§ 211.182. General provisions.

 (a)  Blasts shall be designed and conducted so that they provide the greatest relief possible in a direction away from the utility line and to keep the resulting vibration and actual ground movement to the lowest possible level.

 (b)  Blasting shall use a type of explosive specifically designed to minimize the likelihood of propagation between explosive charges.

 (c)  When blasting within 200 feet (60.96 meters) of a utility line, blast holes may not exceed 3 inches (7.62 x 10^-2 meters) in diameter.

 (d)  Blasting in the vicinity of a utility line shall be conducted as follows:

   (1)  Excavation from the ground surface to a depth corresponding to the elevation of the top of the buried utility line may proceed at the discretion of the blaster-in-charge, using safe, accepted techniques.

   (2)  Once the excavation has attained a depth equal to the elevation of the top of the buried utility line or if the line is exposed, or makes solid contact with the surface, the vertical depth of subsequent blast holes shall be restricted to one half the horizontal distance from the closest portion of the utility line.

 (e)  If one or more of the requirements listed in this section are not feasible or creates a potential safety problem, the permittee may apply to the Department for a waiver of the provision or provisions in question. This waiver will be granted if, in the judgment of the Department and the utility owning the lines, the alternate procedure does not endanger the utility line.

APPENDIX A. [Reserved]

   The provisions of this Appendix A reserved July 13, 2001, effective July 14, 2001, 31 Pa.B. 3751. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (243499) to (243502).