. was started in 1935.Their operations include civil site preparation, water and sewer line construction, heavy highway construction, and crushed limestone operations.  Bayer operates several portable crushing plant locations throughout North Central and Northeast Kansas.  The company employs 140 people and has been employee-owned since 1993.

For more information, contact Scott Carlson with the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Conservation at  785-296-6803 or scott.carlson@kda.ks.gov.

Stan Hambright, Environmental and Safety Manager at Bayer Construction, Inc. accepts the National Non-Coal Reclamation Award at the 2011 NASLR Awards Banquet in Daniels, West Virginia.  Presenting the award are Joe Hager (left), State of West Virginia and NASLR President and Scott Carlson, Kansas Mined Land Reclamation Program Manager.

 

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