§ 13-21. Waterway blasting operations.
When blasting operations involve drill boats or barges operating on or near, navigable waterways, the following shall be required in addition to all applicable federal, state, and local regulations including those set forth in this chapter.
(a)
Drill boat or barge safety.
(1)
All onboard magazines shall be permanently secured to the deck as required by the Coast Guard.
(2)
No explosives shall be stored on the boat or barge deck in the open except for the one (1) case that is to be loaded immediately into the bore holes. Any explosives remaining on deck shall be returned to the day magazine prior to the firing of any blast.
(3)
The firing line reel or spool shall be mounted on the rig in a manner that it cannot be lost overboard.
(4)
The amount of explosives allowed aboard the drill boat at any one (1) time will be subject to the approval of the Director, but in no case shall such amount exceed that amount allowed by appropriate codes and regulations.
(5)
The user shall make necessary arrangements, as may be required by the Director, to prevent damage to any vessel, moored or underway, building or structure, and preserve the crew or occupants thereon from exposure to injury as a result of the users operations.
(6)
The user shall have a certified marine survey of all floating plant proposed for underwater blasting work performed prior to starting any work, and shall provide the results to the Director.
(7)
Lightning: The user shall furnish, maintain, and operate lightning-detection equipment during the entire period of blasting operations and/or during the periods that explosives are stored at the site. The equipment shall be installed in a location approved by the Director. A lightning detector shall be operated at all times to detect lightning within a ten (10) mile radius. When the lightning-detection device indicates a blasting hazard potential, the user shall perform the following:
a.
Shall notify the Director of the potential hazard.
b.
Shall clear the buoyed blast area of all vessels and personnel.
c.
Terminate all loading of holes and return unused explosive to the day storage area.
d.
After sounding the All Clear Signal, shall notify the Director that the potential hazard has passed.
e.
Resume operations only after all potential of hazard has passed.
f.
The lightning detector shall be taken off the drill barge with the last evacuation vessel and continuously monitored until danger has passed.
g.
The user shall monitor the blast area to prevent any boat or vessels from inadvertently entering the blast area during the lightning hazard.
(b)
Navigation control during drilling, loading, and blasting operations.
(1)
The user shall buoy the blast area with warning signs. The warning signs shall be legible from a distance of two hundred (200) feet and shall contain the message "DANGER — EXPLOSIVES IN USE." The user may be required by the Director to operate two (2) or more patrol boats during blasting operations whose sole function shall be to monitor and maintain security in the blast area. Patrol boats shall be stationed at the drill barge and remain in the blast area during all blasting operations. Land oriented access control and visual observation locations should be determined and approved by the Director. The user shall inspect and insure that no boat traffic exists within the buoyed blast area prior to the detonation of the blast and until such time as the blaster in charge has sounded the "All Clear Signal." The user shall equip and maintain his or her floating plant with radio equipment capable of communications with the Coast Guard. The user shall inspect the blast area after each blast and immediately notify the Coast Guard and the Director if an all clear or misfire is noted.
(2)
Coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard: The user shall notify the Coast Guard twenty-four (24) hours prior to a scheduled shot and two (2) hours prior to the actual shot. The waterway must be kept open to vessel traffic at all times except as authorized by the Coast Guard.
(3)
No blast shall be fired while any vessel under way is closer than one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet to the blast area. Those on board vessels or craft moored or anchored within one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet shall be notified before a blast is fired. No blast shall be fired while any swimming or diving operations are in progress in the vicinity of the blast area. If such operations are in progress, signals and arrangements shall be agreed upon to assure that no blast shall be fired while any person is in the water. Blasting flags shall be displayed.
(c)
Contingency plan in case of misfire, inadvertent initiator extraction, or accidental loss of down lines.
(1)
All loading of blast holes shall be done early enough each day to allow time, in case of a misfire, inadvertent initiator extraction, or accidental loss of down lines, to implement a contingency plan for removing or detonating the explosives before dark.
(2)
The user shall submit a contingency plan to the Coast Guard and the Director prior to the commencement of any blasting and shall notify both parties in the event of a misfire, inadvertent initiator extraction, or accidental loss, of down lines. All undetonated explosives due to misfire, inadvertent initiator extraction, or accidental loss of down lines must be detonated.
(3)
The user shall immediately notify the Coast Guard upon giving the "All Clear Signal" after correcting the misfire, inadvertent initiator extraction, or accidental loss of down lines.
(4)
When more than one (1) charge is placed under water, a float device shall be attached to an element of each charge in such manner that it will be released by the firing.
(d)
Bulk product specifications.
(1)
Bulk blasting agents or explosives delivered to the blast site shall be weighed by a certified weigh master at the transfer location nearest the blast site to determine the actual quantity of explosives delivered each day.
(2)
Bulk product storage tanks or vessels on barges shall be permanently attached to the barge and electrically grounded. A containment dike shall be erected to contain the maximum rated capacity of the storage vessel and all associated pumps and hoses.
(3)
All bulk product storage tank or vessel access ports, valves, vents, pumps, hoses, and drains shall be secured to prevent vandalism or theft of the explosive product.
(4)
A flow metering device capable of measuring the quantity of explosives to within five (5) percent of the actual quantity in pounds shall be utilized for all bulk transfers to or from the bulk storage vessel.
(5)
The delivery system to load holes on each drill frame shall be designed to load each hole to within five (5) percent of the design quantity required for each drill hole.
(6)
Each drill frame shall measure the quantity of explosives loaded in all holes with weigh scales or flow metering devices to within five (5) percent of the design quantity for each hole. The total of all loaded holes shall be checked with the total quantity delivered prior to subsequent bulk deliveries. Should the bulk quantity delivered vary from the recorded quantity loaded and detonated all measuring devices and or meters shall be recalibrated to within the specified accuracy.
(7)
Each hole loaded with emulsions or slurries shall be initiated with two (2) separate downlines, caps, and boosters. At least one (1) booster shall be secured in the hole with a mechanical lock in system or spider to prevent extraction of the booster or priming charge.
(8)
As a minimum the top elevation of the emulsion or slurry product shall be measured to check for voids and actual quantity loaded.
(e)
Surface blasting. Doby or surface blasting will not be allowed for the fragmentation of bedrock. Doby blasting is an option for fragmenting boulders or large blast rubble when water depths are at least thirty (30) feet.
(f)
Water wave propagation. The user is responsible to ensure that water wave propagation resulting from blasting activity will not cause damage to shoreline structures.
(Ord. No. 96-45, § 1, 3-19-96)