---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 C.F.R. § 56.6901"
title: "30"
number: "56.6901"
heading: "Black powder."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/30/56.6901"
---

# §56.6901. Black powder.

- (a) Black powder shall be used for blasting only when a desired result cannot be obtained with another type of explosive, such as in quarrying certain types of dimension stone.
- (b) Containers of black powder shall be—
  - (1) Nonsparking;
  - (2) Kept in a totally enclosed cargo space while being transported by a vehicle;
  - (3) **Securely closed at all times when—**
    - (i) Within 50 feet of any magazine or open flame;
    - (ii) Within any building in which a fuel-fired or exposed-element electric heater is operating; or
    - (iii) In an area where electrical or incandescent-particle sparks could result in powder ignition; and
  - (4) Opened only when the powder is being transferred to a blasthole or another container and only in locations not listed in [paragraph (b)(3)](#b-3) of this section.
- (c) Black powder shall be transferred from containers only by pouring.
- (d) Spills shall be cleaned up promptly with nonsparking equipment. Contaminated powder shall be put into a container of water and shall be disposed of promptly after the granules have disintegrated, or the spill area shall be flushed promptly with water until the granules have disintegrated completely.
- (e) Misfires shall be disposed of by washing the stemming and powder charge from the blasthole, and removing and disposing of the initiator in accordance with the requirement for damaged explosives.
- (f) Holes shall not be reloaded for at least 12 hours when the blastholes have failed to break as planned.

## Notes

### Source

Source: 61 FR 36795, July 12, 1996, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 30 U.S.C. 811.

### Source

Source: 50 FR 4054, Jan. 29, 1985, unless otherwise noted.