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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 4. Conservation And Natural Resources
Agency 25. Department of Energy
Chapter 130. Coal Surface Mining Reclamation Regulations
11/5/2024

4VAC25-130-817.61. Use of explosives; general requirements.

(a) Applicability. 4VAC25-130-817.61 through 4VAC25-130-817.68 apply to surface blasting activities incident to underground coal mining, including, but not limited to, initial rounds of slopes and shafts.

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

(c) Blasters.

(1) All surface blasting operations incident to underground mining in the State shall be conducted under the direction of a certified blaster certified in accordance with Part 850.

(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) Persons responsible for blasting operations at a blasting site shall be familiar with the blasting plan and site-specific performance standards.

(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, proposed in the application and approved by the division.

(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 4VAC25-130-817.67.

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

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

Statutory Authority

§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-230 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR480-03-19 § 817.61, eff. December 15, 1981; amended, eff. June 28, 1982; October 28, 1982; December 14, 1982; October 11, 1983; December 27, 1983; May 8, 1984; June 22, 1984; August 2, 1984; October 16, 1985; January 7, 1987; July 22, 1987; November 25, 1987; October 12, 1988; December 26, 1990; July 1, 1991; July 17, 1991; November 20, 1991; July 7, 1992; May 5, 1993; October 19, 1994.

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