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space occupied and size of personnel. The central testing lab is 

 located in the east wing of the Cogswell Building in the State 

 Capitol Complex; however, the central lab administers 85 mobile 

 laboratory units which are assigned to active state highway con- 

 struction projects. 



The Materials Testing Division employs 76 persons and is respon- 

 sible for the inspection and detailed physical testing of all 

 materials used in highway construction. The lab receives and 

 tests samples of such items as paint, asphalt, gasoline, cement, 

 wood, and metal. The division must certify to the Bureau of 

 Public Roads upon the completion of each project that the materials 

 used in that project meet the specifications of the contract and 

 of various state and federal standards. The core-drilling section 

 of the division consists of geologists and engineers who take 

 samples of soil, subsoil and rock formations in order to determine 

 material available for construction. This core-drilling informa- 

 tion aids designers in locating a highway according to water move- 

 ment, foundation material and rock formations. 



In addition to supporting the Highway Department's construction 

 program, the laboratory is also utilized by the Pre-Construction 

 and Maintenance programs . 



11. Analytical Laboratory Division - Montana Bureau of Mines and 

 Geology 



The Bureau of Mines laboratory is operated in conjunction with the 

 Montana College of Mineral Science & Technology and is located on 

 that university's campus in Butte. One of this laboratory's 

 state functions is the analysis of coal mined in Montana to de- 

 termine its taxable BTU rating. Samples of commercially-mined 

 coal are sent for analysis by various strip mine operators and 

 fees are charged based on the approximate costs of testing. The 

 Bureau of Mines and Geology laboratory is the only state lab set 

 up to run geochemical tests on coal. In addition to coal testing, 

 the Bureau lab also conducts geochemical tests on soil and water 

 to determine their mineral content. 



12. Fish and Wildlife Laboratory - Bozeman 



This laboratory is located in the Fish and Game Building on the 

 Montana State University campus. Organizationally, the lab is 

 under the Wildlife Management Division of the State Department of 

 Fish and Game. The function of the Fish and Wildlife Laboratory 

 is to perform post-mortem examinations on fish and wildlife to 

 determine their feeding habits and main grazing habitats. The lab 

 utilizes the facilities of the Department of Livestock Diagnostic 

 Laboratory located nearby in conducting post-mortems of large 

 wildlife species. Fish and Game Department personnel utilize the 

 data supplied by the Fish and Wildlife Lab in combination with 

 other data in making decisions and recommendations concerning 

 management of particular species. 



