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Rule 6.5 <br />• BLASTING IMPACTS <br />All blasting work proposed for the Red Rock Limestone Mine will be performed by an <br />experienced contract blasting.company, that will manage all explosive transportation and <br />storage activities. Explosive transport vehicles will satisfy all stringent vehicle standards <br />as required by the Federal Department of Transportation (DOT). After blasting, unused <br />explosives are secured in approved explosive magazines. <br />Once explosives enter the Red Rock Limestone Mine site, their transportation and use is <br />regulated by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and by the <br />Colorado Department of Labor. <br />All blasts will be controlled by a certified blaster who passed a written licensing <br />examination and met the experience requirements set forth by the Colorado Department <br />of Labor. Licensed blasters and contractors are required to be knowledgeable about and <br />comply with all regulations governing explosives and blasting. When a regulation from <br />one agency is more stringent than that of another, the more stringent of the two <br />regulations will apply. <br />When explosive chazges detonate in rock, most of the chemical energy is used in <br />breaking and displacing the rock mass; however, some energy is kinetically released in <br />the from of vibration, causing strain waves, airborne noise, concussion and flying rock. <br />• In this section, Rio Grande evaluates the potentially damaging effects that blasting might <br />have on people, animals, and property near the Red Rock Limestone Mine. Rio Grande <br />also recommends specific measures that will be employed to mitigate blasting impacts. <br />Impacts of Blast-induced Ground Motion and Fracturing <br />The purpose of this section is to evaluate the relative potential for all forms of damage <br />that might occur due to blast-induced ground motion or radial cracking. This section <br />examines their effects on neighboring property, and utility lines and pipes. A short review <br />of blast vibration dynamics is also included at the beginning of the section to summazize <br />the various ground motion measures that aze used in structural damage evaluations. <br />Review of Blasting Vibration Phenomena <br />When explosive charges detonate in rock, nearly all of the available energy is used in <br />breaking and displacing the rock mass; however, a small portion of the energy is released <br />in the form of vibration waves, which radiate away from the blast chazges. When these <br />elastic strain-waves pass through rock or earth, they cause an oscillating motion in the <br />ground particles. <br />I <br />AppExhibilsA-7-APPQ 180)RevB/January 17, 2002 4 <br />