[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 250 (Monday, December 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67550-67552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-32036]


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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. Elk Run Coal Company, Inc.

[Docket No. M-2001-109-C]

    Elk Run Coal Company, Inc., P.O. Box 497, Sylvester, West Virginia 
25193 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 
75.364(b)(2) (weekly examination) to its Black King I North Portal Mine 
(I.D. No. 46-08553) located in Boone County, West Virginia. The 
petitioner proposes to establish weekly evaluations at three monitoring 
stations using hand-held gas detection devices and anemometers. The 
petitioner states that these monitoring stations will be immediately 
outby survey station 2915 and designated S-1, at the punch-out 
designated as S-2, and at the punch-out designated S-3; that the 
evaluations points will be evaluated weekly by a certified person and 
the results of the examination will be recorded in the examination 
books. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method 
would provide at least the same measure of protection as the existing 
standard.

2. Apollo Coal Company

[Docket No. M-2001-110-C]

    Apollo Coal Company, P.O. Box 503, Staffordsville, Kentucky 41256 
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 Mine #3 (I.D. No. 15-
18075) located in Knott County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to 
use permanently installed, spring-

[[Page 67551]]

loaded locking device on mobile battery-powered machines instead of 
using padlocks to prevent unintentional loosening of battery plugs 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.

3. Straight Fork Mining, Inc.

[Docket No. M-2001-111-C]

    Straight Fork Mining, Inc., P.O. Box 249, Stanville, Kentucky 41659 
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. 3 Mine (I.D. No. 15-
18441) located in Knott County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to 
use permanently installed, spring-loaded locking device on mobile 
battery-powered machines instead of using padlocks to prevent 
unintentional loosening of battery plugs from battery receptacles to 
eliminate the hazards associated with difficult removal of padlocks 
during emergency situations. The petitioner asserts that the proposed 
alternative method would provide at least the same measure of 
protection as the existing standard.

4. Clas Coal Company, Inc.

[Docket No. M-2001-112-C]

    Clas Coal Company, Inc., P.O. Box 35, Deane, Kentucky 41812 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 E-3 Mine (I.D. No. 15-
18392) located in Knott County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to 
use permanently installed, spring-loaded locking device on mobile 
battery-powered machines instead of using padlocks to prevent 
unintentional loosening of battery plugs 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.

5. Centralia Mining

[Docket No. M-2001-113-C]

    Centralia Mining, RD #2 Box 665, Shamokin, Pennsylvania 17872 has 
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 49.2(b) (mine 
rescue teams) to its Skidmore Slope (I.D. No. 36-09001) located in 
Columbia County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner requests a modification 
of the standard to permit the reduction of two mine rescue teams with 
five members and one alternate each, to two mine rescue teams of three 
members with one alternate for either team. The petitioner asserts that 
the proposed alternative method would provide at least the same measure 
of protection as the existing standard.

6. Centralia Mining

[Docket No. M-2001-114-C]

    Centralia Mining, RD #2 Box 665, Shamokin, Pennsylvania 17872 has 
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1100-2(a) 
(quantity and location of firefighting equipment) to its Skidmore Slope 
(I.D. No. 36-09001) located in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. The 
petitioner requests a modification of the standard to permit use of 
portable fire extinguishers only to replace existing requirements where 
rock dust, water cars, and other water storage equipped with three, 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 mine. The petitioner asserts that the proposed 
alternative method would provide at least the same measure of 
protection as the existing standard.

7. Centralia Mining

[Docket No. M-2001-115-C]

    Centralia Mining, RD #2 Box 665, Shamokin, Pennsylvania 17872 has 
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1200(d) and (i) 
(mine maps) to its Skidmore Slope (I.D. No. 36-09001) located in 
Columbia 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.

8. Centralia Mining

[Docket No. M-2001-116-C]

    Centralia Mining, RD #2 Box 665, Shamokin, Pennsylvania 17872 has 
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 1202 and 30 CFR 
75.1202-1(a) (temporary notations, revisions, and supplements) to its 
Skidmore Slope (I.D. No. 36-09001) located in Columbia 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.

9. Centralia Mining

[Docket No. M-2001-117-C]

    Centralia Mining, RD #2 Box 665, Shamokin, Pennsylvania 17872 has 
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1400 (hoisting 
equipment; general) to its Skidmore Slope (I.D. No. 36-09001) located 
in Columbia 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 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 the 
existing standard.

10. Blue Diamond Coal Company

[Docket No. M-2001-118-C]

    Blue Diamond Coal Company, P.O. Box 47, Slemp, Kentucky 41763-0047 
has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.350 (air 
courses and belt haulage entries) to its Mine #77 (I.D. No. 15-09636) 
located in Perry County, Kentucky. The petitioner

[[Page 67552]]

proposes to use air coursed through conveyor belt entries to ventilate 
working places. The petitioner proposes to install and maintain 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.

11. BSE Mining, Inc.

[Docket No. M-2001-119-C]

    BSE Mining, Inc., P.O. Box 267, Hager Hill, Kentucky 41222 has 
filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.800 (high-
voltage circuits; circuit breakers) to its No. 1 Mine (I.D. No. 15-
18343) located in Morgan County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to 
use a contactor on high-voltage systems instead of using circuit 
breakers. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method 
would provide at least the same measure of protection as the existing 
standard.

12. White County Coal, LLC

[Docket No. M-2001-120-C]

    White County Coal, LLC, 1343 County Road 1450E, Carmi, Illinois 
62821 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.901 
(protection of low- and medium-voltage three-phase circuits used 
underground) to its Pattiki II Mine (I.D. No. 11-03058) located in 
White County, Illinois. The petitioner proposes to use a 200KW, 480-
volt, diesel powered generator set with an approved diesel drive engine 
to power electrical equipment that will only move equipment in, out, 
and around the mine and to perform work in areas outby section loading 
points where equipment is not required to be maintained as permissible. 
The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternative method would 
provide at least the same measure of protection as the existing 
standard.

13. New South Resources, d.b.a. Black Hawk Mining

[Docket No. M-2001-121-C]

    New South Resources, d.b.a. Black Hawk Mining, P.O. Box 2594, 
Beckley, West Virginia 25802-2594 has filed a petition to modify the 
application of 30 CFR 75.1102 (slippage and sequence switches) to its 
Mine No. 1 (I.D. No. 46-08809) located in Raleigh County, West 
Virginia. The petitioner proposes to install and maintain an electrical 
switch that stops the belt when the coal in the bin reaches a 
predetermined level near the top of the bin. The petitioner states that 
activation of the electrical switch by the rising coal level will 
prevent coal from overflowing the bins and spilling or being carried 
back on the conveyor belt; and that the No. 2 Belt will stop until the 
bin begins to empty and the coal level drops below the predetermined 
level previously mentioned and the feeders which feed coal from the 
bins onto the No. 1 Belt are sequenced so that the feeders are stopped 
automatically whenever the No. 1 Belt stops operating. 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, 4015 Wilson 
Boulevard, Room 627, Arlington, Virginia 22203. All comments must be 
postmarked or received in that office on or before January 30, 2002. 
Copies of these petitions are available for inspection at that address.

    Dated at Arlington, Virginia, this 21st day of December, 2001.
David L. Meyer,
Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances.
[FR Doc. 01-32036 Filed 12-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P