A. Blasting Permit Required. No person shall conduct any blasting operations in unincorporated Pima County without first obtaining a blasting permit from the county engineer.
1. A blasting permit:
a. Must be applied for each blasting site a minimum of five work days prior to the proposed blasting date.
b. Is valid only for the blasting site specified in the permit.
c. Is valid for a period not to exceed thirty calendar days.
2. An application for a blasting permit must be signed by the blasting contractor and the owner(s) of the blasting site and include:
a. A blasting plan,
b. A valid certificate of insurance,
c. The form of notice to be given of proposed blasting operations,
d. The name and qualification of the independent testing agency who will conduct seismic and air blast monitoring, if such testing agency is required by this chapter.
3. A copy of the blasting permit shall be available at the blasting site for public or official inspection at all times during blasting operations.
4. A blasting permit fee of $500 shall be paid at the time the permit application is submitted to the county engineer.
B. Blasting Permit Renewal. The blasting contractor shall apply for blasting permit renewal a minimum of five work days prior to approved permit expiration.
C. Blasting Contractor Certification. Prior to applying for a blasting permit, the blasting contractor shall obtain a blasting contractor certification from the Pima County sheriff.
1. The blasting contractor's qualifications are reviewed by the sheriff.
2. Certification and placement on the list of approved blasting contractors shall be based on a review of the blasting contractor's qualifications, past safety record, and history of complaints of job performance.
3. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions under which approval is granted may result in revocation of certification or suspension from the list of approved blasting contractors.
4. Certification and placement on the approved blasting contractors list is valid for three years from date of certification.
D. Qualifications. An approved blasting contractor must meet the following minimum qualifications:
1. Be a minimum of twenty-one years of age.
2. Have a minimum of two years experience in the conduct of blasting operations. Experience shall include the understanding of blasting designs, drilling of holes, loading of holes, decking, stemming, and detonating methods.
3. Hold a valid Federal Explosives User's Permit or Federal Explosives License.
4. Hold a license issued by the State of Arizona Registrar of Contractors for the type of blasting operations proposed to be conducted by the contractor as follows:
a. A, General Engineering. Construction in connection with fixed works requiring specialized engineering knowledge and skill, including streets and roads, power and utilities plants, dams and hydroelectric plants, sewage and waste disposal plants, bridges, tunnels, and overpasses. Also included are the scopes of work allowed by all other engineering classifications.
b. A-3, Blasting. The use of explosive and explosive devices for the purposes of excavation, demolition, geological exploration, mining or any related blasting. Included is any drilling, boring or earthwork required for the placement of explosive charges, the erection of temporary shelters, barricades and associated protective devices, equipment and enclosures.
c. AE, (as restricted by registrar.)
d. C-15, Blasting. Use of explosives for movement of earthen materials or for demolition (residential in accordance with State of Arizona Registrar of contractors' definition.)
E. Certificate of Insurance. Before a blasting permit is issued, the blasting contractor must submit to the county engineer a certificate of insurance evidencing that the blasting contractor has obtained a commercial general liability policy:
1. In the amount of $5 million.
2. Which includes coverage for explosion, collapse and underground damage.
3. In effect for the period covered by the blasting permit.
4. In an amount not less than $500,000 for each occurrence.
F. Blasting Plan. The contractor shall be required to submit to the county engineer, an accurate drawing at a scale which adequately represents the proposed blasting site, and which identifies:
1. All property lines.
2. All proposed blasting locations on the blasting site.
3. All structures within a 500-foot radius of the proposed blasting site and the street address of the structure, if applicable. Greater distances may be required under extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the county engineer.
4. Location of all above ground and underground utilities, such as natural gas piping and lines, electric lines, phone lines, water lines.
5. A general blasting plan detailing the proposed number of drill holes, type of explosive, explosive data sheets, delay pattern, anticipated peak particle velocity and scaled distance, the number of pounds of explosive per delay, and the total number of pounds brought to the blast site.
G. Independent Inspector. If the blasting plan identifies structures within 500 feet of the blasting site, the blasting contractor shall retain for the purpose of independent technical review of the blasting plan, a professional engineer, with expertise in blasting and approved by the county engineer.
H. Additional Technical Information. Depending upon the geological conditions of the blast site, or the complexity of the proposed blasting operations, the blasting contractor may be required to furnish, at his own expense, such additional information as may be required to evaluate the permit application, as determined by the county engineer. This may include, but is not limited to, the submission of a report prepared by a geological or geophysical engineer registered in the state of Arizona.
I. It is unlawful and a violation of this chapter for any person to provide false or misleading information or documentation to the county or to any of its departments during any phase of the permit process or blasting operations.
(Ord. 1997-58 § 1, 1997)