[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