Four public meetings to discuss the proposal were held around the country in May and all written comments were to be submitted by June 16. By law, regulations must be finalized by September 30. Information was also provided regarding the proposed Part 46 training rules. In April, a coalition of mining and manufacturing trade associations requested a meeting with J. Davitt McAteer, the director of MSHA, to discuss a proposed noise rule setting a permissable exposure level of 90 dBA during an eight-hour time weighted average. Plants are not allowed to achieve this level of exposure through the use of earplugs and muffs for employees, but must use engineering and administrative methods of control.
Affected industries believe that the cost of compliance has been underestimated by the agency.
The request was denied due to constraints of the Administrative Procedures Act. A hearing on the proposed rule was held May 26 before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment, Safety, and Training. The rule should be released in July. The Limestone Country Trail plan was defeated in court by neighboring land owners, including Victor Oolitic Stone Co. for privacy and liability reasons. The money is from both state and federal sources.