[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 164 (Friday, August 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54675-54676]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21566]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Petitions for Modification
The following parties have filed petitions to modify the
application of existing safety standards under section 101(c) of the
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.
1. Buck Mountain Coal Company
[Docket No. M-2002-062-C]
Buck Mountain Coal Company, PO Box 6, Tremont, Pennsylvania 17981
has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1002-1
(Location of other electric equipment; requirements for permissibility)
to its Buck Mountain Slope Mine (I.D. No. 36-01962) located in
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner requests a modification
of the existing standard to permit the use of non-permissible electric
equipment within 150 feet of the pillar line. The petitioner states
that the non-permissible equipment would include drags and battery
locomotives due in part to the method of mining used in pitching
anthracite mines and the alternative evaluation of the mine air quality
for methane on an hourly basis during operation. The petitioner asserts
that the proposed alternative method would provide at least the same
measure of protection as the existing standard.
2. Buck Mountain Coal Company
[Docket No. M-2002-063-C]
Buck Mountain Coal Company, PO Box 6, Tremont, Pennsylvania 17981
has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1100-2(a)
(Quantity and location of firefighting equipment) to its Buck Mountain
Slope Mine (I.D. No. 36-01962) located in Schuylkill County,
Pennsylvania. The petitioner requests a modification of the standard to
permit use of only portable fire extinguishers to replace existing
requirements where rock dust, water cars, and other water storage
equipped with three (3) ten quart pails is not practical. The
petitioner proposes to use two (2) fire extinguishers near the slope
bottom and an additional portable fire extinguisher within 500 feet of
the working face for equivalent fire protection for the Buck Mountain
Slope Mine. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method
would provide at least the same measure of protection as the existing
standard.
3. Buck Mountain Coal Company
[Docket No. M-2002-064-C]
Buck Mountain Coal Company, PO Box 6, Tremont, Pennsylvania 17981
has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1200 (d) &
(i) (Mine map) to its Buck Mountain Slope Mine (I.D. No. 36-01962)
located in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner proposes to
use cross-sections instead of contour lines through the intake slope,
at locations of rock tunnel connections between veins, and at 1,000
foot intervals of advance from the intake slope; and to limit the
required mapping of the mine workings above and below to those present
within 100 feet of the vein being mined except when veins are
interconnected to other veins beyond the 100-foot limit through rock
tunnels. The petitioner asserts that due to the steep pitch encountered
in mining anthracite coal veins, contours provide no useful information
and their presence would make portions of the map illegible. The
petitioner further asserts that use of cross-sections in lieu of
contour lines has been practiced since the late 1800's thereby
providing critical information relative to the spacing between veins
and proximity to other mine workings which fluctuate considerably. The
petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method would provide
at least the same measure of protection as the existing standard.
4. Buck Mountain Coal Company
[Docket No. M-2002-065-C]
Buck Mountain Coal Company, PO Box 6, Tremont, Pennsylvania 17981
has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1202 and
75.1202-1(a) (Temporary notations, revisions, and supplements) to its
Buck Mountain Slope Mine (I.D. No. 36-01962) located in Schuylkill
County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner proposes to revise and supplement
mine maps annually instead of every 6 months as required, and to update
maps daily by hand notations. The petitioner also proposes to conduct
surveys prior to commencing retreat mining and whenever either a
drilling program under 30 CFR 75.388 or plan for mining into
inaccessible areas under 30 CFR 75.389 is required. The petitioner
asserts that the proposed alternative method would provide at least the
same measure of protection as the existing standard.
5. Energy West Mining Company
[Docket No. M-2002-066-C]
Energy West Mining Company, PO 310, Huntington, Utah 84528 has
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.500(d)
(Permissible electric equipment) to its Deer Creek Mine (I.D. No. 42-
00121) located in Emery County, Utah. The petitioner proposes to use
the following non-permissible equipment inby the last open crosscut:
low-voltage or battery powered electronic testing and diagnostic
equipment such as lap top computers, oscilloscopes, vibration analysis
machines, cable fault detectors, point temperature probes, recording
amp meters, thermal image devices, infrared temperature devices and
recorders, pressure and flow measurement devices, signal analyzer
devices, ultrasonic thickness gauges, electronic component testers, and
electronic tachometers; low-voltage or battery powered equipment such
as electric and/or battery operated drills and grinders; and other
testing and diagnostic equipment if approved by the District Office.
The petitioner states that equipment used in or inby the last open
crosscut shall be examined by a qualified person on a weekly basis, and
new equipment would be examined prior to use. The petitioner has listed
in this petition specific procedures that would be followed when using
this
[[Page 54676]]
equipment. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method
would provide at least the same measure of protection as the existing
standard.
6. Border Mining, Inc.
[Docket No. M-2002-067-C]
Border Mining, Inc., 7617 Upper Johns Creek Road, Phelps, Kentucky
41553 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.503
(Permissible electric face equipment; maintenance) and 30 CFR 18.41(f)
(Plug and receptacle-type connectors) to its No. 2 Mine (I.D. No. 15-
17110) located in Knott County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to
use permanently installed, spring-loaded locking devices to prevent
battery plugs from unintentionally loosening from battery receptacles
to eliminate the hazards associated with difficult removal of padlocks
during emergency situations. The petitioner asserts that application of
the existing standard would result in a diminution of safety to the
miners, and that the proposed alternative method would provide at least
the same measure of protection as the existing standard.
7. R & T Coal Company, Inc.
[Docket No. M-2002-068-C]
R & T Coal Company, Inc., 405 KY HWY 1092, Sitka, Kentucky 41255
has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.800 (High-
voltage circuits; circuits breakers) to its Mine No. 1 (I.D. No. 15-
18523) located in Morgan County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to
use a Jennings RP-170-2300 high-voltage contactor in lieu of circuit
breakers in its substation. The petitioner states that the Jennings RP-
170-2300 is equivalent electrically and mechanically to high-voltage
circuit breakers; that the substation has 12470 volts feed with 30 amp
high-voltage fuses on the pole limiting the 4160 side to no more than
90 amps; that available vault current from Licking Valley Rural
Electric is 924 amps line to ground and 1200 amps phase to phase; and
that the Jennings contactor is more than capable of carrying the load.
The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method would
provide at least the same measure of protection as the existing
standard.
8. Oxbow Mining, LLC
[Docket No. M-2002-069-C]
Oxbow Mining, LLC, PO Box 535, 3737 Highway 133, Somerset, Colorado
81434 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.350
(Air course and belt haulage entries) to its Elk Creek Mine (I.D. No.
05-04674) located in Gunnison County, Colorado. The petitioner requests
a modification of the existing safety standard to permit air coursed
through the conveyor belt haulage entries to be used to ventilate
working places. The petitioner proposes to install a carbon monoxide
monitoring system as an early warning fire detection system in all belt
entries used to course intake air to a working place. The petitioner
asserts that the proposed alternative method would provide at least the
same measure of protection as the existing standard.
9. Energy West Mining Company
[Docket No. M-2002-070-C]
Energy West Mining Company, PO Box 310, Huntington, Utah 84528 has
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1002-1(a)
(Location of other electric equipment; requirements for permissibility)
to its Deer Creek Mine (I.D. No. 42-00121) located in Emery County,
Utah. The petitioner requests a modification of the existing standard
to permit the following non-permissible equipment to be used within 150
feet from pillar workings (longwall gob): lap top computers,
oscilloscopes, vibration analysis machines, cable fault detectors,
point temperature probes, recording amp meters, thermal image devices,
infrared temperature devices and recorders, pressure and flow
measurement devices, signal analyzer devices, ultrasonic thickness
gauges, electronic component testers, and electronic tachometers, low-
voltage or battery powered equipment such as electric and/or battery
operated drills and grinders, and may use other testing and diagnostic
equipment if approved by the District Office. The petitioner states
that equipment used in or inby the last open crosscut shall be examined
by a qualified person on a weekly basis, and that new equipment would
be examined prior to use. The petitioner has listed in this petition
for modification specific procedures that would be followed when using
this equipment. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative
method would provide at least the same measure of protection as the
existing standard.
Request for Comments
Persons interested in these petitions are encouraged to submit
comments via e-mail to ``[email protected],'' or on a computer disk
along with an original hard copy to the Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances, Mine Safety and Health Administration, 1100
Wilson Boulevard, Room 2352, Arlington, Virginia 22209. All comments
must be postmarked or received in that office on or before September
23, 2002. Copies of these petitions are available for inspection at
that address.
Dated at Arlington, Virginia this 19th day of August 2002.
Marvin W. Nichols, Jr.,
Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances.
[FR Doc. 02-21566 Filed 8-22-02; 8:45 am]
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