4VAC25-130-816.61: Use of explosives; general requirements

(a) Compliance with other laws. Each permittee shall comply with all applicable State and Federal laws and regulations in the use of explosives.

(b) Blasting schedule. Blasts that use more than five pounds of explosive or blasting agent shall be conducted according to the schedule required under 4VAC25-130-816.64.

(c) Blasters.

(1) All blasting operations in the State shall be conducted under the direction of a certified blaster certified in accordance with Part 850.

(2) Certificates of blaster certification shall be carried by blasters or shall be on file at the permit area during blasting operations.

(3) A blaster and at least one other person shall be present at the firing of a blast.

(4) Persons responsible for blasting operations at a blasting site shall be familiar with the blasting plan and site-specific performance standards.

(d) Blast design.

(1) An anticipated blast design shall be submitted if blasting operations will be conducted within-

(i) 1,000 feet of any building used as a dwelling, public building, school, church, or community or institutional building outside the permit area; or

(ii) 500 feet of an active or abandoned underground mine.

(2) The blast design may be presented as part of a permit application or at a time, before the blast, proposed in the application and approved by the division.

(3) The blast design shall contain sketches of the drill patterns, delay periods, and decking and shall indicate the type and amount of explosives to be used, critical dimensions, and the location and general description of structures to be protected, as well as a discussion of design factors to be used, which protect the public and meet the applicable airblast, flyrock, and ground-vibration standards in 4VAC25-130-816.67.

(4) The blast design shall be prepared and signed by a certified blaster.

(5) The division may require changes to the design submitted.