Petitions for Modification

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Petitions for Modification

This notice amends the document published in the Federal Register

on October 19, 1994 (59 FR 52839), to correct the standard section

number in the following petition.

The Pittsburg and Midway Coal Mining Company (Amendment)

[Docket No. M-94-145-C]

The Pittsburg and Midway Coal Mining Company, P.O. Box 6518,

Englewood, Colorado 80155-6518 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 North River

No. 1 Mine (I.D. No. 01-00759) located in Fayette County, Alabama. The

petitioner proposes to use high-voltage (2,400 volts) cable to power

longwall equipment in by the last open crosscut and at least 150 feet

from pillar workings. The petitioner states that all electrical

personnel required to perform maintenance on the longwall will receive

training in high-voltage safety and maintenance procedures before the

proposed alternate method is implemented.

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. OLAF Coal Company, Inc.

[Docket No. M-94-150-C]

OLAF Coal Company, Inc., 1475 Scott Street, Kulpmont, Pennsylvania

17834 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.335

(construction of seals) to its No. 1 Slope (I.D. No. 36-07469) 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.

2. Webster County Coal Corporation

[Docket No. M-94-151-C]

Webster County Coal Corporation, 1758 State Rt. 874, Clay, Kentucky

42404 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1700

(oil and gas wells) to its Dotiki Mine (I.D. No. 15-02132) located in

Webster County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to plug and mine

through oil and gas wells. The petitioner asserts that the proposed

alternate method would provide at least the same measure of protection

as would the mandatory standard.

3. Rosebud Mining Company

[Docket No. M-94-152-C]

Rosebud Mining Company, Box 324 B, R.D. 2, Parker, Pennsylvania

16049 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR

75.333(b)(2) (ventilation controls) to its Roaring Run Mine (I.D. No.

36-08329) located in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner

requests a modification of the mandatory safety standard to permit the

use of temporary ventilation controls in the room necking procedure for

rooms developed less than 600 feet. The petitioner asserts that the

proposed alternative method would provide at least the same measure of

protection as would the mandatory standard.

4. Clean Energy Mining Company

[Docket No. M-94-153-C]

Clean Energy Mining Company, 15400 Bent Mountain Road, P.O. Box

267, Sidney, Kentucky 41564 has filed a petition to modify the

application of 30 CFR 75.388(a)(3) (boreholes in advance of mining) to

its Mine No. 1 (I.D. No. 15-10753) located in Pike County, Kentucky.

The petitioners mining operation owned by Sidney Coal Company, is now

approaching some old mine workings of an adjacent mine which is

operated by Aero Energy Mining Company a contractor for Sidney Coal

Company. The petitioner proposes to mine within 100 feet of Aero mining

without drilling boreholes. The petitioner states that the use of

boreholes would result in a diminution of safety to the miners. The

petitioner asserts that the proposed alternate method would provide at

least the same measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.

5. Flat Broke Coal Company, Inc.

[Docket No. M-94-154-C]

Flat Broke Coal Company, Inc., HC81, Box 630, Barbourville,

Kentucky 40906 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR

75.342 (methane monitors) to its No. 1 Mine (I.D. No. 15-17300) located

in Knox County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to monitor

continuously with a hand-held methane and oxygen detector instead of

using a methane monitoring system on permissible three-wheel tractors

with drag bottom buckets. The petitioner asserts that the proposed

alternate method would provide at least the same measure of protection

as would the mandatory standard.

6. Whitaker Coal Corporation

[Docket No. M-94-155-C]

Whitaker Coal Corporation, P.O. Box 5001, Hazard, Kentucky 41701

has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.350 (air

courses and belt haulage entries) to its EAS Mine (I.D. No. 15-02085)

located in Perry County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to use belt

air to ventilate active working faces for better dust control and

dilution of methane gas. The petitioner asserts that the proposed

alternate method would provide at least the same measure of protection

as would the mandatory standard.

7. Whitaker Coal Corporation

[Docket No. M-94-156-C]

Whitaker Coal Corporation, P.O. Box 5001, Hazard, Kentucky 41701

has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1103

(automatic fire warning devices) to its EAS Mine (I.D. No. 15-02085)

located in Perry County, Kentucky. The petitioner proposes to install a

low-level carbon monoxide monitoring system as a early warning fire

detection system in all belt entries used as intake air courses. The

petitioner asserts that the proposed alternate method would provide at

least the same measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.

8. Arch of Illinois

[Docket No. M-94-157-C]

Arch of Illinois, P.O. Box 308, Percy, Illinois 62272-0308 has

filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.350 (air

courses and belt haulage entries) to its Conant Mine (I.D. No. 11-

02886) located in Perry County, Illinois. The petitioner proposes to

use belt air to ventilate active working faces to maintain and to

better control the air ventilating the belt entries and the mining

faces. The petitioner states that application of the mandatory standard

would result in a diminution of safety to the miners. In addition, the

petitioner asserts that the proposed alternate method would provide at

least the same measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.

9. Lafarge Corporation

[Docket No. M-94-41-M]

Lafarge Corporation, P.O. Box 160, Paulding, Ohio 45879 has filed a

petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 56.14130(e)(2) (roll-over

protective structures (ROPS) and seat belts) to its Cement Plant (I.D.

No. 33-00069) located in Paulding County, Ohio. Due to the 69 inch

clearance from the concrete to the shell; the 63 inch clearance from

the concrete floor to the rib on the mill; the 61 inch clearance to the

door; and given the weight of the steel balls and magnitude of the

task, the petitioner requests a modification of the mandatory safety

standard to allow the use of a 310 Bobcat that has been modified so

that the height of the machine is 66.5 inches that would perform the

necessary task of screening the mill safely and efficiently. The

petitioner asserts that the proposed alternate method would provide at

least the same measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.

10. Specialty Minerals, Inc.

[Docket No. M-94-42-M]

Specialty Minerals, Inc., P.O. Box 558, Lucerne Valley, California

92356 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 56.13020

(use of compressed air) to its Marble Canyon Mine (I.D. No. 04-00219)

located in San Bernardino County, California. The petitioner proposes

to establish blow-off stations at various locations in the plant where

employees can clean their clothes with forced or compressed air that

has an OSHA approved nozzle with pressure not greater than 2 to 6 psi

at normal average line pressure. The petitioner asserts that the

proposed alternate method would provide at least the same measure of

protection as would the mandatory standard.

Request for Comments

Persons interested in these petitions may furnish written comments.

These 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 December 5, 1994.

Copies of these petitions are available for inspection at that address.

Dated: October 24, 1994.

Patricia W. Silvey,

Director, Office of Standards, Regulations and Variances.

[FR Doc. 94-27324 Filed 11-3-94; 8:45 am]

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