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# OAR Box 1837 Prepped byKeeia Richards



## Document

Number: 

# 169 ) IV-C-9 Docket Number: 

# A-84-3 3

Printed 11/14/2008 3:48:11 PM Sheet 169 of 238P. 2 

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\ ItSt l 1 UNITED STATE S ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTIONAGENCY^

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### Q % -^V|V ^" WASHINGTON , D.C
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MA YI 1988

OFFIC E O F AI R AN D RADIATIO N Mr . J . Steve nGrile s Assistan t Secretar yHci.tiw u fo r Land and Mineral s Managemen t ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N Departmen t o f th e Interio r Ar.-cr y 18t h3 C Streets , Northwes t , Washington , D.C . 2024 0 J A NI 3 198 9 Dea r Mr . Griles : ••<v . o'Jtj^t- . ""A ! W e hav e reviewe dyou r propose drul e o n "Performanc e Standard s fo r Road s a t Surfac e and Undergroun dMinin g Operation s and Coa l Exploratio nOperations, " a s propose d i n th e Federa l Register , Novembe r 3 , 1987 , (5 2 FR 42258-42266) . W e hav e severa l comment s o n th e propose drul e wit hrespec t t o ai r pollutio n impact s attendan t t o erosio n[3 0 CF R 816.150(b)] . Th e propose drul e represent s a n excellen t opportunit yt o protec t nationa l parkland s and othe r natura l area s i n th e vicinit yo f minin g operation s fro m ai r emission s cause dbyo r attribute d t o win d o r movemen t o f equipmen t o n road s an

d relate dexpose dsurface s a t th e min e site . Th e Environmenta l Protectio nAgenc y(EPA ) believe s tha t employin g effectiv e contro l technique s coul d minimiz e a majo r portio no f th e particulat e matte r ai r pollutio n emanatin g fro msurfac e coa l min e operations . I t i s ou r understandin g base d o nth e preambl e t o th e proposa l that , i n additio nt o ai r emission s attribute d t o wind , th e rul e woul dcove r erosio nresultin g fro mth e movemen t o f over burde nand coa l hau l trucks , ligh t and mediu mdut yvehicles , and othe r equipmen t operatin g outsid e o f the . min e pi t usin g on-sit e road s and surfaces . Th e EP Abelieve s tha t includin g th e preamble' s explanator ylanguag e i n th e regulator ylanguag e woul dhel p clarif yth e requirement s unde r thi s performanc e standard . Whil e w e recogniz e th e necessit yo f developin g genera l regulations t o accommodat e th e manydifferen t configuration s o f minin g sites , w e believ e i t woul d improv e th e effectivenes s o f th e rul e t o specif yreasonabl e contro l level s and technique s suitabl e unde r variou s conditions . Fo r example , th e decisio nt o us e waterin g o r chemica l dus t suppressant s wil l depen d upo n meteorologica l and hydrologica l condition s and othe r min e sit e character

istics . In addition , th e leve l and effectivenes s o f contro l depend s upo nth e rat e o f applicatio nan d th e frequenc yo f application , give nth e variable s cite d above . Eve nth e genera l us e o f chemica l dus t suppressant s ca n b e ineffective , unles s specifi c guidanc e i s provide d on th e metho d and frequenc y o f applicatio nneede dt o maximiz e contro l effectiveness . Guidanc e on curren t

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practice s fo r contro l o f fugitiv e emission s fro m erosio nrelate d t o min e road s i s particularl yimportan t fo r heavil yuse dprimar yroad s whic har e potentiall yth e larges t source s o f fugitiv e dus t fro m minin g operations . Althoug hpavin g thes e road s eliminate s mos t o f th e particulat e emissions , th e cost s ar e considerabl e and pavin g i s ofte nimpractical . However , th e alternativ e us e o f grave l and othe r loos e materia l ma ycaus e vehicle s travelin g o n thes e road s t o entrai ndus t int o th e air . Dus t reductio n guidanc e fo r thes e situation s woul d 'o e particularl yvaluable . Thus , th e implementatio nand enforcemen t o f dus t contro l "i n accordanc e wit hcurren t pruden t engineerin g practices " woul db e considerabl yenhance d wit hth e additio no f a technica l guidanc e documen t tha t woul daddres s curren t practice s and thei r effectivenes s unde r varyin g conditions . Althoug hw e recogniz e th e standards , th e propose drul e o f th e potentia l impac t o f fugiti v o nadjacen t nationa l parklands . in g mor e specifi c guidanc e tha t treatmen t an d preferre dtreatm e condition s an d characteristics , rul e bu t coul db e develope d i n regulation , h

yreference , a t a "current , pruden t engineerin g o fugitiv e emission s fro mminin g a guidanc e document , includ e b e b yEPA' s Regio nVII I i n Denve r nee d fo r fi e fer s a n imp o e emission s Therefore , coul d addr e n t .netiiod

s s Thi s woul d th e nea r fu t late r date , ractices. " roads , whic h s t availabl e and th e Sta t xibilit yi n settin g performanc e

rtan t opportunit yt o minimiz e fro msurfac e coa l min e operation s w e urg e yo u t o conside r develop

s s minimall yacceptabl e level s o f uitabl e fo r a give nse t o f min e no t hav e t o b e include d i n th e ur e an d b e incorporate dint o th e a s th e Department' s guidanc e o n Som e example s o f guidanc e fo r yo u ma yfindusefu l i n developin g contro l technolog ydetermination s e o f Wyomin g regulations . Question s concernin g ou r comment s ca n b e directe d t o Willia mLamason , Moncriteri a Pollutan t Program s 3ranch , Ai r Qualit yManagemen t Division , a t FT S 629-5374 . Than k yo u fo r th e opportunit yt o comment . Sincerely,. .



# - ~7 y trai g Potte r J . Assistan t fo r Ai r Administrato r

and Radiatio n cc : G . Emison , OAQP S A . Eckert , OG C