#msha

[msha-official]

Long story short: a revision to MSHA's requirements was proposed to remove the clause "Additional measures may be required in plans by the District Manager." (30CFR § 75.222)

This will cause more miners to die.

The public comment period ends July 31, 2025. The link with the rule change and instructions to comment is below.

I've also included my own defense for why this regulation change is hazardous and ultimately more costly for the mining industry as a whole.

Variability in roof conditions means not every coal mine is able to support the roof in a way that will prevent roof falls from killing the miners with the minimum roof support. The clause "Additional measures may be required in plans by the District Manager" (30CFR § 75.222)" addresses these shortcomings to suit the requirements of the individual mine's roof control plan to best protect the miners, without having to hold the entire industry to an unreasonably high standard, just to protect the miners at the mine with the worst conditions. By having the discretion to individually allocate minimum support at each mine based on the conditions present, this clause is actually saving the rest of the industry from having to follow stricter regulations everywhere.

Executive Order 12866 requires agencies to tailor regulations to impose the least burden on society. Having individualized roof control plans does this by imposing the burden of following stricter guidelines on only one mine instead of requiring every mine in the country to follow those stricter regulations

Removing this clause places the onus of miner safety more fully in the operator's hands to be able to address conditions that are not addressed in the minimum roof control requirements set forth by the regulations. The District Manager adds individualized mine requirements based on the conditions of each mine to ensure the safety of the miners working there. These additions are non-arbitrary and based on addressing the conditions of the mine. If this ability of the District Manager is removed, more miners will die from roof falls where the minimum roof control requirements are not sufficient to address individual mine conditions.

2016 marked the first year in US history where 0 roof fall fatalities occurred. Having additional requirements for each mine at the discretion of the District Manager is proven to work at preventing roof fall fatalities.

In addition, preventing fatalities by using appropriate roof support to begin with simply costs less than addressing fatalities. The annual savings estimated by this proposal of $1.1 million over 10 years is outweighed by the cost of addressing fatalities that will occur if mine-specific regulations, addressed by the District Manager, are removed.

The rule change also cites that this role change will result in "a more efficient Agency review and approval of roof control plans for underground coal mines." If every proposed change to a roof control plan needs full comment periods and the equivalent status of a publicly-applied law for a change that should only affect a single mine, the roof control plan approval process will significantly slowed.

Further note: the regulations for ventilation requirements and other specific mining plans are also being edited to remove similar clauses. Please also submit comments to those regulation changes.

[appalachian-werewolf]

How to don and swap your self-rescuer.

[uboat53]

How anti-worker are Congressional Republicans? Well, they're trying to repeal a policy that would protect mine workers even when the INDUSTRY HAS NOT EVEN ASKED THEM TO DO SO!

US miners' union head calls House Republican effort to block silica dust rule an 'attack' on workers

The head of the national mine workers’ union on Friday condemned what he characterized as an effort by House Republicans to block enforcemen

[iamthepulta]

MSHA UNDERGROUND TRAINING!

Stay Safe! Stay Alive!

@msha-official

[occhygiene]

“On the morning of May 19th, 1902, a huge explosion ripped through Fraterville Coal Mine in Tennessee, its devastating power instantly killing most of the 216 miners who were below ground. For the 26 who survived the initial blast, a side passage of the mine proved to be a safe haven, but not for long—when rescuers eventually reached them, all had suffocated. Found next to a number of the those 26 bodies were letters to loved ones, one of which can be seen below. It was written by Jacob Vowell to Sarah Ellen, his beloved wife and mother to their 6 children, one of whom, 14-year-old Elbert, was by his side in the mine. ("Little Eddie" was a son they had lost previously.)

All but three of Fraterville's adult men were killed that day; over a hundred women were instantly widowed; close to a thousand children lost their fathers. The Fraterville Mine disaster remains the worst of its kind in Tennessee's history.”

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This shit right here is one of the countless reasons we have child labor laws and workplace regulations. Too many people have forget this and the many other occupational tragedies of the early industrial age.

I used to chat with an older gentleman at starbucks whose dad was a Pennsylvania coal miner. My starbucks friend would talk about going into the mines as a child (E: his dad would take him to the mines with him).  When they weren't being worked, they would go in to steal coal in order to sell on the side for pocket money.  He would also recall how common cave ins were and they killed his father's coworkers and friends. We've come so far but it's easy to forget about stuff like this once it leaves living memory, and because we're so disconnected from these issues in the modern world. 

[profound-boning]

misha: My grandfather Dorr (“Pop”) was a colonel in the US Air Force in WWII. He had the best stories. Today, I’m thinking of him & of all who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. Thank you all. #veteransday

[kentuckwitch]

See that odd shape on the mountain top? That’s Don Blankenship’s house, as seen from Rte 119 in South Williamson, Ky. If you don’t know, he’s a Big Coal exec whose greed and deliberate disregard of mine safety rules resulted in the death of 29 coal miners. 

He is literally looking down on Appalachians from his gigantic mountain top mansion. If this isn’t an image representing what’s wrong with this country, and the state of income inequality and class warfare and the fight for the lives and souls of our region, then I don’t know what is.

[msha-official]