MSHA raises mine workers' protection against asbestos

MSHA raises mine workers’ protection against asbestos

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration announced Friday that it has lowered the permissible exposure limit on asbestos for mine workers who are potentially at risk of coming into contact with the substance.

The new rule lowers the limit by 95 percent, from 2 fibers per cubic centimeter to 0.1 fibers, which matches what has already been in place for almost all other workers set by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The rule applies to all U.S. iron ore mines, coal mines, and other nonferrous metal mines.

News reports in 1999 linked the presence of asbestos at the W.R. Grace and Co. vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana to an unusually high number of deaths and illnesses. The mine contained tremolite asbestos, a highly dangerous type of the substance, which became airborne and was blown across Libby. As a result, the U.S. Department of Labor recommended that the MSHA create stricter safety guidelines to protect its industry’s workers.

The MSHA’s acting director, Richard Stickler, said the new rule will lower the risk of workers developing health conditions during their working lifetime. However, Celeste Monforton, a former MSHA staff member who is currently a public health researcher at George Washington University, still criticizes the organization’s efforts. She says that while the new rule will do some good, it is still insufficient compared to the amount of protection provided to workers in other industries.

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