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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (703) 235-1452.
In response to President Clinton's call for sweeping
reform of the federal regulatory system, the Labor Department's Mine Safety and
Health Administration (MSHA) is inviting mine operators, miners, manufacturers
and other interested parties to identify regulations that are unnecessary,
obsolete or have conflicting or duplicate provisions.
MSHA currently is conducting a comprehensive review of all
its existing regulations. "The primary purpose of this review is to improve the
effectiveness of the agency's existing safety and health regulations, without
reducing the protection provided to miners," said J. Davitt McAteer, assistant
labor secretary for mine safety and health.
In reviewing existing regulations, MSHA is evaluating each
standard for necessity. For example, the agency has identified equipment
approval regulations under which no applications have been received in many
years.
MSHA also is evaluating whether there are standards that
duplicate, are inconsistent or conflict with other MSHA or federal
requirements. For example, MSHA is considering combining the safety and health
standards for surface and underground metal and nonmetal mines to eliminate
unnecessary repetition.
Notice of MSHA's request for comments on regulatory reform
will appear in the Federal Register on Monday, April 10, 1995. Submit written
comments on or before May 1, 1995, to MSHA's Office of Standards, Regulations
and Variances, Room 631, 4015 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va., 22203, (703)
235-1910. Computer disks with comments, accompanied by hard copy, are
encouraged.
McAteer noted that while the May 1 comment deadline was
short, both the agency and the department intend to move as quickly as possible
on the President's call. Comments submitted after the deadline also will be
accepted and considered as part of MSHA's ongoing regulatory reform
efforts.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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