EKB News

WEST VIRGINIA....
MSHA Assistant Secretary Joe Main says current regulations on dust standards in U.S. coal mines are not working, and there's a continuing rise in the number of black lung cases. Main says regulation on dust standards needs to change. MSHA unveiled it's proposed new rules Thursday. First, the allowable levels of dust in mines will be cut in half from 2mg/cubic meter of air to 1mg. Secondly, the sampling of dust levels and monitoring of a miner's hour to hour dust intake would be more closely followed with the aid of new personal dust monitoring devices. The units would be worn by miners during underground shifts. At the end of the shift, the data from those devices would be downloaded and posted at the mine, and, at the end of the week, all of the data would be transferred to MSHA for analysis and study. The new rules also call for increased medical monitoring of miners, with more frequent health checks and more thorough examinations. Miners will be getting an X-Ray at first employment and, for new miners, a second one after three years, followed every five years. The examination would also require expanded testing. There will be a public comment period.