By Becky Manley / Staff Writer
State and federal agencies are investigating a Thursday afternoon blast at a Knox County mine that sent rocks raining onto nearby residential properties.
The blast happened just before 5 p.m. at a surface mine, commonly called a strip mine, operated by Mountainside Coal of Williamsburg.
No workers or nearby residents were injured as a result of the blast, which was reportedly heard up to two miles away from the mine site which is located along Rapier Hollow Road off Dowis Chapel Road.
The Office of Surface Mining, a federal agency, was investigating the blast as well as the Kentucky Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement, according to Linda Potter, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources.
The permit issued to Mountainside Coal in Nov. 2008 allows for debris, or “fly rock,” generated by blasts to land within an area of about 77 acres, Potter said.
Mountainside Coal uses a contractor, Maxam Appalachia of Jacksboro, Tenn., to do its blasting, Potter said. The contractor uses ANFO, a chemical, along with blasting caps to loosen soil, Potter said.
Investigators determined Friday the unusually strong blast — which was set at the center of the about 77 acre site — may have caused rock debris to land up to 2,000 feet outside of the permitted area, Potter said.
A seismograph used to monitor ground vibrations and the air blast showed that the blast exceed the regulatory limit allowed by the state, Potter said.
Investigators found small rocks in a nearby yard, one rock that had struck and dented an abandoned mobile home and a dent on a car believed to have been caused by a rock that bounced, Potter said.
Late Friday, Potter said investigators determined five violations occurred. Those violations involve fly rock, use of explosives, unsafe practices, disturbance within 100 feet of a cemetery and off-permit disturbance, Potter said.
Fines could be levied as a result of the violations, Potter said.
It was unclear whether Mountainside Coal, Maxam Appalachia or both companies would be responsible for those violations, Potter said.
A search of state records showed no prior violations by Mountainside Coal, Potter said.
Mountainside Coal will now be required to develop a blasting remediation plan that outlines how blasting practices at the mine will be improved, Potter said. The state will have to approve the plan, Potter said.
Ken Sears, an engineering technician with Mountainside Coal, said Friday his company has used Maxam Applachia for “several years” with good results and it is unclear what caused Thursday’s unusually strong blast.
“Some things you can’t prevent or it’s just a fluke,” Sears said.
Sears said his company intends to fully cooperate with the state in its investigation and in developing the remediation plan.
The state will likely release a report on the investigation within two weeks, Potter said.
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