(a) Sections 817.61-817.68 apply to surface blasting activities incident to underground coal mining, including, but not limited to, initial rounds of slopes and shafts.

(b) Each operator shall comply with all applicable State and Federal laws and regulations in the use of explosives.

(c) Blasters.

(1) No later than 12 months after the blaster certification program for a State required by part 850 of this chapter has been approved under the procedures of subchapter C of this chapter, all surface blasting operations incident to underground mining in that State shall be conducted under the direction of a certified blaster. Before that time, all such blasting operations in that State shall be conducted by competent, experienced persons who understand the hazards involved.

(2) Certificates of blaster certification shall be carried by blasters or shall be on file at the permit area during blasting operations.

(3) A blaster and at least one other person shall be present at the firing of a blast.

(4) Any blaster who is responsible for conducting blasting operations at a blasting site shall:

(i) Be familiar with the site-specific performance standards; and

(ii) Give direction and on-the-job training to persons who are not certified and who are assigned to the blasting crew or assist in the use of explosives.

(d) Blast design.

(1) An anticipated blast design shall be submitted if blasting operations will be conducted within—

(i) 1,000 feet of any building used as a dwelling, public building, school, church or community or institutional building; or

(ii) 500 feet of active or abandoned underground mines.

(2) The blast design may be presented as part of a permit application or at a time, before the blast, approved by the regulatory authority.

(3) The blast design shall contain sketches of the drill patterns, delay periods, and decking and shall indicate the type and amount of explosives to be used, critical dimensions, and the location and general description of structures to be protected, as well as a discussion of design factors to be used, which protect the public and meet the applicable airblast, flyrock, and ground-vibration standards in §817.67.

(4) The blast design shall be prepared and signed by a certified blaster.

(5) The regulatory authority may require changes to the design submitted.

[48 FR 9492, Mar. 4, 1983, and 48 FR 9809, Mar. 8, 1983, as amended at 51 FR 19461, May 29, 1986; 81 FR 93418, Dec. 20, 2016; 82 FR 54999, Nov. 17, 2017]