Mine Safety and Health Administration April 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

MSHA published a direct final rule for parts 50 and 100 on December 29, 2009. MSHA stated that the Agency would withdraw the direct final rule if the Agency received significant adverse comments. Because the Agency did not receive any significant adverse comment, the direct final rule became effective. This notice confirms the effective date.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is soliciting comments concerning the extension of the information collection related to the 30 CFR Sections 49.12, 49.13, 14.16, 49.17, 49.18, 49.19, 49.50, 75.1713-1(a),(b) and (e), and 77.1702(a), (b), and (e).

This final rule revises requirements that the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) use to approve sampling devices that monitor miner exposure to respirable coal mine dust. The final rule updates approval requirements for the existing ``coal mine dust personal sampler unit'' to reflect improvements in this sampler over the past 15 years. The final rule also establishes criteria for approval of a new type of technology, the ``continuous personal dust monitor,'' which is worn by the miner and will report dust exposure levels continuously during the shift.