Question
I have a 23yr old pine which is planted on an embankment facing our home. It is approx.60 ft. tall and its trunk is about 30". We have hardly touched it over the years and it seems quite massive over our house. Is it safe for the tree to cut off a few of the lower branches around the tree? These branches are approx. 8-15" in diameter starting about 6ft. from the base.

Answer
By "safe" I assume you are refering to the health of the tree and not safe for the person doing the pruning. Yes pruning the lower limbs will not harm the tree when done properly. Here is a web link to instructions on how to properly prune trees:  
http://aggie-Horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/pruning/pruning.html

IF the limbs are as large as you say be careful when you cut the limbs--limbs of thsi size have a great deal of weight and can fall on you.