Notice2022-10114
Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 11, 2022
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentMine Safety and Health Administration
Abstract
This notice is a summary of a petition for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the party listed below.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 91 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28844-28845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-10114]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory
Safety Standards
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice is a summary of a petition for modification
submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the
party listed below.
DATES: All comments on the petition must be received by MSHA's Office
of Standards, Regulations, and Variances on or before June 10, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket No. MSHA-2022-
0022 by any of the following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments for MSHA-2022-0022.
2. Fax: 202-693-9441.
3. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7d0d180914091412131e1210101813090e3d191211531a120b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f48491809d809d9b9a979b9999919a8087b4909b98da939b82">[email protected]</span></a>.
4. Regular Mail or Hand Delivery: MSHA, Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite 4E401,
Arlington, Virginia 22202-5452,
Attention: S. Aromie Noe, Director, Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances. Persons delivering documents are required
to check in at the receptionist's desk in Suite 4E401. Individuals may
inspect copies of the petition and comments during normal business
hours at the address listed above. Before visiting MSHA in person, call
202-693-9455 to make an appointment, in keeping with the Department of
Labor's COVID-19 policy. Special health precautions may be required.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. Aromie Noe, Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances at 202-693-9440 (voice),
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ddde8f9e4f9e4e2e3feebe2ffe0e2e9e4ebe4eeecf9e4e2e3cde9e2e1a3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="174772637e637e7879647178657a78737e717e7476637e78795773787b39707861">[email protected]</span></a> (email), or 202-693-9441 (fax). [These
are not toll-free numbers.]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety
and Health Act of 1977 and Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of
petitions for modification.
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 of Labor 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. The application of such standard to such mine will result in a
diminution of safety to the miners in such mine.
In addition, sections 44.10 and 44.11 of 30 CFR establish the
requirements for filing petitions for modification.
II. Petition for Modification
Docket Number: M-2022-007-C.
Petitioner: Century Mining, LLC, 200 Chapel Brook Drive,
Bridgeport, West Virginia, 26330.
Mine: Longview Mine, MSHA ID No. 46-09447 located in Barbour
County, West Virginia.
Regulation Affected: 30 CFR 75.802(c), Protection of high-voltage
circuits extending underground.
Modification Request: The petitioner requests a modification of 30
CFR 75.802(c) to permit the use of visible disconnect switches in the
resistance-grounded substation at the surface area of the underground
mine, approximately 1,100 feet from a vertical bore hole.
The petitioner states that:
(a) The mine is currently under construction.
(b) The mine will utilize the room and pillar and longwall mining
methods to extract coal and will employ approximately 375 coal miners.
The petitioner proposes the following alternative method:
(a) Use the solid blade disconnect switches (hook switches) to
disconnect the high voltage circuits entering the underground mine. The
solid blade disconnect switches are located in the resistance-grounded
substation on the surface area of the underground mine--approximately
1,100 feet from the surface bore hole.
(b) Use a continuous, fully insulated, mine power feeder cable
extending from the resistance grounded substation, down the bore hole,
and into the underground mine workings. The mine power feeder cable is
hung on insulated hangers and supported on extra high strength
messenger cable on the surface between wooden power poles. The
continuous nature of this cable eliminates additional connections at
the surface bore hole where there will be increased risks of voltage
tracking, connection failures, and exposure to lightning.
(c) Leave the mine power feeder cable connected to lightning
arrestors in the resistance-grounded substation, even when the visible
disconnect switches (hook switches) in the station are open.
(d) Install an underground switch house in the mine, within 50 feet
of the underground bore hole where the mine power feeder enters the
mine. The switch house provides the mine personnel a load break vacuum
circuit breaker (VCB), visible disconnect, grounding switch, and lock
out station in-mine. This arrangement eliminates the need for a miner
to travel to the surface to remove power while doing in-mine power
work.
(e) The switch house has a high voltage VCB with an integral
visible disconnect and an output grounding switch. The visible
disconnect is interlocked with the VCB to ensure the VCB removes the
load before the visible disconnect is opened. A lockout means is
provided at the switch house for the
[[Page 28845]]
outgoing high voltage circuit. To complete work on the inby power
system, the switch house will be utilized to disconnect and ground the
inby circuits.
(f) The switch house has protective relaying for overcurrent, short
circuit, and grounded phase protection. A high voltage ground monitor
is provided in the switch house to monitor the inby high voltage
circuit. A test circuit for secondary current injection is provided so
mine personnel can complete required protective relay testing, helping
to ensure proper operation of the inby high voltage circuits.
(g) Within 60 days after the Proposed Decision and Order (PDO)
becomes final, the petitioner will submit proposed revisions for its
approved part 48 training plan to the District Manager. The proposed
revisions will include initial and refresher training regarding
compliance with the terms and conditions of the PDO.
The petitioner asserts that the alternative method proposed will at
all times guarantee no less than the same measure of protection
afforded the miners under the mandatory standard.
Song-ae Aromie Noe,
Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances.
[FR Doc. 2022-10114 Filed 5-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4520-43-P
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