Safety Standards for Ventilation of Underground Coal Mines

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

30 CFR Part 75

RIN 1219-AA11

Safety Standards for Ventilation of Underground Coal Mines

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will hold

public hearings to receive comments on the May 19, 1994, proposed rule

revising certain provisions of the existing safety standards for

ventilation of underground coal mines. These hearings are being held

under section 101 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.

The hearings will be held in Price, Utah; Monaville, West Virginia; and

Washington, Pennsylvania.

DATES: All requests to make oral presentations for the record should be

submitted at least 5 days prior to each hearing date. Immediately

before each hearing, any unallotted time will be made available to

persons making late requests. The public hearings will be held at the

following locations on the dates indicated:

September 27, 1994, in Price, Utah.

October 4, 1994, in Monaville, West Virginia.

October 17, 1994, in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Each hearing will last from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will

continue into the next day if necessary.

ADDRESSES: The hearings will be held at the following locations:

September 27, 1994, College of Eastern Utah, Students' Activities

Center, Ballroom, 451 East, 400 North, Price, Utah 84501.

October 4, 1994, National Guard Armory, 150 Armory Road, Drill Hall,

Monaville, West Virginia 25653.

October 17, 1994, Meadowlands Holiday Inn, Conference Center, 340 Race

Track Road, Washington, Pennsylvania 15301.

Send requests to make oral presentations to: Mine Safety and Health

Administration, Office of Standards, Regulations and Variances, Room

631, 4015 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia W. Silvey, Director, Office

of Standards, Regulations and Variances, MSHA (703) 235-1910.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 19, 1994, MSHA published a proposed

rule in the Federal Register (59 FR 26356) revising stayed provisions

of MSHA's existing safety standards for ventilation of underground coal

mines. The proposal also revised, clarified or reproposed certain other

provisions in the existing rule; included some new provisions; and

addressed concerns raised by the public. The comment period was

scheduled to close on July 18, 1994, but, in response to a request from

the mining community for additional time in which to prepare comments,

MSHA extended the comment period to August 8, 1994 (59 FR 35071).

The purpose of the hearings is to receive relevant comments and to

answer questions interpreting or clarifying the proposal. The hearings

will be conducted in an informal manner by a panel of MSHA officials.

Although formal rules of evidence or cross examination will not apply,

the presiding official may exercise discretion to ensure the orderly

progress of the hearings and may exclude irrelevant or unduly

repetitious material and questions.

Each session will begin with an opening statement from MSHA,

followed by an opportunity for members of the public to make oral

presentations. The hearing panel will be available to address relevant

questions. At the discretion of the presiding official, the time

allocated to speakers for their presentations may be limited. In the

interest of conducting productive hearings, MSHA will schedule speakers

in a manner that allows all points of view to be heard as effectively

as possible.

Verbatim transcripts of the proceedings will be prepared and made a

part of the rulemaking record. Copies of the hearing transcripts will

be made available to the public for review.

MSHA will also accept for the record additional written comments

and other appropriate data from any interested party, including those

not presenting oral statements. Written comments and data submitted to

MSHA will be included in the rulemaking record. To allow for the

submission of any post-hearing comments the record will remain open

until November 18, 1994.

Dated: August 11, 1994.

J. Davitt McAteer,

Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health.

[FR Doc. 94-20199 Filed 8-16-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-43-P