[Federal Register: February 23, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 36)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 9299-9300]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23fe06-21]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
30 CFR Part 49
RIN 1219-AB44
Underground Mine Rescue Equipment and Technology
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Request for Information; notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: MSHA will hold a public meeting to receive comments on
specific topics raised in its Request for Information (RFI) published
in the Federal Register on January 25, 2006 (71 FR 4224). The RFI
sought comments, data, and other information on topics relevant to
underground mine rescue equipment and technology. The purpose of the
meeting is to receive technical information with respect to technology
used for underground communications and tracking of underground miners
in order to improve mine rescue capabilities in both coal and in metal
and nonmetal mines.
DATES: The public meeting will be held on Monday, March 13, 2006 at the
National Press Club, 529 14th Street, NW., First Amendment Lounge, 13th
Floor, Washington, DC 20045. If individuals or organizations wish to
make an oral presentation for the record, they should submit their
request at least five days prior to the meeting date. MSHA encourages
speakers to request speaking time in advance of the meeting. You may
request to speak by contacting the Office of Standards, Regulations,
and Variances, at (202) 693-9440 or by e-mail to Yvonne Quinn at
Quinn.Yvonne@dol.gov. Include the regulatory information number, RIN
1219-AB44, in your e-mail. Any unalloted time will be made available to
persons making same-day requests to speak at the meeting.
Members of the public may submit written comments relating to the
RFI as set out in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice. The post-public
meeting comment period will close concurrently with the comment period
for the RFI on March 27, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may use mail, facsimile (fax), or electronic mail to
send us your request to make an oral presentation at the public meeting
or to submit written comments. Clearly identify your request and send
it one of the following ways:
(1) Fax: (202) 693-9441. Include RIN 1219-AB44 in the subject line
of the fax.
(2) By electronic mail to comments@msha.gov. Include RIN 1219-AB44
in the subject line of your electronic mail.
(3) Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: MSHA, Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances, 1100 Wilson Blvd., Room 2313, Arlington, VA
22209-3939. If hand-delivered in person or by courier, please stop by
the 21st floor first to check in with the receptionist before
continuing on to the 23rd floor.
Docket: To access comments electronically, go to http://www.msha.gov
and click on ``Comments'' under ``Rules and Regulations.''
All comments received will be posted without change at this Web
address, including any personal information provided. Paper copies of
the comments may also be reviewed at the Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances, 1100 Wilson Blvd., Room 2349, Arlington,
VA.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Stone, Acting Director, Office
of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, 1100 Wilson Boulevard,
Room 2350, Arlington, VA 22209-3939. Mr. Stone can be reached at
Stone.Robert@dol.gov (Internet e-mail), (202) 693-9440 (voice), or
(202) 693-9441 (facsimile).
To subscribe to the MSHA listserve and receive automatic
notification of MSHA Federal Register publications, visit the site at
http://www.msha.gov/subscriptions/subscribe.aspx.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Format of the Public Meeting
The public meeting will begin on March 13 at 8:30 a.m. and is
scheduled to end at 5 p.m. Please note that speakers and all members of
the public may also submit written documentation to the MSHA panel on
the date of the meeting. Any written comments received at the meeting
will be included in the public meeting record.
The meeting will be held at the National Press Club, 529 14th
Street, NW., First Amendment Lounge, 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20045.
The meeting will begin with an opening
[[Page 9300]]
statement from MSHA, followed by an opportunity for members of the
public to make oral presentations. MSHA is specifically soliciting
technical presentations that discuss the following key issues raised in
the RFI: underground communications and tracking of underground miners.
Please note that MSHA approves all electrically operated equipment
taken in by the last open cross-cut in a coal mine as ``permissible''
under Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations, subchapter B. Accordingly,
technical presentations should address permissibility and intrinsic
safety. Information concerning MSHA's approval programs can be obtained
from the MSHA Web site at http://www.msha.gov.
The meeting will be conducted in an informal manner. The MSHA panel
at the meeting may ask questions of speakers. The presiding official
may exercise discretion to ensure the orderly progress of the meeting
and may exclude irrelevant or unduly repetitious material and
questions. A transcript of the proceeding will be prepared and made a
part of the public meeting record. The transcript will be available on
MSHA's Home Page at http://www.msha.gov, under Statutory and Regulatory
Information.
Dated: February 21, 2006.
David G. Dye,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 06-1748 Filed 2-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P