The House of Representatives vote defeated an amendment offered by Representative Nick Rahall to the Department of Labor Appropriations bill HR 260. The Rahall amendment would have precluded MSHA from spending any further money on the respirable coal dust regulations until October of next year.

 

"This evening's vote advances miners' health and allows us to take full advantage of new cutting-edge technology that has the potential to revolutionise the protections afforded miners from exposure to coal dust," said NMA president and chief executive Jack Gerard.

 

Last month MSHA suspended further action on the proposal until the agency could pursue accelerated research on Personal Dust Monitors, a new protective technology favoured by miners' representatives and the mining industry.

 

Personal Dust Monitors are now undergoing in-mine testing and MSHA is committed to using the results in a timely finalisation of the rulemaking.