106598 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 249 / Monday, December 30, 2024 / Notices 

last open crosscut. Before each shift 

when the 3M Versaflo TR–800 or 

CleanSpace EX is to be used, all 

batteries and power units for the 

equipment shall be charged sufficiently 

so that they are not expected to be 

replaced on that shift. 

(o) The following maintenance and 

use conditions shall apply to equipment 

containing lithium-type batteries: 

(1) Always correctly use and maintain 

the lithium-ion battery packs. Neither 

the 3M TR–830 Battery Pack nor the 

CleanSpace EX Power Unit may be 

disassembled or modified by anyone 

other than persons permitted by the 

manufacturer of the equipment. 

(2) The 3M TR–830 Battery Pack shall 

only be charged in an area free of 

combustible material, readily 

monitored, and located on the surface of 

the mine. The 3M TR–830 Battery Pack 

is to be charged by either: 

(i) 3M Battery Charger Kit TR–641N, 

which includes one 3M Charger Cradle 

TR–640 and one 3M Power Supply TR– 

941N, or 

(ii) 3M 4-Station Battery Charger Kit 

TR–644N, which includes four 3M 

Charger Cradles TR–640 and one 3M 4- 

Station Battery Charger Base/Power 

Supply TR–944N. 

(iii) The CleanSpace EX Power Unit is 

to be charged only by the CleanSpace 

Battery Charger EX, Product Code PAF– 

0066. 

(iv) The batteries shall not be allowed 

to get wet. This does not preclude 

incidental exposure of sealed battery 

packs. 

(v) The batteries shall not be used, 

charged, or stored in locations where 

the manufacturer’s recommended 

temperature limits are exceeded. The 

batteries shall not be placed in direct 

sunlight or used or stored near a source 

of heat. 

(p) Personnel engaged in the use of 

the 3M Versaflo TR–800 and 

CleanSpace EX PAPRs shall be properly 

trained to recognize the hazards and 

limitations associated with the use of 

the equipment in areas where methane 

could be present. Additionally, 

personnel shall be trained regarding 

proper procedures for donning SelfContained Self Rescuers (SCSRs) during 

a mine emergency while wearing the 3M 

Versaflo TR–800 or CleanSpace EX. The 

mine operator shall submit proposed 

revisions to update the Mine Emergency 

Evacuation and Firefighting Program of 

Instruction under 30 CFR 75.1502 to 

address this issue. 

(q) Within 60 days after the PDO 

granted by MSHA becomes final, 

Mountaineer II Mine shall submit 

proposed revisions for its approved 30 

CFR part 48 training plans to the Mine 

Safety and Health Enforcement District 

Manager. These proposed revisions 

shall specify initial and refresher 

training regarding the terms and 

conditions stated in the PDO granted by 

MSHA. When training is conducted on 

the terms and conditions in the PDO 

granted by MSHA, an MSHA Certificate 

of Training (Form 5000–23) shall be 

completed. Comments shall be included 

on the Certificate of Training indicating 

that the training received was for use of 

the 3M Versaflo TR–800 or CleanSpace 

EX. 

(r) All personnel who will be involved 

with or affected by the use of the 3M 

Versaflo TR–800 or CleanSpace EX shall 

receive training in accordance with 30 

CFR 48.7 on the requirements of the 

PDO granted by MSHA within 60 days 

of the date the PDO granted by MSHA 

becomes final. Such training shall be 

completed before any 3M Versaflo TR– 

800 or CleanSpace EX can be used in 

return air outby the last open crosscut. 

The operator shall keep a record of such 

training and provide such record to 

MSHA upon request. 

(s) Mountaineer II Mine shall provide 

annual retraining to all personnel who 

will be involved with or affected by the 

use of the 3M Versaflo TR–800 or 

CleanSpace EX in accordance with 30 

CFR 48.8. The operator shall train new 

miners on the requirements of the PDO 

granted by MSHA in accordance with 30 

CFR 48.5 and shall train experienced 

miners on the requirements of the PDO 

granted by MSHA in accordance with 30 

CFR 48.6. The operator shall keep a 

record of such training and provide 

such record to MSHA upon request. 

(t) Mountaineer II Mine shall post the 

PDO granted by MSHA in unobstructed 

locations on the bulletin boards and/or 

in other conspicuous places where 

notices to miners are ordinarily posted 

for a period of not less than 60 

consecutive days. 

(u) There are no representatives of 

miners at Mingo Logan Coal, LLC, 

Mountaineer II Mine. A copy of this 

petition has been posted on the bulletin 

board as of November 11, 2024. 

The petitioner asserts that the 

alternative method will 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. 2024–30943 Filed 12–27–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4520–43–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 Harrison 

County Coal Resources, Inc. 

DATES: All comments on the petition 

must be received by MSHA’s Office of 

Standards, Regulations, and Variances 

on or before January 29, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by Docket No. MSHA–2024– 

0118 by any of the following methods: 

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

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

instructions for submitting comments 

for MSHA–2024–0118. 

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, 4th Floor West, Arlington, 

Virginia 22202–5452. 

Attention: S. Aromie Noe, Director, 

Office of Standards, Regulations, and 

Variances. Persons delivering 

documents are required to check in at 

4th Floor West. 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. 

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: 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 249 / Monday, December 30, 2024 / Notices 106599 

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–2024–072–C. 

Petitioner: Harrison County Coal 

Resources, Inc., 464 North Portal Rd., 

Wallace, WV 26448. 

Mine: Harrison County Mine, MSHA 

ID No. 46–01318, located in Marion 

County, West Virginia. 

Regulation Affected: 30 CFR 75.503, 

Permissible electric face equipment; 

maintenance; Specified in 30 CFR 

18.35(a)(5)(i), Portable (trailing) cables 

and cords. 

Modification Request: The petitioner 

requests a modification of 30 CFR 

75.503 to increase the maximum length 

of tailing cables specified in 30 CFR 

18.35(a)(5)(i) that supply power to 

loading machines to 1,000 feet. 

The petitioner states that: 

(a) The Harrison County Mine is 

developing longwall panels as part of a 

continuing mining cycle. The longwall 

development panels consist of a threeentry system with 300-foot deep cuts to 

improve roof and abutment pressure 

control during longwall mining. 

Ventilation is also improved by limiting 

the number of stoppings, which have a 

built-in ventilation pressure loss factor. 

The Harrison County Mine is also 

developing main and submain sections 

as part of the continuing mining cycle. 

The petitioner has provided typical 

section prints showing the need for 

cable lengths greater than 700 feet for 

this development system. 

(b) The petitioner has also provided a 

summary of short-circuit calculations 

justifying the instantaneous trip setting 

for the circuit breakers protecting the 

trailing cables supplying power to 995 

Volt loading machines in Harrison 

County Mine. 

(c) The proposed alternative method 

will at all times guarantee no less than 

the same measure of protection to all 

miners as would be provided by the 

mandatory standard. 

The petitioner proposes the following 

alternative method: 

(a) The proposed decision and order 

(PDO) granted by MSHA shall apply 

only to trailing cables supplying threephase, 995-volt power to loading 

machines. 

(b) The maximum lengths of the 

trailing cables shall be 1,000 feet. 

(c) All trailing cables exceeding 700 

feet in length and supplying threephase, 995-volt power to loading 

machines shall be No. 2 American wire 

gauge (AWG), or larger. 

(d) All circuit breakers used to protect 

the No. 2 AWG trailing cables exceeding 

700 feet in length shall have 

instantaneous trip units calibrated to 

trip at 800 amperes (amps). The trip 

setting of these circuit breakers shall be 

sealed or locked, and these circuit 

breakers shall have permanent, legible 

labels. The calibration, sealing and 

labeling shall be performed by the 

manufacturer or at a repair facility 

outfitted with calibrated test equipment. 

The labels shall be maintained in legible 

condition. 

(e) Replacement circuit breakers and/ 

or instantaneous trip units used to 

protect the No. 2 AWG trailing cables 

shall be calibrated to trip at 800 

amperes, and this setting shall be sealed 

or locked. The calibration, sealing, and 

labeling shall be performed by the 

manufacturer or a repair facility 

outfitted with calibrated test equipment. 

(f) During each production day, 

persons designated by the operator shall 

visually examine the trailing cables to 

ensure that the cables are in safe 

operating condition and that the 

instantaneous settings of the specially 

calibrated breakers do not have seals or 

locks removed and that they do not 

exceed the stipulated settings specified 

in items (d) and (e). 

(g) Any trailing cable that is not in 

safe operating condition shall be 

removed from service immediately and 

repaired or replaced. 

(h) Each splice or repair in the trailing 

cable shall be made in a workmanlike 

manner and in accordance with the 

instructions of the manufacturer of the 

splice or repair materials. The outer 

jacket of each splice or repair shall be 

vulcanized with flame-resistant material 

or made with material that has been 

accepted by MSHA as flame resistant. 

(i) In the event the mining method or 

operating procedures cause or 

contribute to the damage of any trailing 

cable, the cable shall be removed from 

service immediately and repaired or 

replaced. Also, additional precautions 

shall be taken to ensure that, in the 

future, the cable is protected and 

maintained in safe operating condition. 

(j) Permanent warning labels shall be 

installed and maintained on the cover(s) 

of the power center identifying the 

location of each sealed or locked shortcircuit protective device. The label shall 

identify the circuit breakers as being 

suitable for protecting No. 2 AWG 

cables and shall warn miners not to 

change or alter these short-circuit 

settings. 

(k) The alternative method shall not 

be implemented until all miners, who 

have been designated to examine the 

integrity of seals and verify the shortcircuit settings and proper procedures 

for examining trailing cables for defects 

and damage, have received the elements 

of training specified in item (l). 

(l) Within sixty (60) days after the 

PDO is granted by MSHA, the petitioner 

shall submit proposed revisions for its 

approved 30 CFR part 48 training plan 

to the Coal Mine Safety and Health 

District Manager for the area in which 

the mine is located. The training shall 

include the following elements: 

(1) Training in mining methods and 

operating procedures that shall protect 

the trailing cables against damage. 

(2) Training in the proper procedures 

for examining the trailing cables to 

ensure that the cables are in safe 

operating condition. 

(3) Training in hazards of setting the 

instantaneous circuit breakers too high 

to adequately protect the trailing cables. 

(4) Training in how to verify that 

circuit interrupting devices protecting 

the trailing cables are properly set and 

maintained. 

(m) The procedures of 30 CFR 48.3 for 

approval of proposed revisions to 

already approved training plans shall 

apply. 

(n) The miners at Harrison County 

Coal Resources, Inc., Harrison County 

Mine, are represented by a labor 

organization and a copy of this petition 

has been provided to the representative 

of the miners at the mine on October 30, 

2024. 

In support of the proposed alternative 

method, the petitioner submitted: 

schematic diagrams showing the lengths 

and locations of trailing cables; a fault 

analysis summary; a short-circuit 

analysis including specific cable 

information for all high voltage cables 

from the utility service drop to the 

section power center; and one-line 

diagrams. 

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. 2024–30945 Filed 12–27–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4520–43–P 


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