S.C. Code Regs. § § 89-150

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 10, October 25, 2024

Section 89-150 - Surface Blasting Requirements

A. Pre-Blast Survey

(1) Prior to initial blasting activities or significant modification of a permit which expects to use blasting, the operator shall be responsible for a pre-blast survey of inhabited structures (commercial buildings, homes, churches, barns) that are within one-half mile of any blasting to be conducted by the operator. The survey may exclude structures that the operator owns or has a waiver of damage.

(2) The operator shall submit to the Department the names and addresses of the owners of inhabited structures within the one-half mile. The Department will notify, in writing, the appropriate structure owner informing them of their right to have their structures inspected at no cost to the structure owner. Based on the response from the owner, the Department will notify the operator as to which structures are to be inspected.

(3) The survey shall be conducted by a consultant or other qualified person retained by the operator and approved by the Department. The consultant or other qualified person shall inspect each designated structure to determine the base line condition of that structure before blasting is initiated.

(4) The owner shall have the right to be present during the survey of his structure. A written report of the inspection shall be submitted to the Department, owner of the structure and to the operator.

B. The operator shall keep accurate records of the use of explosives including, but not limited to, spacing, depth, and pattern of holes, pounds of explosive per delay, total pounds of explosive used per event, and the date and time of the blasts. These records shall be retained for at least three years.

C. When the Department finds it necessary to monitor a blast in an investigation of a written complaint, the operator upon written request from the Department shall give the Department forty-eight hours notice before blasting, such request to become effective forty-eight hours after receipt of the written request.

D. Access into the blasting area shall be controlled by the operator to protect the public and livestock from physical effects of flyrock.

E. In all blasting operations the maximum peak particle velocity measured in any three mutually perpendicular directions shall not exceed one inch per second at the immediate location of any dwelling, public building, school, church, or commercial or institutional building. The maximum peak particle velocity requirement does not apply to structures within the permitted area, or any area that is owned or leased by the operator. Leased as used above shall include structures on which the operator has acquired waiver to damage rights.

F. An equation for determining the maximum weight of explosives that can be detonated within any 8-millisecond period is contained in the following paragraph. If the blasting is conducted in accordance with this equation, the maximum peak particle velocity shall be deemed to be within the 1-inch per second limit.

G. The maximum weight of explosives to be detonated within any 8-millisecond period may be determined by the formula W = (D/60)2 where W = the maximum weight of the explosive, in pounds, and D = the distance, in feet, from the blast to the nearest dwelling, school, church, or commercial or institutional building.

H. On applications for new areas dated subsequent to the date of these regulations, the operator shall maintain a minimum distance of two hundred fifty (250) feet from contiguous property boundaries when conducting blasting.

I. To provide for adequate public safety, the operator shall be required to maintain a minimum distance between the nearest point of blasting and any structures not owned by the operator as of the completed application date or where there is no waiver of damage. The minimum distance shall be established by the Department after considering the method of mining, site conditions, proposed directions of blasting, type and use of neighboring structures, previous blasting record, and/or other factors as deemed appropriate by the Department.

J. The operator shall notify the Department within twenty-four (24) hours following the observation or discovery of flyrock outside of the permitted area that resulted from blasting operations at a mine. Based on the flyrock incident, the Department may require the operator to submit a written report outlining the cause of the excessive flyrock and a plan to adequately control flyrock. Any report and plan submitted by the operator must be reviewed by the Department prior to conducting additional blasting.

S.C. Code Regs. § 89-150