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INTRODUCTION The Bureau of Ftines participated in a study of blasting impacts on transmission pipelines in a cooperative effort between AF1AX Coal Company, Division of Reclamation of the Indiana Deparlnient of Natural Resources (ID11R), Vibronics, ]nc., New Ftexico Tech, and 0}rio Valley Pipeline, lnc. AFIAX has concerns about blasting near active pressurized transmission pipelines at the tlinnehaha Mine, near Sullivan, 1N as well as at other mines. They approached the Bureau and other cooperators in the fall of 1991 about the feasibility of conducting such a study, involving a variety of test pipelines subjected to I full-scale overburden blasts at one of their surface coal mines. The Bureau's role was to install and operate monitoring equipment for measuring strain and vibration and interpret tare results of those measurements. Other cooperators had responsibilities for pipeline installation (Ohio Valley Pipeline), supplemental vibration monitoring and continuous monitoring of internal pressures (Vibronics), and analysts, interpretation, and monitoring support (IDI1R and New Ftexico Tecir). AMAX provided the site, costs of pipeline installation, security fence and other facility improvements, and shut coordination. Tlris project provided an opportunity to study a problem previously identified as of widespread concern. tiumerous requests for advice on blasting near pipelines have been received by the Bureau over the years, many related to mine or quarry operations. ]n a research planning document first prepared in Flarch ]989, fire Bureau identified blastiny near pipelines as a key research need. Although some work has been done irr fire 1910's and 8U's on blasting near pipelines, none to the authors' knowledge, involved larye-scale production mine blasting. lnvolved parties met for initial planning in November 1991. Installation and monitoring began in Flarch 1992 allowing time to procure needed supplies, equipment, pipelines sections, etc., and also insuring reasonable weather for the difficult installation phases. t•toriitoring locations were chosen so that the first vibrations would be as hiylr as 2 irr/s (5 cm/s). Five total mining cycles of roughly 30 days each r+ere expected to bring the blasting adjacent to the pipelines. Eiylrt months actually would be required for the study. This report describes the results up to arrd including tfre penultimate cycle of mining approaching the pipeline field. One additional pass is expected, which will likely include some blasts that will be within the inelastic zone of permanent ground deformation. The authors expect to prepare a more comprehensive report on this study. Ilowever, the high interest in this work and its significance justified its earliest reporting. 130