# Federal Register #2026-21175

MSHA petition concerning Topcon and Nikon surveying equipment use at Maple Eagle East Deep Mine

**Buyer:** US DEPT OF LABOR - MINE SAFETY  HE
**Posted:** October 16, 2026
**Respond By:** November 17, 2026
**Identifier:** 2026-21175

MSHA is reviewing a mine-safety petition concerning the use of specified surveying equipment at Maple Eagle East Deep Mine.
- **Government buyer and office:** U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances.
- **Petitioner and mine:** Panther Creek Mining, LLC requests a modification for Maple Eagle East Deep Mine in Fayette County, West Virginia.
- **Named OEMs and equipment:** **Topcon** 3005 LW total station (Serial #4J12333) and **Nikon** Nivo 5.M total station (A302275). Both are battery-powered, non-permissible surveying instruments; no purchase quantities are stated.
- **Requested use:** Permission to use the specified equipment in designated underground areas, including within 150 feet of pillar workings or longwall faces, subject to the petition’s safety conditions.
- **Notable requirements:** Equipment must have an IP rating of 66 or greater and be inspected. Proposed safeguards also include methane testing and monitoring, ventilation and dust controls, battery-handling rules, equipment-use logging, and worker training.
- **Opportunity type:** This is a regulatory petition for public comment, not a solicitation to buy products or services; no contract value or performance period is stated.

### Description

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) gives notice of a petition for modification submitted by Panther Creek Mining, LLC, for the Maple Eagle East Deep Mine in Fayette County, West Virginia. The petition seeks to modify 30 CFR 75.1002(a) to allow specified battery-powered, nonpermissible surveying equipment within 150 feet of pillar workings or longwall faces. It proposes conditions for the equipment’s use, including inspections, methane monitoring, training, and ventilation safeguards. Comments must be received by MSHA on or before November 16, 2026.

[View original listing](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/16/2026-21175/petition-for-modification-of-application-of-existing-mandatory-safety-standards)