[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 192 (Friday, October 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51908-51910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26214]


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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 mandatory safety standards under section 101(c) of the 
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.

1. McElroy Coal Company

[Docket No. M-97-101-C]

    McElroy Coal Company, Consol Plaza, 1800 Washington Road, 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15241-1421 has filed a petition to modify the 
application of 30 CFR 75.312(c) to its McElroy Mine (I.D. No. 46-01437) 
located in Marshall County, West Virginia. The petitioner requests a 
modification of the mandatory safety standard to permit the testing of 
the automatic fan signal device without stopping the fan. The 
petitioner proposes to test the automatic fan signal device at least 
every 31 days by manually operating a valve near the fan pressure 
recording chart reducing the pressure on the water gauge to cause the 
activation of the fan signal. The petitioner asserts that the proposed 
alternative method would provide at least the same measure of 
protection as would the mandatory standard.

2. Mark P. Shingara Coal

[Docket No. M-97-102-C]

    Mark P. Shingara Coal, R.D. #3, Box 79E, Sunbury, Pennsylvania 
17801 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.335 
(construction of seals) to its No. 4 Vein Slope (I.D. No. 36-08527) 
located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner requests 
a modification of the standard to permit alternative methods of seal 
construction using wooden materials of moderate size and weight due to 
the difficulty in accessing previously driven headings and breasts 
containing inaccessible abandoned workings; to accept a design criteria 
in the 10 psi range; and to permit the water trap to be installed in 
the gangway seal and sampling tube in the monkey seal for seals 
installed in pairs. The petitioner asserts that the proposed 
alternative method would provide at least the same measure of 
protection as would the mandatory standard.

3. Mark P. Shingara Coal

[Docket No. M-97-103-C]

    Mark P. Shingara Coal, R.D. #3, Box 79E, Sunbury, Pennsylvania 
17801 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.360 
(preshift examination) to its No. 4 Vein Slope (I.D. No. 36-08527) 
located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner proposes 
to visually examine each seal for physical damage from the slope 
gunboat during the preshift examination after an air quality reading is 
taken inby the intake portal and to test for the quantity and quality 
of air at the intake air split locations off the slope in the gangway 
portion of the working section. The petitioner

[[Page 51909]]

proposes to physically examine the entire length of the slope once a 
month. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method 
would provide at least the same measure of protection as would the 
mandatory standard.

4. Mark P. Shingara Coal

[Docket No. M-97-104-C]

    Mark P. Shingara Coal, R.D. #3, Box 79E, Sunbury, Pennsylvania 
17801 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 
75.364(b)(1), (4), and (5) (weekly examination) to its No. 4 Vein Slope 
(I.D. No. 36-08527) located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Due 
to hazardous conditions and roof falls, certain areas of the intake 
haulage slope and primary escapeway cannot be traveled safely. The 
petitioner proposes to examine these areas from the gunboat/slope car 
with an alternative air quality evaluation at the section's intake 
level, and travel and thoroughly examine these areas for hazardous 
conditions once a month. The petitioner asserts that the proposed 
alternative method would provide at least the same measure of 
protection as would the mandatory standard.

5. Mark P. Shingara Coal

[Docket No. M-97-105-C]

    Mark P. Shingara Coal, R.D. #3, Box 79E, Sunbury, Pennsylvania 
17801 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1100 
(quantity and location of firefighting equipment) to its No. 4 Vein 
Slope (I.D. No. 36-08527) located in Northumberland County, 
Pennsylvania. The petitioner proposes to use only portable fire 
extinguishers to replace existing requirements where rock dust, water 
cars, and other water storage are not practical. The petitioner asserts 
that the proposed alternative method would provide at least the same 
measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.

6. Mark P. Shingara Coal

[Docket No. M-97-106-C]

    Mark P. Shingara Coal, R.D. #3, Box 79E, Sunbury, Pennsylvania 
17801 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1200 
(d) & (i) (mine map) to its No. 4 Vein Slope (I.D. No. 36-08527) 
located in Northumberland 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 veins being mined except when veins are 
interconnected to other veins beyond the 100-foot limit through rock 
tunnel. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method 
would provide at least the same measure of protection as would the 
mandatory standard.

7. Mark P. Shingara Coal

[Docket No. M-97-107-C]

    Mark P. Shingara Coal, R.D. #3, Box 79E, Sunbury, Pennsylvania 
17801 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1202-
1(a) (temporary notations, revisions, and supplements) to its No. 4 
Vein Slope (I.D. No. 36-08527) located in Northumberland 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 asserts that the proposed 
alternative method would provide at least the same measure of 
protection as would the mandatory standard.

8. Mark P. Shingara Coal

[Docket No. M-97-108-C]

    Mark P. Shingara Coal, R.D. #3, Box 79E, Sunbury, Pennsylvania 
17801 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1400 
(hoisting equipment; general) to its No. 4 Vein Slope (I.D. No. 36-
08527) located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner 
proposes to use a slope conveyance (gunboat) in transporting persons 
without installing safety catches or other no less effective devices 
but instead use increased rope strength/safety factor and secondary 
safety rope connection in place of such devices. The petitioner asserts 
that the proposed alternative method would provide at least the same 
measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.

9. Oxbow Carbon & Minerals, Inc.

[Docket No. M-97-109-C]

    Oxbow Carbon Minerals, Inc., P.O. Box 535, Somerset, Colorado 81434 
has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.804(a) to 
its Sanborn Creek Mine (I.D. No. 05-04452) located in Gunnison County, 
Colorado. The petitioner requests a modification of the standard to 
allow the use of Anaconda Type SHD+GC, Pirelli Type SHD-Center-GC, 
Tiger Brand Type SHD-CGC, and other brands of identical construction 
flame-resistant cables on the high-voltage longwall system(s). The 
petitioner states that these cables would utilize a flexible No. 16 
A.W.G. ground check conductor for the ground continuity check circuit. 
The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method would 
provide at least the same measure of protection as would the mandatory 
standard.

10. Oxbow Carbon & Minerals, Inc.

[Docket No. M-97-110-C]

    Oxbow Carbon & Minerals, Inc., P.O. Box 535, Somerset, Colorado 
81434 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1002 
(location of trolley wires, trolley feeder wires, high-voltage cables 
and transformers) to its Sanborn Creek Mine (I.D. No. 05-04452) located 
in Gunnison County, Colorado. The petitioner proposes to use 2,400 volt 
cables to power longwall equipment. The petitioner asserts that the 
proposed alternative method would provide at least the same measure of 
protection as would the mandatory standard.

11. Freeman United Coal Mining Company

[Docket No. M-97-111-C]

    Freeman United Coal Mining Company, 1999 Wabash Avenue, Suite 200B, 
Springfield, Illinois 62704-5364 has filed a petition to modify the 
application of 30 CFR 75.332(a) to its Crown III Mine (I.D. No. 11-
02632) located in Montgomery County, Illinois. The petitioner requests 
a modification of the standard to allow one continuous miner on a super 
section to cleanup while the other continuous miner is loading coal. 
The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method would 
provide at least the same measure of protection as would the mandatory 
standard.

12. USMX of Alaska

[Docket No. M-97-05-M]

    USMX of Alaska, 200 Center Court, Anchorage, Alaska 99518 has filed 
a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 56.9300(a) (berms or 
guardrails) to its Illinois Creek Mine (I.D. No. 50-01637) located in 
Yukon-Koyukuk County, Alaska. The petitioner requests a modification of 
the standard to eliminate the use of berms along the drop-off side of 
the road. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method 
would provide at least the same measure of protection as would the 
mandatory standard by allowing expeditious and effective snow removal 
from the road in conjunction with a low 25 mile per hour speed limit.

Request for Comments

    Persons interested in these petitions may furnish written comments. 
These

[[Page 51910]]

comments must be filed with the Office of Standards, Regulations, and 
Variances, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Room 627, 4015 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22203. All comments must be postmarked 
or received in that office on or before November 3, 1997. Copies of 
these petitions are available for inspection at that address.

    Dated: September 25, 1997.
Patricia W. Silvey,
Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances.
[FR Doc. 97-26214 Filed 10-2-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-U