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

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This Federal Register Notice notifies the public that MSHA has investigated and issued a final decision on certain mine operator petitions to modify a safety standard.

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 continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to assure 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 is soliciting comments concerning the extension of the information collection for 30 CFR 44.9, 44.10, and 44.11. OMB last approved this information collection request on January 8, 2010. The package expires on January 31, 2013.

The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requires this notice to set forth the effectiveness of information collection requirements contained in the final rule on Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety Standards.

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 continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to assure 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 is soliciting comments concerning the extension of the information collection for 30 CFR 57.22204. OMB last approved this information collection request on January 8, 2010. The package expires on January 31, 2013.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the Department of Labor conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to assure 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 is soliciting comments concerning the extension of the information collection for 30 CFR 70.201(c); 90.201(c); 71.201(c) and (e); 70.205(c); 71.205(c); 90.205(c); 70.209(a), (c), and (d); 71.209(a), (c), and (d); 90.209(a), (c), and (d); 70.210(b); 71.210(b); 90.210(b); 70.220(a); 71.220(a); 90.220; 71.300(a); 90.300(a); 71.301(d) and (e); and 90.301(d) and (e). OMB last approved this information collection request on October 13, 2009. This information collection expires on October 31, 2012.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR Part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR Part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR Part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

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 continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 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 is soliciting comments concerning the extension of the information collection for 30 CFR 57.22401(b). The Office of Management and Budget last approved this information collection request on October 13, 2009.

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 continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to assure 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 is soliciting comments concerning the extension of the information collection for 30 CFR 57.22004(c); 57.22229(c) and (d); 57.22230(b) and (c); 57.22231; and 57.22239. OMB last approved this information collection request (ICR) on August 19, 2009.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR Part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

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 and state agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, that reporting (time and financial resources) is minimal, that collection instruments are clearly understood, and that the impact of collection requirements can be properly assessed. The Mine Safety and Health Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of an existing information collection, OMB Control Number 1219-00040, Independent Contractor Register. OMB last approved this information collection request (ICR) on March 10, 2009.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR Part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR Part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR Part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR Part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

In response to requests from interested parties, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is extending the comment period on the proposed rule addressing Proximity Detection Systems for Continuous Mining Machines in Underground Coal Mines. This extension gives commenters additional time to comment on the proposed rule. The proposal was published on August 31, 2011.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is holding a public meeting, and plans to hold additional public meetings, to gather more information on effective safety and health management programs to eliminate hazards and prevent injuries and illnesses at mines. Safety and health management programs are an important component of helping mine operators assure the safety and health of miners at their mines. MSHA encourages representatives from academia, safety and health professionals, industry organizations, worker organizations, government agencies, industries other than mining, and international organizations to present information on their model programs. MSHA believes that effective safety and health management programs in mining will create a sustained industry-wide effort to eliminate hazards and will result in the prevention of injuries and illnesses.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of an existing information collection, OMB Control Number 1219-0145. This information collection was originally titled Safety Standards Regarding Technical Study Panel Recommendations on the Utilization of Belt Air and the Composition and Fire Retardant Properties of Belt Materials in Underground Coal Mining. OMB 1219-0145 has been renamed Automatic Fire Sensor and Warning Device Systems; Examination and Test Requirements to reflect that the information collection is only for extending the approval of the information collection related to 30 CFR Sec. Sec. 75.1103-8(b) and (c). MSHA expects to subsume these provisions into OMB 1219-0054, Fire Protection (Underground Coal Mines) when that package is renewed in January 2013. No provisions will then remain in OMB 1219-0145 and the package will be discontinued. Other provisions of the original OMB 1219-0145 package have been subsumed into existing information collection packages as follows: OMB 1219-0009 subsumed Sec. 48.27(a) Training of miners assigned to a task in July 2011; OMB 1219-0073 subsumed Sec. 75.1103-5(a)(2)(ii) Automatic fire sensor and warning device systems and the package is at OMB for its 3-year review; OMB 1219-0088 subsumed Sec. Sec. 75.350(a)(2), 75.350(b), 75.350(b)(7), 75.350(b)(8), 75.350(d)(1), and 75.350(e)(1)(v) Belt air course ventilation; Sec. 75.351(e)(1)(v) Atmospheric monitoring systems (AMS); Sec. Sec. 75.370(a)(3) and (f) Mine ventilation plan submission and approval; Sec. Sec. 75.371(jj), 75.371(mm), 75.371(nn), and 75.371(yy) Mine ventilation plan contents; Sec. 75.380(f)(1) Escapeways; bituminous and lignite mines; Sec. 75.381(e) Escapeways; anthracite mines; and Sec. 75.1103-5(a) Automatic fire warning devices; actions, response in October 2010; OMB 1219-0127 subsumed Sec. 75.156 AMS operator, qualifications and the package is at OMB for its 3-year review. 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 and state agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed 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 ensure that requested information collections are in formats appropriate to the mining community, that reporting is minimal, collection instruments are clearly understood, and that the impact of collection requirements can be properly assessed.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is proposing to require underground coal mine operators to equip continuous mining machines (except full-face continuous mining machines) with proximity detection systems. Miners working near continuous mining machines face pinning, crushing, and striking hazards that have resulted, and continue to result, in accidents involving life threatening injuries and death. The proposal would strengthen the protections for miners by reducing the potential for pinning, crushing, or striking accidents in underground coal mines.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), is making $1,000,000 available in grant funds for educational and training programs to help identify, avoid, and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around mines. The focus of these grants for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 will be on training and training materials for mine emergency preparedness and mine emergency prevention for all underground mines. Applicants for the grants may be States and nonprofit (private or public) entities. MSHA could award as many as 20 separate grants. The amount of each individual grant will be at least $50,000.00. The maximum amount for a 12-month period of performance is $250,000. Also, MSHA is announcing a new program structure allowing applicants to apply for a renewal grant. This notice contains all of the information needed to apply for grant funding.

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and 30 CFR part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for modification. This notice is a summary of petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the parties listed below to modify the application of existing mandatory safety standards codified in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

This final rule replaces the Mine Safety and Health Administration's Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) pursuant to section 101(b) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. The final rule adopts the requirements contained in the ETS. Under the final rule, mine operators must maintain the incombustible content of combined coal dust, rock dust, and other dust to at least 80 percent in underground areas of bituminous coal mines. The final rule further requires that the incombustible content of such combined dust be increased 0.4 percent for each 0.1 percent of methane present. Accumulations of coal dust can ignite, resulting in an explosion, or after an explosion, they can intensify flame propagation, increasing the severity of explosions. The final rule, like the ETS, reduces both the potential for a coal mine explosion and the severity of explosions should they occur.