Section 300.220 Monitoring

Section 300

Section 300.220  Monitoring

a)         Duties of the Operator

1)         When the scaled distance has a value less than 65 at the

closest protected structure, the operator shall make a seismographic recording

and airblast recording at or as near as possible to that structure.

2)         When any blast is within 500 feet of a landfill, the operator

shall make a seismograph recording at or near the closest part of the landfill

to the blast.  This requirement shall not apply if a protected structure is

located between the blast and the landfill or if an alternative compliance

method has been approved by the Department in accordance with Section

300.225(f).

3)         When the cubed root scaled distance to the nearest protected

structure has a value less than 350 and when the burden to hole depth ratio is

greater than 1.0, or the top stemming height is less than 70% of the burden

dimension, the airblast produced by the blast shall be measured at or as near as

possible to the closest protected structure.

4)         When field programmed times of electronic, or programmable

detonators are unable to be electronically documented or verified in subsection

(a)(5)(a)(xiv), the operator shall make a seismographic and airblast recording

for Department review, at or as near as possible to the closest protected

structure.

5)         The operator shall maintain blasting records as follows:

A)        A record of each blast shall be made, retained by the operator

for at least five years and made available for inspection by the Department.

Each blast record, as well as other documentation deemed relevant to that

record, shall not be falsified or misrepresented.  Units of measure shall be

included on each blast record.  The blast record should be based on the maximum

pounds in any given hole in the blast.  Records of blasts conducted since the

Department's last inspection, or copies of such blasting records, shall be made

available at the operation for inspection by the Department

med relevant to that

record, shall not be falsified or misrepresented.  Units of measure shall be

included on each blast record.  The blast record should be based on the maximum

pounds in any given hole in the blast.  Records of blasts conducted since the

Department's last inspection, or copies of such blasting records, shall be made

available at the operation for inspection by the Department. The record is to

be completed by the end of the work day following the day in which the blast

occurred, including the seismograph meter reading, if required, and shall

contain the following data:

i)          Name of the mine operator for whom the blast is being

conducted.

ii)         The location, using global positioning data points, date and

time of the blast.

iii)        Name, signature and licensure number of the licensed blaster

responsible for the blast.

iv)        Type of material blasted.

v)         Number of holes, burden and spacing.

vi)        Diameter and depth of holes.

vii)       Type and amount of each explosive used, including any

variation from the heaviest hole.

viii)      Total weight of explosives used in pounds.

ix)        Maximum weight, in pounds, of explosives used in any one hole.

x)         Maximum weight of explosives, in pounds, detonated within any

eight millisecond period.

xi)        Maximum number of holes or explosive decks detonated within

any eight millisecond period.

xii)       Initiation system, including number of circuits and the timer

interval, if a sequential timer is used.

xiii)      Type and length of stemming (deck and top).

xiv)      Type of detonator and delay periods used, in milliseconds.  When

electronic or programmable detonators are used, field programmed times shall be

documented utilizing a date stamp which is derived from the machine used to

detonate the blast.  This documentation should be representative of the firing

times at the instant of detonation

i)      Type and length of stemming (deck and top).

xiv)      Type of detonator and delay periods used, in milliseconds.  When

electronic or programmable detonators are used, field programmed times shall be

documented utilizing a date stamp which is derived from the machine used to

detonate the blast.  This documentation should be representative of the firing

times at the instant of detonation.  This documentation is not required when

detonators are pre-programmed by the manufacturing facility with labels

indicating, in milliseconds, the nominal firing time.

xv)       Sketch of delay pattern, including decking, which indicates all

hole to hole connections and the firing times of each hole as well as a

directional indicator.

xvi)      Distance and scaled distance to the closest protected

structure, using global positioning data points.

xvii)     Location, using global positioning data points, of the closest

protected structure.

xviii)    Distance and scaled distance to the closest part of any

landfill within 500 feet of the blast.

xix)      A hole

diagram indicating borehole depth, subdrill, borehole diameter, type and length

of stemming, primer location, location and size of inert decks, weight and type

of explosives used per explosive column.

xx)       List

of persons assisting with blast loading and initiation.

xxi)      Drill

log showing the physical characteristics of each hole.

xxii)     Seismograph

recordings of airblast and ground vibration, when required.

xxiii)    Seismograph

identification number.

xxiv)    The

type of seismograph, sensitivity, and certification date of annual calibration

which must be conducted within one year of the previous calibration date.

B)        Air blast and/or ground vibration recordings, or photographic

copies thereof, where required by the Department, shall be kept for a period of

five years following the date of the blast, and shall be available for

inspection by the Department

seismograph, sensitivity, and certification date of annual calibration

which must be conducted within one year of the previous calibration date.

B)        Air blast and/or ground vibration recordings, or photographic

copies thereof, where required by the Department, shall be kept for a period of

five years following the date of the blast, and shall be available for

inspection by the Department. Records of blasts conducted since the

Department's last inspection, or copies of such blasting records, shall be made

available at the operation for inspection by the Department. The recordings

shall include the following information:

i)          Maximum airblast and/or ground vibration levels recorded.

ii)         The specific location of the monitoring equipment, its

distance from the blast and the date and time of the recording.

iii)        Name of the person and/or firm making the recording.

iv)        Name of the person and/or firm analyzing the recordings.

v)         The type of seismograph, sensitivity and certification date of

annual calibration which must be conducted within one year of the previous

calibration date.

C)        As used herein, "seismographic recording", or

"record of airblast recording", or "record" shall mean a

visually inspectable cartesian representation of the time history of the

particle velocity levels and/or airblast levels versus time.  The particle

velocity is shown by three traces representing mutually perpendicular components

of motion. The components are oriented vertically, transversely and

longitudinally to the horizontal direction from the recording location to the

location of the blast. The airblast time history is represented by a single

trace. The record or recording includes either an analog representation, or a

written description, of the vertical scale for the particle velocity traces and

the airblast trace. The units for the particle velocity traces and scale are in

inches per second

to the horizontal direction from the recording location to the

location of the blast. The airblast time history is represented by a single

trace. The record or recording includes either an analog representation, or a

written description, of the vertical scale for the particle velocity traces and

the airblast trace. The units for the particle velocity traces and scale are in

inches per second. The units for the airblast trace and scale are millibars,

pounds per square inch, or decibels. The recording shall also include an analog

or descriptive time scale. The time units are in seconds.

b)         Duties of the Department

1)         The Department shall conduct seismographic monitoring at any

operation at such times and conditions as the Department deems appropriate.

2)         The Department shall conduct inspections of the operation as

follows:

A)        Randomly without notice twice per year.

B)        At such other times and conditions as the Department deems

appropriate.

C)        Less frequently than twice per year at operations where

blasting is not regularly conducted.

3)         All Department employees conducting official business shall

inform the operator or the operator's designated representative, if either is

present, upon arrival to and departure from the operation.