The six-member team will converge on the Best Western Birmingham Airport hotel in Birmingham on June 20 and 31. The meetings, which are open to the public, will begin at 9am local time.
As with the committee’s other gatherings in Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, and Salt Lake City that were focused in nature, the Birmingham event will center on atmospheric monitoring systems.
Manufacturers of the units have been asked to speak, and a discussion is planned regarding sensor technologies and current capabilities of AMS.
Also in line with the group’s protocol will be an opportunity for public input and inquiries. The end of each meeting day has been devoted to the purpose, and question can be accepted onsite or in writing.
Those attending the meeting who wish to be granted time to speak during the public input time block are asked to submit notification to MSHA, as those persons will be permitted podium time first. All input should be limited to five minutes or less, the agency said.
As with other gatherings the agency hosts, a transcript of the technical study meeting will be made available to the public afterwards on the MSHA website.
Committee member Dr Jan Mutmansky of Penn State told ILN last week that the group’s progress is right on schedule and that their focused discussions will begin after this gathering in Alabama.
“We've decided that we will begin our deliberations [as subcommittees] only after the final meeting … so that we do not make judgments until all of the experts and all interested parties have been heard," he said.
For further information on the panel, its progress to date and its goals, go to http://www.longwalls.com/storyview.asp?storyid=72042§ionsource=s89&highlight=belt or MSHA's Single Source page at http://www.msha.gov/BeltAir/BeltAir.asp
Keep watching International Longwall News for further updates on the technical study panel.
