OHIO

OHIO
Conference next weekon mineral resources
COLUMBUS -- Mineral resources professionals from Ohio and surrounding states will discuss current issues, research and technologies related to mining, oil and gas drilling, conservation and reclamation during a conference hosted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The conference is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at Ohio University.
"By sharing the newest scientific information in this field, our goal is to find ways that improve the restoration of land productivity and water quality in areas that have been impacted by mining and drilling operations," said Mike Sponsler, chief of the ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management.
The two-day event, titled "Conservation and Restoration Innovations," will feature sessions on industrial minerals, groundwater, hydrogeology, reforestation, watershed post-construction evaluations, and acid mine drainage treatment techniques.
The keynote speaker will be Brent Wahlquist, Appalachian regional director of the federal Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement.
An awards luncheon, recognizing Ohio's leaders in mineral resources education and reclamation, is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. Wednesday. A casual evening reception, featuring educational displays by various organizations and watershed groups, is also scheduled for Wednesday.
For more information, contact Beth Wilson, ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management, at (614) 265-6633.
NATION
Whistle-blower lawsuit
OWENSBORO, Ky. -- A $64.4 million whistle-blower lawsuit accuses General Electric Co. of covering up defects during production of jet engine blades at a plant in western Kentucky.
The suit by Terri Brown, a former quality-control engineer at the plant in Madisonville, claims that the defects could cause "catastrophic failures" in commercial and military aircraft.
In a suit pending in U.S. District Court in Owensboro, Brown accuses the company of retaliating against her for reporting defects and that she was threatened by employees and pushed down a stairway, causing her to be permanently disabled.
GE has until Dec. 10 to respond to the suit.
Vindicator wire reports