First MSHA Silica Hearing Held

Aug. 9, 2023 – Louisville Public Media featured a good recap of the first Mine Safety and Health Administration hearing to gather comments on the recently proposed silica standards. The regulation would affect every mine, cement plant, and rock quarry in the country regardless of the material produced there. It would add protections for non-coal workers like requiring companies to offer free medical exams while cutting in half the amount of toxic silica dust all miners can legally be exposed to. Speakers both pro and con took part in the session.