Labor Department, Mine Safety and Health Administration
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is revising its existing health standards for asbestos exposure at metal and nonmetal mines, surface coal mines, and surface areas of underground coal mines. This final rule reduces the permissible exposure limits for airborne asbestos fibers and makes clarifying changes to the existing standards. Exposure to asbestos has been associated with lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers, as well as asbestosis and other nonmalignant respiratory diseases. This final rule will help improve health protection for miners who work in an environment where asbestos is present and lower the risk that miners will 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, Labor. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is revising its existing health standards for asbestos exposure at metal and nonmetal mines, surface coal mines, and surface areas of underground coal mines. This final rule reduces the permissible exposure limits for airborne asbestos fibers and makes clarifying changes to the existing standards. Exposure to asbestos has been associated with lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers, as well as asbestosis and other nonmalignant respiratory diseases. This final rule will help improve health protection for miners who work in an environment where asbestos is present and lower the risk that miners will suffer material impairment of health or functional capacity over their working lifetime. DATES: This final rule is effective April 29, 2008. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia W. Silvey at silvey.patricia@dol.gov (E-mail), 202-693-9440 (Voice), or 202-693-9441 (Fax). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The outline of this preamble is as follows: I. Summary II. Background to the Final Rule A. Scope of Final Rule B. Mineralogy and Analytical Methods for Asbestos C. Summary of Asbestos Health Hazards D. Factors Affecting the Occurrence and Severity of Disease E. MSHA Asbestos Standards F. OSHA Asbestos Standards III. Asbestos Exposures in Mines A. Where A…
Citation: 73 FR 11284
