The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration announced plans Thursday to step up efforts to reduce black lung disease among coal miners by increasing enforcement and regulation.

Driving the new efforts by federal officials are increases in mine-related lung disease after decades of declines. Black lung is a common name for coal workers' pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases that develop by inhaling coal dust while working in underground mines.

Joseph Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health, during a conference call Thursday declined to discuss details of any new regulations, saying the work hasn't yet been made public. The administration, however, did say it is looking at past recommendations, including lowering coal mine dust exposure levels and creating separate exposure levels for coal mine dust and silica. The new rules could address air-quality sampling requirements and calculation methods for dust levels as well. The administration is already at working on ramping up the use of more advanced monitoring equipment.

"We will use all the tools necessary to control dust in coal mines and reduce the risk of disease to our nation's coal miners," said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, whose department oversees the mine safety and health administration, in a statement.

The coal industry has faced a push back already on the environmental issues from the Obama administration, particularly around the issue of surface mining in Appalachia. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also is moving forward on limits on carbon dioxide emissions, which is expected to curb the use of coal in the U.S.

On black lung, a spokesman for the National Mining Association said the industry is monitoring the issue and awaiting more details. A spokesman for the United Mine Workers of America said in an interview before the announcement its members are pushing for stricter limits on maximum allowable dust levels and stepped up enforcement.

The administration said it plans to increase the focus of inspectors on coal mine dust, including reviewing mines' ventilation plans and training provided to mine workers on black lung.

Federal legislation passed in the late-1960s aimed to eliminate black lung among U.S. miners. The regulations led to a very sharp drop in the disease between 1970 and 2000, but since then it has begun to rise again among miners with 20 or more years in the industry, according to federal health statistics

"That reduction seems to have hit a wall around the year 2000," said Dr. Gregory Wagner, a deputy assistant secretary at the administration, during the conference call.

Main said it is too early to provide a cost estimate for any new regulations since the proposed rules haven't even been released publicly. Black lung cases are most common in the Central and Northern Appalachia regions. Leading mining companies in the basins include Massey Energy Co. (MEE), Consol Energy Inc. (CNX) and Patriot Coal Corp. (PCX) among others.

-By Mark Peters, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2457; mark.peters@dowjones.com
Patriot Coal Corp. (NYSE:PCX)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Jun 2024 bis Jul 2024 Click Here for more Patriot Coal Corp. Charts.
Patriot Coal Corp. (NYSE:PCX)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Jul 2023 bis Jul 2024 Click Here for more Patriot Coal Corp. Charts.