Members of PCA's Economic Research, Market Research, and Government Affairs met with the Mineral Information Team as the U.S. Geological Survey recently in Washington, D.C. Discussions centered on the proposed budget cuts at USGS, which could jeopardize its reports on cement shipments PCA expressed support of USGS programs servicing the cement industry and discussed issues such as data reporting, quality, and timeliness.

The cuts in questions are a part of the Bush administrations FY2004 budget plan for the USGS's Minerals Resource Program, which chopped $8.7 million from the pending FY2003 funding level. PCA is working with Congress and USGS to restore the FY2003 and FY2004 funding levels.