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Thursday, October 14, 2010

Obama administration moves to curb black lung

UPDATE 10/15: In addition to the two-year tightening of the coal dust limit in underground mines, the proposal also requires the use of continuous personal dust monitors to measure miners’ exposure in a more timely and accurate manner, provides for full-shift sampling — rather than averaging samples from multiple shifts, which can underestimate actual numbers — to more accurately measure miners’ exposure and redefines work shifts for compliance purposes to more accurately reflect that miners simply don’t always work eight-hour shifts anymore, Ward reports. "I hope the miners and the mining community embrace this approach," MSHA chief Joe Main said. "It is the right thing to do. It is aimed at eliminating the disease that has afflicted and plagued the mining industry for far too long." (Read more)

As part of its strategy to end black-lung disease, the Obama administration is proposing a two-year phase-in of of a tighter limit for coal dust at a news conference this afternoon. "Copies of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration proposal are available now through the Federal Register website here," Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston Gazette reports on his Coal Tattoo blog. "According to the proposal, the legal limit on coal dust in underground mines — currently 2.0 milligrams per cubic meter of air — would be tightened to 1.7 milligrams six months after the rule is finalized. The limit would be tightened to 1.5 milligrams in a year and then to 1.0 milligrams a year after that."

The agency is "is proposing a 24-month phase-in period to allow the mining community the opportunity to identify, develop and implement feasible engineering controls; train miners and mine management in new technology and control measures; and to improve their overall dust control program," MSHA writes in the proposal. (Read more)

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