71380 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 198 / Monday, October 16, 2023 / Notices 

Signed at Washington, DC, this 10th day of 

October 2023. 

Leslie Bennett, 

Chief, Division of Management Systems. 

[FR Doc. 2023–22760 Filed 10–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–24–P 

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. 

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 November 15, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by Docket No. MSHA–2023– 

0035 by any of the following methods: 

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments 

for MSHA–2023–0035. 

2. Fax: 202–693–9441. 

3. Email: petitioncomments@dol.gov. 

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), Petitionsformodification@

dol.gov (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–2023–012–C. 

Petitioner: Warrior Met Coal Mining, 

LLC, 16243 Highway 216, Brookwood, 

Alabama 35444. 

Mine: No. 4 Mine, MSHA ID No. 01– 

01247, located in Tuscaloosa County, 

Alabama. No. 7 Mine, MINE ID No. 01– 

01401, located in Jefferson County, 

Alabama. 

Regulation Affected: 30 CFR 75.900, 

Low- and medium-voltage circuits 

serving three-phase alternating current 

equipment; circuit breakers. 

Modification Request: The petitioner 

requests a modification of 30 CFR 

75.900 to permit use of a contactor or a 

Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) in 

series with the circuit breaker, in lieu of 

a circuit breaker alone. 

The petitioner states that: 

(a) The mine uses continuous mining 

machinery and longwall mining 

machinery, 

(b) Miners have been injured setting a 

circuit breaker which creates a phase-tophase fault resulting in an arc flash. 

(c) The alternative method places the 

contactor or VFD between the circuit 

breaker and load, minimizing the 

possibility of closing into a fault. The 

use of a vacuum contactor to clear a 

fault has no arc flash when the fault is 

cleared. 

(d) A VFD will control or limit the 

inrush current to the connected load as 

compared to starting across the line. 

This provides less stress on the 

electrical system and allows the 

operator to set the instantaneous trip on 

the circuit breaker at lower than the 

maximum allowed setting. 

(e) The petitioner currently uses a 

combination of a circuit breaker and a 

contactor on continuous mining 

machine sections to power up 

continuous mining machines, roof 

bolters, feeders, ventilation fans, and 

chargers. 

(f) The petitioner currently uses a 

circuit breaker and VFD combination 

out-by on conveyor belt systems. 

(g) The combination of circuit 

breakers with a contactor or VFD will 

provide short circuit, undervoltage, 

grounded phase, and overcurrent 

protection. 

The petitioner proposes the following 

alternative method: 

(a) The petitioner shall use a contactor 

in series with a circuit breaker instead 

of a circuit breaker alone. The contactor 

shall provide protection from 

undervoltage and grounded phase. The 

circuit breaker shall provide short 

circuit protection and overcurrent 

protection (when applicable). 

(1) Contactors shall be rated for the 

maximum voltage of the circuit being 

protected. 

(2) Contactors shall be rated for the 

continuous full load current of the 

equipment. 

(3) The nominal voltage of the power 

circuits(s) shall not exceed 995 volts. 

(4) The nominal voltage of the control 

circuit(s) shall not exceed 120 volts. 

(5) Contactors and associated 

protective relays shall provide 

undervoltage protection causing the 

contactor to open when an undervoltage 

exists. 

(6) Undervoltage protection shall be 

provided in two ways: 

(i) If the supply voltage to the ground 

monitor drops below 68 percent, the 

ground monitor will trip, dropping out 

the GMAUX relay and thereby removing 

power from the vacuum contactor coil, 

thus opening the contactor. The ground 

monitor trip will be a latching fault that 

requires a manual reset; and 

(ii) In the alternative, undervoltage 

protection will be provided by 

contactors that will drop out at 50 and 

60 percent of supply voltage. 

(7) Grounded phase protection shall 

be provided using a ground fault relay. 

When the relay trips on a ground fault 

condition, the contact tips shall open 

removing power to the vacuum 

contactor coil that shall open the 

contactor. The ground fault relay shall 

be a latching fault that will require a 

manual reset. 

(8) Contactors shall be located in the 

same main enclosure as the circuit 

breaker. 

(9) Each circuit breaker installed in 

series with a contactor shall be 

equipped with devices to provide shortcircuit protection for each piece of 

equipment. 

(10) Ground fault and ground monitor 

trips shall not automatically reset and 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 198 / Monday, October 16, 2023 / Notices 71381 

must require a manual reset before the 

contactor can be closed. 

(11) Fail-safe ground check circuits 

shall cause the contractor to open when 

either the ground or pilot wire is 

broken. 

(12) A monthly examination shall be 

conducted on each circuit to ensure 

proper operation of the contactor. 

(13) The monthly examination shall 

include activating undervoltage, ground 

fault, and ground monitor trip devices. 

The results of the contactor test shall be 

recorded with the required circuit 

breaker monthly tests. 

(b) The petitioner shall use a Variable 

Frequency Drive (VFD) in series with a 

circuit breaker instead of a circuit 

breaker alone. The circuit breaker shall 

provide short circuit protection. A 

ground fault relay will provide 

grounded phase protection which will 

cause the circuit breaker to open. The 

VFD shall provide protection from 

undervoltage and overcurrent. 

(1) The VFD shall be rated for the 

maximum voltage of the circuit being 

protected. 

(2) The VFD shall be rated for the 

continuous full load current of the 

utilization equipment. 

(3) The nominal voltage of the control 

circuit(s) shall not exceed 120 volts. 

(4) The VFD shall provide 

undervoltage protection. The VFD shall 

trip at 55 percent of the nominal voltage 

based on the parameter settings in the 

VFD that shall de-energize the output of 

the VFD. 

(5) The VFD shall provide overcurrent protection to the connected 

load. The VFD shall use an internal 

algorithm to protect the equipment 

based on a rated load. The VFD shall 

calculate the motor temperature based 

on current draw over time. If the motor 

temperature reaches the setpoint for the 

defined time, the VFD shall fault 

indicating a motor overload. This shall 

be a latching fault requires a manual 

reset. 

(6) A circuit breaker shall provide 

short circuit protection for systems 

using a VFD. A ground fault relay shall 

provide grounded phase protection by 

causing the breaker to open. 

(7) The VFD shall be located in the 

same main enclosure as the circuit 

breaker. 

(8) Each circuit breaker installed in 

series with a VFD shall be equipped 

with devices to provide short-circuit 

protection for each piece of equipment. 

(9) Ground fault and ground monitor 

trips shall not automatically reset and 

shall require a manual reset before the 

VFD would turn the output on. 

(10) Fail-safe ground check circuits 

shall cause the breaker to open when 

either the ground or pilot wire is 

broken. 

(11) A monthly examination shall be 

conducted on each circuit to ensure 

proper operation of the breaker and 

VFD. 

(c) Within 60 days after this proposed 

decision and order is granted, the 

petitioner shall submit proposed 

revisions to its part 48 training plant to 

the appropriate MSHA District 

Official(s), specifying task training for 

all miners who are assigned to work in 

any pertinent area. 

(d) The training shall include the 

purpose of the contractor systems and 

VFD systems, the potential hazards of 

working on or near belt conveyors and 

belt conveyor drives, and the 

requirements of 30 CFR 75.1725(c) and 

(d). 

(e) The requirements of 30 CFR 48.3 

for approval of proposed revisions to 

existing approved training plans shall 

apply. 

The petitioner provided 

documentation to include typical 

control schemes, contactor 

specifications, VFD specifications, 

breaker specifications, ground monitor 

specifications, ground fault relay 

specifications, and coupler 

specifications in support of their 

petition. 

The petitioner asserts that the 

alternate 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. 2023–22742 Filed 10–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4520–43–P 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Sunshine Act Meetings 

The National Science Board’s 

Committee on Oversight hereby gives 

notice of the scheduling of a 

teleconference for the transaction of 

National Science Board business 

pursuant to the NSF Act and the 

Government in the Sunshine Act. 

TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, October 18, 

2023, from 10:30–11:30 a.m. EDT. 

PLACE: This meeting will be via 

videoconference through the National 

Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower 

Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314. 

STATUS: Closed. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The agenda 

is: Committee Chair’s opening remarks 

regarding the agenda; Presentation and 

discussion of the Results of NSF Pilots 

to Improve Reviewer Training. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Point of contact for this meeting is: 

Chris Blair, cblair@nsf.gov, 703–292– 

7000. Meeting information and updates 

may be found at www.nsf.gov/nsb. 

Christopher Blair, 

Executive Assistant to the National Science 

Board Office. 

[FR Doc. 2023–22911 Filed 10–12–23; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 7555–01–P 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket No. 50–483; NRC–2023–0158] 

Union Electric Company, dba Ameren 

Missouri; Callaway Plant; Unit No. 1 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. 

ACTION: Exemption; issuance. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) has issued an 

exemption in response to an exemption 

request from Union Electric Company 

doing business as Ameren Missouri (the 

licensee) submitted by letter dated 

October 12, 2022, as supplemented by 

letters dated December 1, 2022, May 9, 

2023, June 21, 2023, and August 3, 

2023. 

DATES: The exemption was issued on 

October 5, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID 

NRC–2023–0158 when contacting the 

NRC about the availability of 

information regarding this document. 

You may obtain publicly available 

information related to this document 

using any of the following methods: 

• Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and search 

for Docket ID NRC–2023–0158. Address 

questions about Docket IDs in 

Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 

telephone: 301–415–0624; email: 

Stacy.Schumann@nrc.gov. For technical 

questions, contact the individual listed 

in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section of this document. 

• NRC’s Agencywide Documents 

Access and Management System 

(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly 

available documents online in the 

ADAMS Public Documents collection at 

https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ 

adams.html. To begin the search, select 

‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For 

problems with ADAMS, please contact 

the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) 

reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, at 

301–415–4737, or by email to 

PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. The request for 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1