the effects of mine safety legislation on mining technology in the usa 3 - a nieto

Mining and Minerals Engineering Dr. Antonio Nieto

Dr. Antonio NietoDepartment of Energy and Minerals

Engineering, Penn State University, USA

The effects of mine safety legislation on miningtechnology in the USA

Mining, the big picture:

• Key factors in advancing human civilization:

• Agriculture (sustainable supply of food)

• Mining (sustainable supply ofmaterials & energy)

• Education & Innovation(sustainable transfer of knowledge by applying science + technology)


• Mining:

Civilization has the tendency to settle in coasts or rivers (to secure water, food, and safety)


• Mining• The search and extraction of raw materials (mining) have driven humans to move in‐land, expanding wealth through and in‐land


• The search and extraction of raw materials (mining) historically have driven humans to explore and move in‐land, expanding wealth through exploration and discovery

• …promoting the development of communications, transportation, commerce, and services, all the above, as an economic byproduct of mining


• Mining thus is an important tool and promoter of economic growth within any mineral rich state, good examples currently are:

Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Peru, Chile, China, Australia!

.... and Africa (as a continent)


• The Catch: mining must be done in a sustainable approach, meaning that mining must promote and secure the continuous development of the local economy for future generations

• What is needed? A comprehensive approach to maintain the wellbeing of society through Innovation (by science, technology, education, environment, safety, and health)

• Safety practices in the U.S. mining have evolved significantly since large‐scale mining began in the 1800s.

• A simple cycle has governed these advances in mining health and safety.


Significant Accident

New Legislation is drafted: New

standards

Corporations Comply, changes

practices and methods

Industry evolves and adopts new

methods

New Technology emerges

(Innovation)

• The Time Line of Mining Laws in the U.S.


General Mining Law of 1872

Mineral Leasing Act of 1920

COAL ACT 1969 SMCRA 1970 MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006


GENERAL MINING ACT 1872 (Regulate Mining Claims)

Event: unregulated mining claims during California Gold Rush

The goal of this act was to promote mineral exploration and urban development in the unsettled areas of the in the West of the U.S. and in Alaska.

In addition to encouraging settlement, this Mining Law provided the government a means of regulating the discovery and claiming of mineral deposits.

General Mining Law of

1872

Mineral Leasing Act of

1920


1977MINER ACT

2006


MINERAL LEASING ACT 1920

Event: Under the previousMining Law of 1872, a prospector needed to visibly discover a mineral commodity before having the right to file a mineral claim.

The goal was to regulate and encourage the discovery and exploitation offossil fuel resources and other select commodities in the USA.

This led to the larger oil companies claiming on massive land areas, impeding the exploitation of other mineral commodities.

As a result, the Mineral Leasing Act was proposed setting maximum limits to acres that can be held by a lease, defining lease duration based on the mineral.


1872


1920


1977MINER ACT

2006


COAL ACT 1969

Event: Farmington Coal Mine Explosion, West Virginia, 1968, 78 miners died

The objective of this law was to create the conditions to significantly improve and effectively enforce coal mining safety laws, and second, to standardize these laws and regulations at a federal level

The new law created the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA)…later renamed MSHA

This act required two annual inspections of every surface coal mine and four at every underground coal mine, Dramatically increased federal enforcement powers in coal mines


1872


1920


1977MINER ACT

2006


The Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1970

Event: environmental concern grew in the 1970s, a public demand for mine reclamation developed

Two objectives: 1. Regulating active coal mines2. Reclaiming abandoned mine lands

The Office of Surface Mining (OSM) was created to enforce the new statutes of the law.


1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINER ACT

2006


MINE ACT 1977

Event: Sunshine (Silver) Mine, (May 1972), fire, 91 miners died

As several mining disasters, most notably when a fire in the Sunshine mine in Idaho resulted in 91 fatalities, occurred in non‐coal mines in the years following the Coal Act, the public soon realized that mining accidents were not limited to the coal industry.

As a result, the primary purpose of the Mine Act of 1977 was to expand the regulations and codes set forth in the Coal Act to apply to all mines. MESA is Changed to MSHA


1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969

COAL ACT 1969 SMCRA 1970 SMCRA 1970 MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006


The MINE IMPROVEMENT AND NEW EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT (MINER ) 2006

Events: • Sago mine disaster, WV, (Jan. 2006), 12 miners diedUpdate: Upper Big Branch Mine, WV, (Apr. 2010), 29 miners died

The Act was passed in 2006 as an amendment to the Mine Act of 1977(2006). It was designed to the improve accident preparedness of all mines by expanding the powers of MSHA and creating stricter legislation for mine operators. The primary impetus for this act was the Sago Mine Explosion, which occurred on 2nd January, 2006 and resulted in 12 fatalities.‐A large component of the act deals with rescue operations‐The second major provision of the MINER Act was to create a competitive grantprogram for developing new mine safety technology administered by NIOSH


1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969

COAL ACT 1969 SMCRA 1970, SMCRA 1970, MINING ACT

1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

Impact of legislation on technological advances



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

Impact of legislation on technological advances in collaboration with NIOSH

• Standalone underground refuge modules

• Underground communications and tracking

• Surface tracking systems

• Proximity warning systems Autonomous and assisted driving Systems

• New self‐contained self‐rescuer SRSC systems

• Real‐time 3D mapping

• Rapid borehole drilling



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• Standalone underground refuge modules are being developed as a consequence of new safety regulations



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• Underground communications and tracking systems, is one of the most needed and promising technologies being researched in the U.S.

New radio systems turns the metallic infrastructure in an underground mine into a large antenna that carries the radio signal for miles throughout the mine



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• Underground communications and tracking systems, is one of the most needed and promising technologies being researched in the U.S. (Battery‐power safety more challenging in underground coal mining)

• Hardwired Systems

• Wireless Systems

• Leaky Feeder Systems

• Node‐Based System

• Medium Frequency System

• Through‐the‐Earth Systems



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• Underground tracking technology

• Manual Tracking Systems

• Reader‐based Tracking Systems

• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) zone‐based

• Reverse RFID Radio

• Node‐Based Tracking Systems



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• Surface mine tracking technology (Real‐time Google‐Earth tracking, GPS, RFID, Radar, 3D vision)



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• Proximity warning systems (MSHA –USA‐ just propose –Oct. 2011‐‐ a new safety rule for proximity detection systems require on mine machines)

A Proximity Warning and Terrain Modeling System Based on Delaunay Triangulation and Surface Spline Interpolation by Antonio Nieto



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• Autonomous and assisted driving systems

Real‐time Google Earth Assisted Driving System in Open Pit Mining Operations by Antonio Nieto



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• New self‐contained self‐rescuer SRSC systems



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• Real‐time 3D mapping



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

• Rapid borehole drilling



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

Final Comments

Public perception is also changing the mining industry.

Many citizens are willing to accept the temporary consequences associated with mining in favor of the long‐term benefits provided by mined commodities and materials.

Unfortunately, past environmental damages and mining accidents have given the public a negative impression of the industry. Hopefully, this will change as fewer accidents occur and as reclamation reduces and eventually eliminates long‐term environmental harm from mines.



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

Final Comments

Many corporations have adopted the mindset that it is no longer acceptable to pursue a low accident rate; with current technology, we must move forward and only be satisfied with a zero fatalities.

With time, new technology and safety practices will allow companies to achieve this goal and have their miners work at minimal risk not only without compromising production, but continually improving it by working more safely.

These changes will eventually alter the public mindset concerning the mining industry



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

Final Comments

With the current ease of communication and availability of information, most mining technology is obtainable anywhere in the world. Safety technology and practices can be shared and applied everywhere.

New and improved technology, along with effective legislation and enforcement agencies, are the tools to continually improve mine safety in the future.

These steps are the first in redefining the mining industry in the eye of the public by showing them what the mines already know: that the safety of the workers comes first

Mining is a true global enterprise… Mining Safety and Technologymust be too!



1872


1920

COAL ACT 1969


1977MINING ACT

1977MINER ACT

2006

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