MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 
 
 Trends and Developments.—Alabama By-Products Corp. completed the first
phase of its expansion and modernization program at the Tarrant coke plant
by firing 21 of the proposed 78 new coke ovens announced in 1966. When the
remaining 57 ovens are completed by late 1969, coke output will have increased
by more than one-third. 
 American Colloid Co. expanded its bentonite facilities at the Sandy Ridge
plant in Lowndes County. 
 A. P. Green Refractories Co. announced plans to build a plant near Eufaula
to manufacture refractory materials from hauxitic clay. 
 Commercial Metals constructed a secondary aluminum smelter in Anniston.
The smelter has a melting capacity of 1.5 tons of aluminum breakage per hour.
Estimated output is 200 tons of finished aluminum metal per month. 
 Marion Coke Co. at Brilliant was constructing 45 partially automated beehive
coke ovens as additions to its present battery of 135 ovens. The company
markets its coke to chemical companies along the Tennessee River in Alabama
and Tennessee. 
 McWane Cast Iron Pipe Co. began construction of a new pig iron operation
at Mobile. The plant will utilize a direct reduction process developed by
the McDowell-Wellman Engineering Co. to process Brazilian hematite fines
supplied by the Brasamerican Ore Corp. 
 Mobile Refining Co. announced plans to construct an oil refinery in Mobile.

 Peabody Coal Co. reported production from its new Warrior strip mine in
the Gwin coal seam near Oak Grove, Jefferson County; production will be about
1 million tons per year. Output will go to steam-generating powerplants of
the Alabama Power Co. 
 Republic Steel Corp. completed its new plate mill at the Gadsden plant;
construction began about 2 years ago. The new mill will allow the Gadsden
plant to play a larger role in supplying steel for Republic's southern market.

 Revere Copper and Brass Inc. announced plans to construct a 112,000-ton-per-year
aluminum reduction plant at Scottsboro. The new facility will consist of
two potlines, the first of which is expected to be in operation by 1971,
and the second by 1972. The company's new aluminum rolling mill was in the
final stage of construc 
tion and is expected to be in operation by the second quarter of 1968. 
 Tennessee Valley Authority awarded a $4.5 million contract to modernize
its phosphate ore processing plant at Muscle Shoals, and began construction
of the Browns Ferry nuclear powerplant following receipt of a construction
permit from the Atomic Energy Commission. 
 United States Gypsum Co. announced an increase in the capacity of its lime
plant at Montevallo, Shelby County, by the installation of a 400-ton-per-day
rotary kiln. The new kiln is expected to he in operation by the spring of
1968. 
 Vulcan Materials Co. announced plans to double the capacity of its lightweight
aggregate plant at Parkwood, Jefferson County, and to modernize and expand
its slag. stone, and ready-mix concrete plants in Birmingham. 
 Exploration by major companies for bauxite, copper, and sulfide minerals
continued throughout the year. There was increased interest in the recovery
of scrap mica. 
 
 
Legislation and Government Programs. 
—The Geological Survey of Alabama completed a bauxite drilling program
in the Barbour—Henry County area, and coal drilling programs in the
Blount Mountain area of the Plateau Coal Field and the Warrior and Plateau
Coal Fields of Marion and Winston Counties. Plans were made for a lignite
drilling program in southern Alabama. The Survey also completed field work
for mineral resource maps of Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, De Kaib, Etowah, Marengo,
Marion, Mobile, Monroe, Washington, Wilcox, and Winston Counties, and began
geologic mapping in Coosa and Lee Counties. The Survey released 21 publications
during the year, including mineral resource maps of Bullock, Butler, Coffee,
Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, and Houston
Counties. 
 The Geological Survey of Alabama in cooperation with the U.S. Geological
Survey began geologic mapping in Blount, Choctaw, Mobile, and Monroe Counties.
Work was completed on geologic maps of Baldwin, De Kalb, and Washington Counties.

 Traffic operated on 51 percent of the State's allotment of Interstate and
Defense Highway mileage.