U.S. Dept. of Agriculture published its regulatory proposal for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). The proposal suspended the acceptance of new applications for BCAP subsidy funds until the regulation has been finalized. The proposal also states that USDA will refrain from “diverting any materials potentially eligible for BCAP matching payments from existing value-added production processes already occurring in the marketplace.”

Steve Singleton, 48, general manager of New South’s mill in Camden, SC, never thought of himself as the kind of person who would be selected as Timber Processing’s 22nd annual Man of the Year. He was shocked when he received the call, and feels uncomfortable with the attention. And when time came to work up this article, his sense of humility showed. Singleton had no one on hand to trumpet his accomplishments for him, and he didn’t spend any time tooting his own horn.

New South Companies, Inc., a member of the Canfor group of companies, purchased what was then Chesterfield Lumber here in late 2007 with the understanding that it would need additional resources and capital improvements to be competitive. With the addition of Darlington, there are now four New South mills, all in the Carolinas. “When New South acquired this site, there was no formalized maintenance program,” according to Chief Engineer, Travis McDonald.

September 22, 2009 the USEPA (Environmental Protection Agency) issued a final rule for mandatory reporting of greenhouse gases (GHG) from large GHG sources in the United States. The rule requires reporting of annual emis­sions of carbon dioxide (CO2), meth­ane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorcarbons (HFCs), perfluorochemicals (PFCs), and other fluorinated gases.

Scotch & Gulf Lumber (formerly Scotch Lumber) is reopening its mill in Fulton, Ala. and upgrading it with USNR equipment. Included with a recent order is a new centering infeed table for an existing McGehee curve-sawing gang system that will allow cants to be fed from two sides, and an endura chain bed upgrade for the gang. The mill will receive a new Newnes-design edger with top reman head mounted upstream from the saw box, and edger picker outfeed table.

Cut Technologies continues its development of technology with the introduction of the Cougar XX round saws, claimed to be the highest performing in the market. According to Mike Cloutier, founder and President, the Cougar XX uses an alloy never previously used in saw production. Post-treated in a proprietary tension stabilized process, advantages claimed are longer running times, narrower kerfs, and exceptional flatness and reduced bench time.