The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration announced that the emergency rule on controlling coal dust implemented last year in underground mines is now permanent. The rule was instated in September 2010 about five months after the explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia killed 29 miners.
The rule increased the amount of pulverized stone or other inert material that mines must use to dilute coal dust in tunnels that bring fresh air underground. Now coal mine dust will have to be 80% non combustible rock dust and 20% coal dust. As per U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis the rule was an important step in the Labor Department’s efforts to keep miners safe.
The Massey Energy owned mine was blamed for allowing highly explosive coal dust and methane gas to accumulate in the Upper Big Branch mine. The Mine Safety and Health Association director Joe Main said that they were committed to enforcing this important standard that ultimately will save lives, and they expected mine operators to act quickly to reduce the threat to those mining coal underground.
Dennis O’Dell, Administrator of Occupational Health and Safety for the United Mine Workers of America said that they could always make improvements but this was definitely a vast improvement considering that the rock dust standard hasn’t been changed since the 1920s.
He added that a number of mines were already making sure that more than 80% of their dust is rock dust and the new rules would ensure that those outlaw bandits out there get up to the same standards as the reputable operators.