Labor Department, Mine Safety and Health Administration
We (MSHA) are proposing to revise our existing health standards for asbestos exposure at metal and nonmetal mines, surface coal mines, and surface areas of underground coal mines. The proposed rule would reduce the full-shift permissible exposure limit and the excursion limit for airborne asbestos fibers, and make several nonsubstantive changes to add clarity to the standard. Exposure to asbestos has been associated with lung and other cancers, mesotheliomas, and asbestosis. This proposed rule would help assure that fewer miners who work in an environment where asbestos is present would suffer material impairment of health or functional capacity over their working lifetime.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration 30 CFR Parts 56, 57, and 71 RIN: 1219-AB24 AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Labor. ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public hearings. SUMMARY: We (MSHA) are proposing to revise our existing health standards for asbestos exposure at metal and nonmetal mines, surface coal mines, and surface areas of underground coal mines. The proposed rule would reduce the full-shift permissible exposure limit and the excursion limit for airborne asbestos fibers, and make several nonsubstantive changes to add clarity to the standard. Exposure to asbestos has been associated with lung and other cancers, mesotheliomas, and asbestosis. This proposed rule would help assure that fewer miners who work in an environment where asbestos is present would suffer material impairment of health or functional capacity over their working lifetime. DATES: We must receive your comments on or before September 20, 2005. We will hold public hearings on October 18 and 20. Details about the public hearings are in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this preamble. ADDRESSES: (1) To submit comments, please include “RIN: 1219-AB24” in the subject line of the message and send them to us at either of the following addresses. Federal e-Rulemaking portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments. E-mail: zzMSHA-comments@dol.gov . If you are unable to submit comments electronicall…
Citation: 70 FR 43950
