Coal industry asks a federal appeals court with a coal-friendly record to review new coal-dust rules

In response to the Obama administration's final version of rules for coal dust regulations, the National Mining Association and several member coal companies have asked a federal appeals court with a coal-friendly history to review the need for the regulations, Kris Maher reports for The Wall Street Journal. The groups "want to delay implementation of the rules and potentially rewrite key provisions intended to enhance monitoring of dust levels in mines. The move could initiate months of legal wrangling."

The new rules are designed to help reduce exposure to dust that causes black lung disease through sampling and technology that provides real-time dust levels. The mining industry has said the new rules are flawed and costly and has expressed displeasure that their suggestions were not considered, Maher writes. The industry association filed its petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta, the same court where it fought off an attempt to change dust monitoring protocols in 1998. (Read more)