Labor Department Extends Comment Period on Silica Dust Rules

The U.S. Labor Department on Thursday announced it is extending the public comment period on proposed amendments to federal standards intended to protect miners from health hazards related to workplace exposure of respirable crystalline silica and silica dust. The comment period that was set to close Aug. 28 was extended through Sept. 11. The proposed change would require mine operators to maintain workers’ permissible exposure limit to respirable crystalline silica at or below 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air for a full shift. Operators would be required to take immediate correcti...