2018-14536: Retrospective Study of Respirable Coal Mine Dust Rule

Summary

On May 1, 2014, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) published a final rule, "Lowering Miners' Exposure to Respirable Coal Mine Dust, Including Continuous Personal Dust Monitors" (Dust rule). In the preamble to the Dust rule, MSHA stated its intent to take the lead in conducting a retrospective study beginning February 1, 2017. In this Request for Information (RFI), MSHA is soliciting stakeholder comments, data, and information to assist the Agency in developing the framework for this study to assess the impact of the Dust rule on lowering coal miners' exposures to respirable coal mine dust to improve miners' health. In addition, as part of the Agency's ongoing effort to provide compliance and technical assistance to mine operators and miners, MSHA is soliciting information and data on engineering controls and best practices that lower miners' exposure to respirable coal mine dust.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 5 parts of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 30 CFR 70 Mandatory Health Standards—Underground Coal Mines
• 30 CFR 71 Mandatory Health Standards—Surface Coal Mines and Surface Work Areas of Underground Coal Mines
• 30 CFR 72 Health Standards for Coal Mines
• 30 CFR 75 Mandatory Safety Standards—Underground Coal Mines
• 30 CFR 90 Mandatory Health Standards—Coal Miners Who Have Evidence of the Development of Pneumoconiosis