Subscribe to the Coal Tattoo
MSHA and black lung disease: Still no commitment to tighten the legal dust limit
March 26, 2010 by Ken Ward Jr.
While the campaign continues against making it easier for disabled coal miners to receive their black lung benefits, there is precious little discussion from those attacking this effort by Sen. Robert C. Byrd about how to actually end this terrible disease. Isn’t that what the mining industry should really be focused on?
And yesterday, the Obama administration passed up another effort to get back on track with its initial promise to tighten the legal limit for coal dust in underground mines.
During a Web chat about MSHA priorities, agency deputy assistant secretary Greg Wagner was asked for a time frame for when MSHA would tighten the limit. Greg responded:
The regulatory agenda indicates our commitment to publish a proposed rule to reduce miners’ exposure to coal mine dust in the fall of 2010. The details of the rule will be available then.
Remember, MSHA is still talking about reducing “exposure” not about actually reducing the legal limit. Stay tuned …