[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 203 (Thursday, October 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65034-65035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26483]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Petition for Modification of Existing Mandatory Safety Standard
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of
1977 and 30 CFR part 44 govern the application, processing, and
disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of
a petition for modification filed by the party listed below to modify
the application of an existing mandatory safety standard published in
Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
DATES: All comments on the petition must be received by the Office of
Standards, Regulations and Variances on or before November 22, 2010.
ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments, identified by ``docket
number'' on the subject line, by any of the following methods:
1. Electronic Mail: [email protected]. Include the docket
number of the petition in the subject line of the message.
2. Facsimile: 1-202-693-9441.
[[Page 65035]]
3. Regular Mail: MSHA, Office of Standards, Regulations and
Variances, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2350, Arlington, Virginia 22209-
3939, Attention: Patricia W. Silvey, Director, Office of Standards,
Regulations and Variances.
4. Hand-Delivery or Courier: MSHA, Office of Standards, Regulations
and Variances, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2350, Arlington, Virginia
22209-3939, Attention: Patricia W. Silvey, Director, Office of
Standards, Regulations and Variances.
MSHA will consider only comments postmarked by the U.S. Postal
Service or proof of delivery from another delivery service such as UPS
or Federal Express on or before the deadline for comments. Individuals
who submit comments by hand-delivery are required to check in at the
receptionist desk on the 21st floor.
Individuals may inspect a copy of the petition and comments during
normal business hours at the address listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Barron, Office of Standards,
Regulations and Variances at 202-693-9447 (Voice),
[email protected] (E-mail), or 202-693-9441 (Telefax). [These are
not toll-free numbers].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977
(Mine Act) allows the mine operator or representative of miners to file
a petition to modify the application of any mandatory safety standard
to a coal or other mine if the Secretary determines that: (1) An
alternative method of achieving the result of such standard exists
which will at all times guarantee no less than the same measure of
protection afforded the miners of such mine by such standard; or (2)
that the application of such standard to such mine will result in a
diminution of safety to the miners in such mine. In addition, the
regulations at 30 CFR 44.10 and 44.11 establish the requirements and
procedures for filing petitions for modification.
II. Petition for Modification
Docket Number: M-2010-003-M.
Petitioner: Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, Resolution Mine, MSHA
I.D. No. 02-00152 located in Pinal County, Arizona.
Regulation Affected: 30 CFR 57.19076 (Maximum speeds for hoisting
persons in buckets).
Modification Request: The petitioner requests a modification of the
existing standard to permit miners to be hoisted in open ended buckets
at a rate of 1200 feet per minute (FPM). The petitioner states that:
(1) Personnel would ride inside of a completely empty bucket in
accordance with 30 CFR 57.19071 (Riding in skips or buckets), while
standing on the bucket floor. The round open bucket is 8.5 feet high
and 6 feet in diameter. On average, while standing on the bucket floor,
the top of the miner's head would be 2.5 feet below the open bucket
rim; (2) the buckets are in compliance with 30 CFR 57.19050 (Bucket
requirements) as follows: (a) Buckets are securely attached to a
crosshead at all times while traveling in the shaft; (b) the bucket has
overhead protection by means of a canopy permanently installed on the
crosshead; (c) the buckets have sufficient depth to transport persons
safely in a standing position; and (d) the buckets are attached to the
crosshead by a ``Dolly Ball'' at the crosshead and do not have bails
attached to their lower half; (3) all buckets are equipped with
engineered anchor points inside the bucket located under the bucket
foot wells on the bucket walls. Personnel are required to be securely
anchored to these anchors with a full body harness and safety lanyard
at all times while traveling in the bucket; (4) the emergency braking
deceleration rate of the sinking hoist running at 1500 FPM is 11.4 feet
per second per second (11.4 ft/s\2\) when moving up, and 10.7 feet per
second per second (10.7 ft/s\2\) when moving down. This deceleration is
significantly lower than the maximum deceleration rate of 16 feet per
second per second (16 ft/s\2\) prescribed in 30 CFR 57.19062. At the
intended man hoisting speed of 1200 FPM the deceleration rates will be
much lower; (5) the sinking hoist is operated under computer
programmable logical controls (PLC). There are controls that verify the
crosshead is attached to the bucket all times while traveling in the
shaft; (6) there are 3 sets of safety doors in the shaft. The doors are
located at the shaft collar on the surface, the ventilation level is
100 feet below the surface, the bucket dump and the Never Sweat Level
is 1190 feet below the surface, and there is also safety backsplashes
located at the bucket dump which is 800 feet below the surface. Each of
these installations have proximity switches and electronic monitoring
verifying that the crosshead is attached to the bucket when they pass
through these safety systems; and (7) the hoist deceleration rates at
1200 FPM provide at least the same measure of protection as the
existing standard.
Dated: October 15, 2010.
Patricia W. Silvey,
Director, Office of Standards, Regulations and Variances.
[FR Doc. 2010-26483 Filed 10-20-10; 8:45 am]
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