APR 30 2020
In the matter of: Petition for Modification
Monongalia County Coal Company
Monongalia County Mine
I.D. No. 46-01968 Docket No. M-2019-021-C
PROPOSED DECISION AND ORDER
On March 12, 2019, a petition was filed seeking a modification of the application of 30 CPR 75.503 (30 CPR 18.35) to Petitioner's Monongalia County Mine, located in Monongalia County, West Virginia. The petitioner requested the modification to allow the use of trailing cables exceeding the length specified in 30 CPR § l 8.35(a)(5)(i). The petitioner alleges that the alternative method proposed in the petition will at all times guarantee no less than the same measure of protection afforded by the standard. 30 CFR § 75.503 provides in part:
The operator of each coal mine shall maintain in permissible condition all electric face equipment required by §§75.500, 75.501, and 75.504 to be permissible which is taken into or used inby the last open crosscut of any such mine.
30 CPR§ 18.35(a)(5)(i) provides in part:
(5) Ordinarily the length of a portable (trailing) cable shall not exceed 500 feet. Where the method of mining requires the length of a portable (trailing) cable to be more than 500 feet, such length of cable shall be permitted only under the following prescribed conditions:
(i) The lengths of portable (trailing) cables shall not exceed those specified in Table 9, Appendix
1, titled "Specifications for Portable Cables Longer than 500 Feet."
MSHA personnel conducted an investigation for the petition and filed a report of their findings with the Administrator for Mine Safety and Health Enforcement on September 5, 2019. After a careful review of the entire record, including the petition and MSHA's investigative report, this Proposed Decision and Order is issued.
Finding of Fact and Conclusion of Law
MSHA's investigation found that the Monongalia County Mine is opened into the Pittsburgh seam by nine shafts with an average height of 72 inches. The mine has one longwall section and three longwall development sections utilizing three continuous mining machines with shuttle car coal haulage. The mine employs 433 person on three shifts per day, 5 to 6 production days per week. The mine produces an average of 19,951 tons of raw material per day, with annual clean coal production of 4,404,049 tons, and 5,265,882 cubic feet of methane liberated from this mine on a daily basis. The granting of this petition for modification would affect all underground miners.
The petitioner is seeking a modification of 30 CFR § 75.503 (Schedule 2G, § 18.35) to permit Monongalia County Mine to increase up to 1000 feet the maximum length of trailing cable supplying power to permissible equipment used in continuous mining sections.
The Monongalia County Mine is developing longwall panels (gate sections) as part of a continuing mining cycle. The longwall development panels consist of a three or four entry system with a maximum of 300 foot blocks to improve roof and abutment pressure control during longwall mining. The roof control plan that incorporates these parameters where approved in April, 2019. Ventilation is also improved by limiting the number of stoppings, which have a built-in ventilation pressure loss factor. Additionally, pillar stability is increased due to the increased block sizes associated with the necessity of longer trailing cables. The investigation revealed the need for cable lengths greater than 600, 700 or 850 feet for this development system. The longwall panels are typically 10,000 to 12,000 feet long. The panel length proposed for the next longwall panel district are 15,000 feet. The mine is currently using extended trailing cable lengths under petition M-2005-022
The Monongalia Mine is also developing main and sub-main sections as part of a continuing mining cycle. These sections consist of six to eight entry system with a maximum of 300 foot blocks to improve roof and abutment pressure control during longwall mining. Ventilation is improved by limiting the number of stoppings, decreasing the pressure loss factor. Pillar stability also increases due to the increased block sizes.
The petitioner provided typical longwall and main development section diagrams depicting the trailing cable lengths needed as requested within the petition. The petitioner also provided a summary of short-circuit calculations from one line diagrams and the electrical transient analyzer program justifying the instantaneous trip setting for the circuit breakers protecting the trailing cables supplying power to equipment located on the continuous mining machine sections in the Monongalia County Mine. The analysis provided by the petitioner accounts for adjustments, for example input data considerations specific to the power grid, transformer impedance, reactor impedance, temperature correction for transmission line resistance and cable/busway resistance.
The longer trailing cables would eliminate the need to have additional electrical components such as distribution boxes and/or electrical connections throughout the section to achieve required cable lengths.
The alternative method proposed by the petitioner lists various terms, conditions, and safety precautions related to the use of extended length trailing cables supplying power to 1000 VAC CMM and 575 VAC loading machines, shuttle cars, roof bolting machines, section ventilation fans, and de-gas drills. The supplemental short circuit study indicates that the proposed circuit breaker settings will adequately protect the subject trailing cables.
A historical search was conducted for petitions granted for the Monongalia County Mine. The search revealed that petition M-1984-265-C and M-2005-022-C are currently granted and in place at this mine at this time. The M-1984-265-C petition grants the maximum length of 1000 feet of trailing cables supplying power to 480 VAC and 600 VAC shuttle cars only when necessary to mine around oil and gas wells. The M-2005-022-C petition grants the maximum length trailing cable of 1000 feet supplying 995 VAC power to CMMs and 575 VAC power to loading machines, shuttle cars, roof bolting machines, section ventilation fans and de-gas drills. Theses granted petitioned are conditioned upon compliance with the respective terms and conditions of each petition.
Therefore this proposed decision and order will incorporate the terms and conditions from the previously granted PDOs, petition docket Nos. M-1984-265-C dated May 20, 1984 and M-2005- 022-C dated August 17, 2005. In addition, this PDO will allow extended cables up to 1000 feet along the mains and submains. Once this PDO becomes final, it will supersede petition Docket Nos. M-1984-265-C and M-2005-022-C that were previously granted.
The alternative method proposed by the Petitioner (as amended by the recommendations of MSHA) will at all times guarantee no less than the same measure of protection afforded the miners under 30 CFR 75.503.
On the basis of the petition and the findings of MSHA's investigation, Monongalia County Coal Company is granted a modification of the application of 30 CFR 75.503 to its Monongalia County Coal Mine.
ORDER
Wherefore, pursuant to the authority delegated by the Secretary of Labor to the Administrator for Coal Mine Safety and Health, and pursuant to Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, 30 U.S.C., Sec. 811(c), it is ordered that Monongalia County Coal Company's Petition for Modification of the application of 30 CFR 75.503 for the maximum lengths of 1000 feet of trailing cable supplying power to the working section equipment only when necessary to mine around oil and gas wells, to develop three-entry system Iongwall panels
and also in developing main and sub-main sections consisting of a six to eight entry system when larger blocks from 138 feet to 300 feet are used in the Monongalia County Mine is hereby:
GRANTED, for the trailing cables supplying three-phase, 995-volt power to continuous mining machines and trailing cables supplying three-phase, 575-volt power to loading machines, shuttle cars, roof bolters, section ventilation fans, and de-gas drills, conditioned upon compliance with the following terms and conditions:
1) The maximum lengths of the 995-volt and 575-volt trailing cables shall be 1,000 feet.
2) The 995-volt continuous mining machines' trailing cables shall not be smaller than 2/0 American Wire Gauge (AWG). The 575-volt trailing cables for loading machines, small roof bolters, section ventilation fans, and de-gas drills shall not be smaller than No. 2 AWG. The 575-volt shuttle car and large roof bolters' trailing cables shall not be smaller than No. 4 AWG.
3) All circuit breakers used to protect trailing cables exceeding the maximum length specified in 30 CFR § 18.35(a)(5)(i) shall have instantaneous trip units properly calibrated and adjusted to trip at no more than smallest of the following values:
(a) the setting specified in 30 CFR § 75.601-1;
(b) the setting specified in the approval documentation for the machine; or
(c) 70% of the minimum phase to phase short circuit current available at the end of the trailing cable.
A short circuit analysis which accurately determines the minimum phase to phase short circuit current available at the end of the affected trailing cables shall be made available to MSHA personnel upon request. The short circuit analysis shall be updated whenever changes are made to the mine power system that affect the fault current available at the end of the affected trailing cables and the specified settings used to protect these trailing cables.
4) The calibrated trip setting of these circuit breakers shall be sealed or locked so that the setting cannot be changed.
5) These circuit breakers shall have permanent, legible labels indicating the circuit, cable size, maximum cable length and the maximum instantaneous setting. If the trailing cable sizes are intermixed at a section power center, the plugs shall be constructed or designed, for example keyed or sized, to permit only the proper type and length of cable to be plugged into the receptacle with the proper settings.
6) Replacement instantaneous trip units used to protect trailing cables affected by this petition shall be calibrated and set in accordance with Item 3. This setting shall be sealed and locked.
7) All components that provide short-circuit protection shall have a sufficient interruption rating in accordance with the maximum calculated fault currents available.
8) Any trailing cable that is not in safe operating condition shall be removed from service immediately and repaired or replaced.
9) In the event the mining methods 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, and additional precautions shall be taken to ensure that, in the future, the cable is protected and maintained in safe operating condition.
10) Each splice or repair in the trailing cables shall be made in a workmanlike manner and in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer of the splice or repair kit. 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. Splices shall comply with the requirements of 30 CFR §§ 75.603 and 75.604.
11) At the beginning of each production shift, persons designated by the mine operator shall visually examine trailing cables to ensure that they are in safe operating condition. The instantaneous settings of the specially calibrated circuit breakers shall also be visually examined to ensure that the seals or locks have not been removed and that they are set in accordance with Item 3.
12) Permanent warning labels shall be installed and maintained on the cover(s) of the power center or distribution box identifying the location of each sealed shortcircuit protective device. These labels shall warn miners not to change or alter these sealed short-circuit settings.
13) This petition shall only apply to working sections that mine around oil and gas wells or working sections developing Mains, Sub-mains and longwall panels when larger coal pillars (cross-cuts extended from 138 to 300 feet) are used.
14) The Petitioner's alternate method shall not be implemented until miners who have been designated to examine the integrity of seals or locks, to verify the shortcircuit settings, and to examine trailing cables for defects and damage, have received the training specified in this Proposed Decision and Order.
15) Within 60 days after this Proposed Decision and Order becomes final, 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:
(a) Training in the mining methods and operating procedures that will protect the trailing cables against damage;
(b) Training in proper procedures for examining the trailing cables to ensure that they are in safe condition;
(c) Training in the hazards of setting the short circuit interrupting device(s) too high to adequately protect the trailing cables; and
(d) Training in how to verify that the circuit interrupting device(s) protecting the trailing cable(s) are properly set and maintained.
The procedures, as specified in 30 CFR § 48.3, for approval of proposed revisions to already approved training plans shall apply.
Any party to this action desiring a hearing on this matter must file in accordance with 30 CFR 44.14, within 30 days. The request for hearing must be filed with the Administrator for Coal Mine Safety and Health, 201 12th Street South, Arlington, Virginia 22202-5452.
If a hearing is requested, the request shall contain a concise summary of position on the issues of fact or law desired to be raised by the patty requesting the hearing, including specific objections to the proposed decision. A patty other than Petitioner who has requested a hearing shall also comment upon all issues of fact or law presented in the petition, and any pa1ty to this action requesting a hearing may indicate a desired hearing site.
If no request for a hearing is filed within 30 days after service thereof, the Decision and Order will become final and must be posted by the operator on the mine bulletin board at the mine.
/s/
Timothy R. Watkins
Administrator for
Mine Safety and Health Enforcement
Certificate of Service
I hereby ce1tify that a copy of this proposed decision was served personally or mailed, postage prepaid, or provided by other electronic means this 30th day of April , 2020, to:
Mr. Michael Savasta,
Safety Director
Monongalia County Coal Company
P.O. Box 72
Brave,PA 15316or;
701 Oak Forest Road
Holbrook, PA 15341
michaelsavasta@ coalsour ce.com
Doug Williams
Miner's Representative
2368 Senior Drive
Tunnelton WV 26444
/s/
Rodney Adamson Mine Safety and Health Enforcement Specialist
cc: Eugen White, Director, Office of Miners' Health Safety & Training, #7 Players Club Dr. Suite 2, Charleston WV 25311 Eugene .E.White@wv.gov