N.M. Admin. Code § 19.8.20.2032

Current through Register Vol. 36, No. 1, January 14, 2025

Section 19.8.20.2032 - USE OF EXPLOSIVES: CONTROL OF ADVERSE EFFECTS

A. General requirements. Blasting shall be conducted to prevent injury to persons, damage to public or private property outside the permit area, adverse impacts on any underground mine, and change in the course, channel, or availability of surface or ground water outside the permit area.

B. Airblasts.

(1) Limits.

(a) Airblast shall not exceed the maximum limits listed below at the location of any dwelling, public building, school, church, or community or institutional building outside the permit area, except as provided in Subsection E of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC.

Lower frequency limit Maximum Level,

of measuring system, in Hz (± 3 dB) in dB

0.1 Hz or lower--flat response¹ 134 peak.

2 Hz or lower--flat response 133 peak.

6 Hz or lower--flat response 129 peak.

C - weighted--slow response¹ 105 peak dBC.

¹Only when approved by the director.

(b) If necessary to prevent damage, the director shall specify lower maximum allowable airblast levels than those of Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (1) of Subsection B of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC for use in the vicinity of a specific blasting operation.

(2) Monitoring.

(a) The operator shall conduct periodic monitoring to ensure compliance with the airblast standards. The director may require airblast measurement of any or all blasts and may specify the locations at which such measurements are taken.

(b) The measuring systems shall have an upper-end flat-frequency response of at least 200 Hz.

C. Flyrock. Flyrock travelling in the air or along the ground shall not be cast from the blasting site:

(1) more than one-half the distance to the nearest dwelling or other occupied structure;

(2) beyond the area of control required under Subsection C of 19.8.20.2031 NMAC; or

(3) beyond the permit boundary.

D. Ground vibration.

(1) General. In all blasting operations, except as otherwise authorized in Subsection E of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC, the maximum ground vibration shall not exceed the values approved in the blasting plan required under 19.8.9.902 NMAC. The maximum ground vibration for protected structures listed in Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (2) of Subsection D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC shall be established in accordance with either the maximum peak-particle-velocity limits of Paragraph (2) of Subsection D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC, the scaled-distance equation of Paragraph (3) of Subsection D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC, the blasting-level chart of Paragraph (4) of Subsection D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC, or by the director under Paragraph (5) of Subsection D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC. All structures in the vicinity of the blasting area, not listed in Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (2) of Subsection D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC, such as water towers, pipelines and other utilities, tunnels, dams, impoundments, and underground mines, shall be protected from damage by establishment of a maximum allowable limit on the ground vibration, submitted by the operator in the blasting plan and approved by the director.

(2) Maximum peak particle velocity.

(a) The maximum ground vibration shall not exceed the following limits at the location of any dwelling, public building, school, church, or community or institutional building outside the permit area:

Distance (D) from the Maximum allowable Scaled-distance

blasting site, in feet peak particle velocity factor to be applied

factor (V max) for without seismic

ground vibration, monitoring² (Ds)

in inches/second¹

0 to 300 1.25 50

301 to 5,000 1.00 55

5,000 and beyond 0.75 65

¹Ground vibration shall be measured as the particle velocity. Particle velocity shall be recorded in three mutually perpendicular directions. The maximum allowable peak particle velocity shall apply to each of the three measurements.

²Applicable to the scaled-distance equation of Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (3) of Subsection D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC.

(b) A seismographic record shall be provided for each blast.

(3) Scaled-distance equation. An operator may use the scaled-distance equation, W=(D/Ds)², to determine the allowable charge weight of explosives to be detonated in any 8-millisecond period, without seismic monitoring; where W = the maximum weight of explosives, in pounds; D = the distance, in feet, from the blasting site to the nearest protected structure; and Ds = the scaled-distance factor, which may initially be approved by the director using the values for scaled-distance factor listed in Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (2) of Subsection D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC.

(a) The development of a modified scaled-distance factor may be authorized by the director on receipt of a written request by the operator, supported by seismographic records of blasting at the minesite. The modified scaled-distance factor shall be determined such that the particle velocity of the predicted ground vibration will not exceed the prescribed maximum allowable peak particle velocity of Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (2) of Subsection D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC, at a 95-percent confidence level.

(4) Blasting-level chart.

(a) An operator may use the ground-vibration limits in Figure 1 to determine the maximum allowance ground vibration.

Click to View Image

(b) If the Figure 1 limits are used, a seismographic record including both particle velocity and vibration-frequency levels shall be provided for each blast. The method for the analysis of the predominant frequency contained in the blasting records shall be approved by the director before application of this alternative blasting criterion.

(5) The maximum allowable ground vibration shall be reduced by the director beyond the limits otherwise provided by 19.8.20 NMAC, if determined necessary to provide damage protection.

(6) The director may require an operator to conduct seismic monitoring of any or all blasts or may specify the location at which the measurements are taken and the degree of detail necessary in the measurement.

E. The maximum airblast and ground-vibration standards of Subsections B and D of 19.8.20.2032 NMAC shall not apply at the following locations:

(1) at structures owned by the permittee and not leased to another person;

(2) at structures owned by the permittee and leased to another person, if a written waiver by the lessee is submitted to the director before blasting.

N.M. Admin. Code § 19.8.20.2032

11-29-97; 19.8.20.2032 NMAC - Rn, 19 NMAC 8.2.20.2032, 9-29-2000