DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Pneumoconiosis
Among Coal Mine Workers; Meeting
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Notice of advisory committee meeting.
SUMMARY: This notice announces the date, time, place, and agenda summary for the third meeting of the Mine Safety and Health Administration's Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Pneumoconiosis Among Coal Mine Workers.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia W. Silvey, Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, Mine Safety and Health Administration, 4015 Wilson Boulevard, room 631, Arlington, Virginia 22203; phone 703-235-1910.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A public meeting of the advisory committee will be held as follows:
- (1) May 29, 1996, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(2) May 30, 1996, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The meeting will be held on both days at the Holiday Inn- Charleston House, 600 East Kanawha Blvd., Charleston, West Virginia 25301. Phone: 304-344-4092.
The Secretary of Labor established this advisory committee (60 FR 5947) to develop recommendations for improved standards or other appropriate actions addressing: permissible exposure limits to eliminate black lung disease and silicosis; the means to control respirable coal mine dust levels; improved monitoring of respirable coal dust levels and the role of the miner in that monitoring; and the adequacy of operator sampling programs to determine the actual levels of dust concentrations to which miners are exposed. The advisory committee is chartered through September 30, 1996 (60 FR 55284), but must complete its deliberations by August 19, 1996.
The agenda for the third meeting will include discussions on exposure monitoring and medical surveillance. Specific questions for discussion will include:
- 1) Should there be changes in the medical surveillance
program and the way the data from the program is utilized?
- 2) In what ways can participation in the medical surveillance
program be improved?
- 3) Is the Part 90 program accomplishing its goal?
- 4) Should there be changes in the methods and procedures for
the evaluation of exposure to coal mine dust?
- 5) What improvements are needed in: the collection of coal
mine dust exposure samples; the maintenance of dust controls; and
the factoring in of production levels?
- 6) Under what circumstances is continuous monitoring of coal
mine dust concentrations appropriate?
- 7) Under what circumstances does area sampling of the coal
mine environment provide dust concentration data useful for the
protection of coal miner health?
- 8) Should operator sampling results be used for evaluating
compliance with the PEL?
- 9) In what ways can miner participation in eradicating dust
related diseases be improved?
There will also be a panel discussion by representatives of the National Black Lung Association followed by questions by members of the advisory committee.
The public is invited to attend. The chairperson will provide an hour near the end of each day's meeting to allow interested persons to make comments. Official records of the meeting will be available for public inspection at the above MSHA address.
Dated: May 9, 1966
Signed: J. Davitt McAteer
Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health
