Mine Safety and Health Administration
Protecting Miners' Safety and Health Since 1978
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U.S. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration Protecting Miners' Safety and Health Since 1978 |
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[April 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 82)] [Unified Agenda] Department of Labor (DOL) Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Long-Term Actions _______________________________________________________________________ 1815. ASBESTOS EXPOSURE LIMIT Priority: Other Significant Legal Authority: 30 USC 811; 30 USC 813 CFR Citation: 30 CFR 56; 30 CFR 57; 30 CFR 71 Legal Deadline: None Abstract: MSHA's permissible exposure limit (PEL) for asbestos applies to surface (30 CFR part 56) and underground (30 CFR part 57) metal and nonmetal mines and to surface coal mines and surface areas of underground coal mines (30 CFR part 71). The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recommended in a report that MSHA lower its PEL for asbestos to a more protective level, and address take-home contamination from asbestos. It also recommended that MSHA use Transmission Electron Microscopy to analyze fiber samples that may contain asbestos. MSHA proposed a rule to lower the asbestos PEL, which would reduce asbestos-induced occupational disease. Statement of Need: Current scientific data indicate that the existing asbestos PEL is not sufficiently protective of miners' health. MSHA's asbestos regulations date to 1967 and are based on the Bureau of Mines (MSHA's predecessor) standard of 5 million particles per cubic foot of air (mppcf). Other Federal agencies have addressed this issue by lowering their asbestos PEL. For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, working in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency, enacted a revised asbestos standard in 1994 that lowered the permissible exposure limit to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter (f/cc) of air and the excursion limit to 1.0 f/cc of air as averaged over a 30 minute sampling period. These lower limits reflect new information and studies that compare asbestos-related disease risk to the number of asbestos- exposed workers. Summary of Legal Basis: Promulgation of this regulation is authorized by section 101 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. Alternatives: The Agency increased sampling efforts in an attempt to determine miners' exposure levels to asbestos. In early 2000, MSHA began an extensive sampling effort at operations with potential asbestos exposure including taking samples at all existing vermiculite, taconite, talc, and other mines to determine the level of asbestos present. While sampling, MSHA staff also discussed various potential hazards of asbestos with miners and mine operators and the types of preventive measures that could be implemented to reduce exposures. The final rule will be based, on comments and testimony to the proposed rule, as well as MSHA sampling and inspection experience. Anticipated Cost and Benefits: The anticipated costs of the proposed rule to the mining industry would be approximately $136,000 annually. Of this total amount, the cost to the metal and nonmetal mining sector would be $91,500, and the cost to the coal mining sector would be $44,600. MSHA estimates that between 1 and 19 deaths could be prevented over the next 65 years, which represents approximately 9 to 84 percent of all occupationally related deaths caused by asbestos exposure. Under the proposed exposure limit, approximately 1 out of every 1,000 miners will avoid the risk of death from asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, or other forms of cancer attributed to asbestos exposure. Risks: Miners could be exposed to the hazards of asbestos at mine operations where ore body contains asbestos. In addition, miners could be exposed to asbestos at facilities that install material containing asbestos. Overexposure to asbestos causes asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other forms of cancer. Timetable: ________________________________________________________________________ Action Date FR Cite ________________________________________________________________________ ANPRM 03/29/02 67 FR 15134 Notice of Change to Public Meetings 04/18/02 67 FR 19140 ANPRM Comment Period End 06/27/02 NPRM 07/29/05 70 FR 42950 NPRM Comment Period End 11/21/05 70 FR 43950 Public Hearing 10/18/05 70 FR 43950 Final Action 06/00/08 Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No Small Entities Affected: Businesses Government Levels Affected: None Additional Information: The Office of the Inspector General issued a report entitled, ``Evaluation of MSHA's Handling of Inspections at the W.R. Grace & Company Mine in Libby, Montana,'' in March 2001. URL For More Information: www.msha.gov/regsinfo.htm URL For Public Comments: www.regulations.gov Agency Contact: Patricia W. Silvey, Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2350, Arlington, VA 22209-3939 Phone: 202 693-9440 Fax: 202 693-9441 Email: silvey.patricia@dol.gov RIN: 1219-AB24 _______________________________________________________________________ |
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Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) 1100 Wilson Boulevard, 21st Floor Arlington, VA 22209-3939 |
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