[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25517-25519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12028]
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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. Island Creek Coal Company
[Docket No. M-1999-022-C]
Island Creek Coal Company, Consol Plaza, 1800 Washington Road,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15241-1421 has filed a petition to modify the
application of 30 CFR 75.364(b)(2) (weekly examination) to its Ohio No.
11 Mine (I.D. No.15-03178) located in Union County, Kentucky. The
petitioner states that due to a massive roof fall along the 2nd South
Panel return in the #5 entry, including but limited to crosscut 15, the
affected area cannot be traveled safely in its entirety to conduct
weekly examinations. The petitioner proposes to: (i) Establish
evaluation points on the side of the roof fall at crosscut 15; (ii)
have a qualified person test for methane and the quantity of air at
each evaluation point on a weekly basis; and (iii) have the person
conducting the test record the results, date, time, and his/her
initials in a record book kept on the surface and made available for
inspection by interested persons. The petitioner asserts that the
proposed alternative method would provide at least the same measure of
protection as would the mandatory standard.
2. Consolidation Coal Company
[Docket No. M-1999-023-C]
Consolidation Coal Company, Consol Plaza, 1800 Washington Road,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15241-1421 has filed a petition to modify the
application of 30 CFR 75.364(b)(2) (weekly examination) to its Rend
Lake Mine (I.D. No. 11-00601) located in Jefferson County, Illinois.
The petitioner states that due to a massive roof fall in the West side
return from the B shaft to the Second Main West return air course, the
area cannot be traveled safely in its entirety to conduct weekly
examinations. The petitioner proposes to: (i) Establish evaluation
points A and B to take air and gas measurements; (ii) to maintain the
evaluation points and all approaches to the evaluation points in good
condition at all times; (iii) have a certified person test for methane
and the quantity of air on a weekly basis and record the results, date,
time, and his/her initials in a book kept on the surface and made
available for inspection by interested persons. The petitioner asserts
that the proposed alternative method would provide at least the same
measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.
3. Goodin Creek Contracting, Inc.
[Docket No. M-1999-024-C]
Goodin Creek Contracting, Inc., Rt 1 Box 419-A1, Gray, Kentucky
40734 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR
75.364(b)(2) (weekly examination) to its Goodin Creek Mine (I.D. No.
15-17980) located in Knox County, Kentucky. The petitioner states that
due to unsafe roof conditions in certain areas of the return air
course, traveling the area to conduct examinations would be unsafe. The
petitioner proposes to establish monitoring locations in each entry at
crosscut 2 in the return to monitor air leaving the affected area of
the air course and in each entry at crosscut 16 in the return to
monitor air entering the affected area of the air course. The
petitioner also proposes to: (i) Have a certified person conduct weekly
evaluations at each of the monitoring locations to measure the quality
and quantity of air entering and leaving the locations to determine
methane and oxygen concentrations; (ii) have the examiner record the
results of the examinations in a book kept on the surface with the
date, time, and his/her initials and made available to all interested
parties; (iii) maintain all monitoring locations and approaches to the
monitoring locations in a safe condition at all times; (iv) post a sign
in the main travelway showing the safe travel route to each monitoring
location; (v) maintain methane gas or other harmful, noxious, or
poisonous gases at legal limits for return air; (vi) instruct all
personnel not to travel in the affected area prior to implementing the
proposed alternate method; and (vii) only permit entry to the affected
area for investigating significant problems with the air flow being
detected through the monitoring process. The petitioner asserts that
the proposed alternative method would provide at least the same measure
of protection as would the mandatory standard.
[[Page 25518]]
4. Eighty-Four Mining Company
[Docket No. M-1999-025-C]
Eighty-Four Mining Company, Consol Plaza, 1800 Washington Road,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15241 has filed a petition to modify the
application of 30 CFR 75.503 (permissible electric face equipment;
maintenance) to its Mine 84 (I.D. No. 36-00958) located in Washington
County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner proposes to increase the maximum
lengths of the trailing cables to 900 feet for the mining machine,
loading machine, shuttle car, roof bolter, and section ventilation fan.
The petitioner has listed specific terms and conditions in this
petition for use and maintenance of these trailing cables. The
petitioner states that the trailing cables would not be smaller than #4
A.W.G. for the section ventilation fan, roof bolting machine, and
shuttle cars, smaller than #2 A.W.G for the loading machine, or smaller
than #2/0 A.W.G for the continuous mining machine. The petitioner
asserts that the proposed alternative method would provide at least the
same measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.
5. West Ridge Resources, Inc.
[Docket No. M-1999-026-C]
West Ridge Resources, Inc., P.O. Box 902, Price, Utah 84501 has
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.350 (air
courses and belt haulage entries) to its West Ridge Mine (I.D. No. 42-
02233) located in Carbon County, Utah. The petitioner requests a
modification of the mandatory standard to allow the use of two-entry
longwall development and to use the belt entry as a return air course
during longwall development, and as an intake during longwall
extraction to ensure an adequate quantity of ventilation to dilute and
render harmless methane or other noxious gases that may accumulate. The
petitioner asserts that application of the standard would result in a
diminution of safety to the miners. In addition, the petitioner asserts
that the proposed alternative method would provide at least the same
measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.
6. Eastern Associated Coal Corporation
[Docket No. M-1999-027-C]
Eastern Associated Coal Corporation, P.O. Box 1990, Henderson,
Kentucky 42420 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR
75.360(a)(1) (preshift examination) to its Matewan Tunnel (I.D. No. 46-
08610) located in Boone County, West Virginia. The petitioner proposes
to use an alternative method for preshift examinations. The petitioner
proposes to: (i) have a certified person examine the tunnel three hours
prior to the beginning of the work week (Sunday night) and on an eight-
hour interval during the work week at 8:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., and 12:00
a.m.; (ii) have a three-man crew leave and enter the tunnel after the
initial examination each week, as needed, on their shift which is 12:00
a.m., 8:00 a.m., and 4:00 p.m.; (iii) have the supervisor conduct an
on-shift examination in the tunnel during his/her travels and note any
problems for prompt correction; and (iv) withdraw the three-man crew
from the tunnel and fireboss the tunnel in its entirety before power is
restored underground prior to the crew returning underground if the
fire bossing schedule is interrupted. The petitioner asserts that the
proposed alternative method would provide at least the same measure of
protection as would the mandatory standard.
7. Peabody Coal Company
[Docket No. M-1999-028-C]
Peabody Coal Company, P.O. Box 1990, Henderson, Kentucky 42419 has
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.364(b)(4)
(weekly examination) to its Camp No. 11 Mine (I.D. No. 15-08357)
located in Union County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to establish
evaluation points to monitor its bleeder system due to hazardous
conditions that hinder continued travel to conduct examinations. The
petitioner proposes to (i) conduct daily examinations at various
evaluation points; (ii) have a certified person check for methane and
oxygen concentrations and the volume of air and record the results in a
book maintained on the surface of the mine; and (iii) continuously
monitor methane concentrations at Bleeder Fan #2, and Bleeder Fan #3
using a Conspec Mine Monitoring System that would be manned around the
clock and set to activate an alarm if methane levels are greater than
2.0 percent. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative
method would provide at least the same measure of protection as would
the mandatory standard.
8. Eastern Associated Coal Corporation
[Docket No. M-1999-029-C]
Eastern Associated Coal Corporation, P.O. Box 1990, Henderson,
Kentucky 42420 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR
75.1106-2(c) (transportation of liquefied and nonliquefied compressed
gas cylinders; requirements) to its Harris No. 1 Mine (I.D. No. 46-
01271) located in Boone County, West Virginia. The petitioner proposes
an alternative method for storage and transportation of compressed gas
cylinders. The petitioner proposes to: (i) House the compressed
cylinders in a specially designed compartment that is part of a
specialized tool car used by the track crew; (ii) have each cylinder
encased in a metal housing lined with insulating material equivalent to
a Schedule 80 pipe and encapsulated within a metal box made of \1/4\-
inch metal; (iii) design storage bays to lay 15 degrees downward from
the opening to prevent the cylinders from falling out of the bays and
install a strap across the openings to prevent the cylinders from being
dislodged; and (iv) install fire extinguishers in the tool car. The
petitioner states that the cylinder bay would be isolated from the man
compartment by the material storage compartment and tool box for the
outby end, and workers would be provided with necessary tools,
supplies, and a vehicle readily at the worksite for transporting
injured miners. The petitioner asserts that application of the existing
standard would result in a diminution of safety to the miners. The
petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method would provide
at least the same measure of protection as would the mandatory
standard.
9. Ziegler Chemical and Mineral Corporation
[Docket No. M-1999-003-M]
Ziegler Chemical and Mineral Corporation, 121 West Main Street,
Vernal, Utah 84078 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30
CFR 57.19003 (driving mechanism connections) to its Bonanza Mines #3,
#8, #11, and #12; Cowboy Mines #1, and #2 ; Independent Mines #3, #5,
#6, and #7; Neal Mine #1; and Tom Taylor Mine #3 (I.D. No. 42-00876)
all located in Uintah County, Utah. The petitioner requests that
condition 7 of its previously granted petition, docket number M-81-72-
M, be amended to allow a 75 horsepower electric motor with a speed of
885 RPM on the hoist instead of 50 horsepower and a motor speed of 1130
RPM. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method would
provide at least the same measure of protection as would the mandatory
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
[[Page 25519]]
and Health Administration, 4015 Wilson Boulevard, Room 627, Arlington,
Virginia 22203. All comments must be postmarked or received in that
office on or before June 11, 1999. Copies of these petitions are
available for inspection at that address.
Dated: May 4, 1999
Carol J. Jones,
Acting Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances.
[FR Doc. 99-12028 Filed 5-11-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P