[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 180 (Monday, September 19, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 55018]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-18737]



[[Page 55017]]

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Part IV





Department of Labor





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Mine Safety and Health Administration



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30 CFR Part 57



Diesel Particulate Matter Exposure of Underground Metal and Nonmetal 
Miners; Proposed Rule and Final Rule

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 180 / Monday, September 19, 2005 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 55018]]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

30 CFR Part 57

RIN 1219-AB29


Diesel Particulate Matter Exposure of Underground Metal and 
Nonmetal Miners

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period, change of public 
hearing dates.

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SUMMARY: We (the Mine Safety and Health Administration) are extending 
the period for comments on the proposed rule entitled ``Diesel 
Particulate Matter Exposure of Underground Metal and Nonmetal Miners 
(DPM),'' published in the Federal Register on September 7, 2005 (70 FR 
53280). We are also rescheduling the public hearings on the proposed 
rule from September 26, 28, and 30, 2005 to January 5, 9, 11, and 13, 
2006. We find these actions necessary to provide sufficient time and an 
orderly process for affected parties to comment on the proposed rule.
    By a separate document published in today's Federal Register, we 
are also temporarily delaying the applicability date for 30 CFR 
57.5060(b) published in the Federal Register on January 19, 2001 (66 FR 
5706) from January 20, 2006 to May 20, 2006, to provide sufficient time 
to complete the September 7, 2005 proposal to amend the 2001 DPM rule.

DATES: Public hearing dates and locations are discussed in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Public comments and other 
appropriate data for the record must be received by January 27, 2006, 
when the post-hearing comment period will close.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Public Hearings

    We will hold four public hearings on the proposed rule. The public 
hearings will begin at 9 a.m., and will be held on the following dates 
at the locations indicated:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date                     Location               Phone
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January 5, 2006..............  Mine Safety and            (202) 693-9440
                                Health
                                Administration, 1100
                                Wilson Boulevard,
                                Conference Room,
                                25th Floor,
                                Arlington, VA 22209.
January 9, 2006..............  Little America Hotel,      (801) 363-6781
                                500 South Main
                                Street, Salt Lake
                                City, UT 84101.
January 11, 2006.............  Clarion Hotel Sports       (816) 737-0200
                                Complex, 9103 E.
                                39th Street, Kansas
                                City, MO 64133.
January 13, 2006.............  Marriott Louisville        (800) 228-9290
                                Downtown, 280 West
                                Jefferson Street,
                                Louisville, KY 40202.
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II. Background

    On September 7, 2005, we proposed a rule to phase in the final DPM 
limit because we are concerned that there may be feasibility issues for 
some mines to meet that limit by January 20, 2006. Accordingly, we 
proposed a five-year phase-in period and noted our intent to initiate a 
separate rulemaking to convert the final DPM limit from a total carbon 
limit to an elemental carbon limit. We set hearing dates and a deadline 
for receiving comments on the September 7, 2005 proposed rule with the 
expectation that we would complete the rulemaking to phase in the final 
DPM limit before January 20, 2006.
    After publication of the September 7, 2005 proposed rule, we 
received a request from the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, 
Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers 
International Union (USW) for more time to comment on the proposed 
rule. The USW explained that Hurricane Katrina had placed demands on 
their resources that will prevent them from participating effectively 
in the rulemaking under the current schedule for hearings and comments. 
We recognize the USW's need to devote resources to respond to the 
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the impact that would have on their 
participation under the current timetable. We also received a request 
from the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) for 
additional time to comment on the proposed rule and for an additional 
public hearing in Arlington, Virginia. Accordingly, due to requests 
from the USW and NSSGA, we are extending the deadline for receiving 
comments until January 27, 2006, and rescheduling the public hearings 
to January 5, 9, 11, 13, 2006.

List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 57

    Diesel particulate matter, Metal and nonmetal, Mine safety and 
health, Underground miners.

    Dated: September 15, 2005.
David G. Dye,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 05-18737 Filed 9-15-05; 2:55 pm]
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