Peabody Mine Wants Safety Standards Modified, Safely
Published Date: 3/3/2025
Notice
Summary
Peabody Twentymile Mining wants to change some safety rules at their mine by using a different method that keeps miners just as safe. This petition could affect how safety standards are applied, but won’t reduce protection. Everyone has until April 2, 2025, to share their thoughts, and no extra costs are expected from this change.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Allow Drager X-plore 8700 PAPRs
Peabody Twentymile Mining asked MSHA (Docket M-2025-015-C) to allow the Drager X-plore 8700 powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) as an alternative method under 30 CFR 75.507-1(a) at Foidel Creek Mine (MSHA ID 05-03836). The petition says the Drager unit meets two-fault intrinsic safety standards and will at all times guarantee no less than the same measure of protection as the mandatory standard if used under the petition’s conditions.
Methane cutoff and battery safety rules
The proposed conditions require the Drager X-plore 8700 (EX) to be de-energized and withdrawn if methane is detected at or above 1.0 percent; a qualified person must continuously monitor for methane immediately before and during use. The PDO conditions also require lithium-ion batteries that meet UL 1642 or IEC 62133, charging only on the surface in areas free of combustible material, changing out batteries in intake air before each shift, and removing batteries from service when run time drops below 80 percent of the new battery run time.
Required training and certificates
If the petition’s alternative is authorized, affected miners must be trained on the Drager X-plore 8700 (EX) in accordance with 30 CFR 48.7, and the operator must submit proposed revisions to its approved Part 48 training plans within 60 days after the proposed decision and order (PDO) becomes final. Training must be completed before any Drager X-plore 8700 (EX) is used where permissible equipment is required, an MSHA Certificate of Training (Form 5000-23) must be completed noting the PDO training, and annual retraining is required under 30 CFR 48.8.
No expected additional costs
The notice states that no extra costs are expected from this requested modification to allow the Drager X-plore 8700 (EX) under the proposed conditions. Comments on the petition are due to MSHA by April 2, 2025.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-03389, Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards
Grefco Minerals, LLC asked to change some mine safety rules to use a different method that keeps miners just as safe. This affects miners at Grefco’s operations and could change how safety checks are done, with no extra costs expected. Everyone has until April 2, 2025, to share their thoughts on this petition.
Next: 2025-03391, Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards
Signal Peak Energy, LLC asked to change some mine safety rules to use a different way that keeps miners just as safe. This affects coal miners at their mine and could change how safety checks are done, but won’t reduce protection. Everyone has until April 2, 2025, to share their thoughts, and no extra costs are expected from this change.