The United Mine Workers of America offered the following comments regarding the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Asbestos Exposure Limit; Proposed Rule.

The Union is pleased that MSHA has issued a proposed rule relating to asbestos exposure in the mining industry.  The reality of the circumstances is that the Agency is attempting to satisfy the three recommendations made by the U. S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General.  These recommendations were the result of an investigation into the condition that existed and the human suffering that resulted from asbestos exposure to workers and the community in Libby, Montana.  Those recommendations include lowering the existing permissible exposure limit for asbestos to a more protective level, use transmission electron microscopy instead of phase contrast microscopy in the initial analysis of fiber samples that may contain asbestos, and implement special safety requirements to address take-home contamination.

If MSHA had had an adequate exposure limit and enforced that limit, it might have prevented the current situation at Libby.  Given the widespread asbestos contamination at the mine and in the surrounding community, coupled with the high rate of asbestos related illnesses, no one can say enough effort was applied by anyone, to correct the problem.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 7:45 pm and is filed under Asbestos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.