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This month marks the 1-year anniversary of MSHA's respirable coal dust rule. MSHA
reports that results for the first year show that “compliance is achievable
and, more importantly, the nation’s coal miners are better protected from debilitating
and deadly black lung than ever before.” The agency reports that of the 62,000
dust samples that were collected from surface and underground coal mines this
past year, only 1.1% of the samples exceeded the dust concentration limit.
“While some insisted that mines would be unable to comply
with the requirements of the rule, sampling results have proved that assumption
is incorrect,” says MSHA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor Joseph Main.
Since Phase 1 of the rule is in place, MSHA reports that it will begin to host a series of stakeholder outreach meetings in preparation for
Phase II. Starting on Feb. 1, 2016, continuous personal dust monitors must be
used to monitor underground coal mine jobs that are exposed to the highest
respirable dust concentrations, and for miners with evidence of Black Lung disease. The
devices will provide dust exposure results in real time. In addition, during
Phase II, the rule’s increased sampling frequency provisions will go into
effect.
The third and final phase goes into effect August 2016 and
will lower the dust concentration limit from 2.0 to 1.5 mg/m3 of
air.