805 KAR 4:155. Ground vibration

standards for surface coal mines.

 

      RELATES TO: KRS 351.330

      STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS Chapter 13A,

351.335

      NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS

351.330 requires that the Department for

Natural Resources prescribe rules to ensure that the restrictions on

maximum peak particle velocity be consistent with federal statutes and

regulations. This administrative regulation effects those provisions.

 

      Section 1. Blasting operations conducted

as part of surface coal mining, or as part of the surface operations of an

underground coal mine, shall comply with the standards contained in this

section. (1) The maximum allowable peak particle velocity for ground vibration

measured at the location of the nearest dwelling, public building, church or

commercial building shall not exceed the limits established in Table 1 as

follows:



TABLE 1. PEAK PARTICLE

VELOCITY LIMITS







Distance from blasting

site in feet





Maximum peak particle

velocity in

inches/second







0 to 300





1.25







301 to 5000





1.00







5001 and beyond





0.75





      (2) The peak particle velocity specified

in this section shall be measured in three (3) mutually perpendicular

directions, and the maximum allowable limits shall apply to each of these

measurements.

      (3) The ground vibration limits shall not

apply to property owned by the coal mine, or to property on which the owner

gives a written waiver to exceed the maximum allowable limits.

 

      Section 2. (1) In place of the limits

established in Section 1 of this administrative regulation, a blaster may elect

to comply with the following graph limiting peak particle velocity based upon

the frequency content of the blast vibration. If this criterion is chosen to

limit vibration levels, the method of monitoring the vibrations and calculating

the frequency content shall be approved by the department before its implementation

by the blaster.

 



 

      (2) Unless the blaster uses a seismograph

on every blast to demonstrate compliance with the maximum allowable limits established

in section 1, or has been granted a modified scale distance factor by the

department, he must comply with the scale distance equations in Table 2 as

follows:



TABLE 2. SCALE

DISTANCE EQUATIONS







Distance from blasting

site in feet





Scale distance

equations







0 to 300





W = (D/50)2







301 to 5000





W = (D/55)2







5001 and beyond





W = (D/65)2





where:

      W = the maximum weight of explosives that

can be detonated per delay period.

      D = the distance in feet from the blast

to the nearest dwelling, public building, school, church, commercial or

institutional building.

      (3) If a blaster considers the table of

scale distance equations in subsection (2) of this section too conservative, he

may petition the department for a modified table for blasting operations at a

particular site. Such a petition shall include seismograph reports

demonstrating that any modified scale distance equations would not cause the predicted

ground vibration to exceed the peak particle velocity limits established in

Section 1 of this administrative regulation. (17 Ky.R. 3338; eff. 6-26-91; TAm

eff. 8-9-2007.)