Petitions for Modification

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. Pittsburg and Midway Coal Mining Company

[Docket No. M-94-06-C]

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

Colorado 80155 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR

77.1304 (blasting agents; special provisions) to its McKinley Mine

(I.D. No. 29-00096) located in McKinley County, New Mexico. The

petitioner requests a modification of the standard to permit the use of

fuel oil, blended with recycled oil as a blasting agent. The petitioner

proposes to blend recycled oil with No. 2 fuel oil to use in the ANFO

blasting media; to use a 10,000 gallon recycled oil/diesel fuel blend

tank, transfer pump, valves, flow meter, filter housing, and necessary

piping; to isolate the 10,000 gallon tank from the 250,000 gallon tank

to eliminate the possibility of fuel contamination; and to visually

inspect the filter element bypass each time the system is used. The

petitioner asserts that the proposed alternate method would provide at

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

2. Interstate Thermal Energy Conversion Corporation (ITEC)

[Docket No. M-94-07-C]

Interstate Thermal Energy Conversion Corporation, 50 West Main

Street, P.O. Drawer 1187, Uniontown, Pennsylvania 15401 has filed a

petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.364(b)(2) (weekly

examination) to its Clyde Mine (I.D. No. 36-00967) located in

Washington County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner proposes to maintain

proper ventilation in the return air course by traveling the right 1

West Main return airway to the piping overcast in order to view

through, then enter the adjacent entry by a man door in the stopping

wall to examine the entry the piping goes through, and exit the entry

by a man door into the next adjacent entry and look back through the

piping for that examination with the other return pipe overcasts. The

petitioner asserts that the proposed alternate method would provide at

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

3. SBM Coal Company

[Docket No. M-94-08-C]

SBM Coal Company, R.D. #2, Box 97A, Hegins, Pennsylvania 17938 has

filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.335

(construction of seals) to its M&R Slope (I.D. No. 36-05495) located in

Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner requests a

modification of the standard to permit alternative methods of

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.

4. SBM Coal Company

[Docket No. M-94-09-C]

SBM Coal Company, R.D. #2, Box 97A, Hegins, Pennsylvania 17938 has

filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1100-2(a)(2)

(quantity and location of firefighting equipment) to its M&R Slope

(I.D. No. 36-05495) located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. The

petitioner proposes to use only portable fire extinguishers to replace

existing requirements where rock dust, water cars, and other water

storage are not practical. The petitioner asserts that the proposed

alternate method would provide at least the same measure of protection

as would the mandatory standard.

5. SBM Coal Company

[Docket No. M-94-10-C]

SBM Coal Company, R.D. #2, Box 97A, Hegins, Pennsylvania 17938 has

filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.360 (preshift

examination) to its M&R Slope (I.D. No. 36-05495) located in

Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner proposes to examine

each seal for physical damage from the slope gunboat during the

preshift examination after an air quantity reading is taken in by the

portal and to test for the quantity and quality of air at the intake

air split locations off the slope in the gangway portion of the working

section. The petitioner proposes to physically examine the entire

length of the slope once a month. The petitioner asserts that the

proposed alternative method would provide at least the same measure of

protection as would the mandatory standard.

6. SBM Coal Company

[Docket No. M-94-11-C]

SBM Coal Company, R.D. #2, Box 97A, Hegins, Pennsylvania 17938 has

filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1202-1(a)

(temporary notations, revisions, and supplements) to its M&R Slope

(I.D. No. 36-05495) located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. The

petitioner proposes to revise and supplement mine maps on an annual

basis instead of the required 6 month interval and to update maps daily

by hand notations. The petitioner asserts that the proposed alternate

method would provide at least the same measure of protection as would

the mandatory standard.

7. SBM Coal Company

[Docket No. M-94-12-C]

SBM Coal Company, R.D. #2, Box 97A, Hegins, Pennsylvania 17938 has

filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.1200(i) (mine

map) to its M & R Slope (I.D. No. 36-05495) located in Northumberland

County, Pennsylvania. The petitioner proposes to limit the mapping of

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 feet limit through rock tunnels. The petitioner asserts

that the proposed alternate method would provide at least the same

measure of protection as would the mandatory standard.

8. Gatliff Coal Company

[Docket No. M-94-13-C]

Gatliff Coal Company, P.O. Box 39, Nevisdale, Kentucky 40754 has

filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 75.360(b)(6)

(preshift examination) to its Blue Gem #6 Deep Mine (I.D. No. 15-12475)

located in Whitley County, Kentucky. Due to adverse roof conditions in

the parallel intake air course, the area cannot be traveled safely. The

petitioner states that the area involved was driven off a parallel pure

intake air course prior to the new ventilation regulation of November

1992, that even with extensive cribbing the intake area has developed

adverse roof conditions, and that to perform preshift examinations of

the room necks would be unsafe. The petitioner proposes to install

methane detecting sensors at the areas of approach in the parallel

intakes and an additional methane detecting sensor where the air which

has coursed by these room necks, driven in excess of 20 feet deep,

joins with the main mine intake. The petitioner asserts that the

proposed alternate method would provide at least the same measure of

protection as would the mandatory standard.

9. Arclar Company

[Docket No. M-94-14-C]

Arclar Company, 29 West Raymond, P.O. Box 444, Harrisburg, Illinois

62946 has filed a petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 18.41 to

its Big Ridge Mine (I.D. No. 11-02879) located in Saline County,

Illinois. The petitioner proposes to use fabricated metal locking

devices with a locking screw threaded through a steel bracket to lock

battery plugs to machine-mounted battery receptacles on permissible,

mobile, battery-powered machines instead of using padlocks; and to

submit a training plan for all operators of this equipment concerning

this proposed alternate method to the Agency and District Manager.

10. AKZO Salt, Inc.

[Docket No. M-94-05-M]

AKZO Salt, Inc., P.O. Box 6920, Cleveland, Ohio 44101 has filed a

petition to modify the application of 30 CFR 57.19109 to its Cleveland

Mine (I.D. No. 33-01994) located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The

petitioner proposes to install pairs of cables approximately 4 feet

above and parallel to the divider timbers to enhance the function of

the timbers; to cover the sides of each divider timber with ultra-high

molecular weight polyethylene material to reduce abrasion to the

timbers; in addition to water slicing, to inspect the shaft prior to

conducting any work on the platform to ensure that there are no loose

material on the sides of the shaft; to place barricades around the

shaft at both the collar and mine level prior to doing work on the

platform; and to provide training to all personnel working on the

platform. The petitioner states that to place boards across the shaft

at the mine level when personnel are required to work on the dividers

would result in a diminution of safety and would expose miners to

hazardous conditions. In addition, 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 March 16, 1994.

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

Dated: February 8, 1994

Patricia W. Silvey,

Director, Office of Standards, Regulations and Variances.

[FR Doc. 94-3389 Filed 2-11-94; 8:45 am]

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