[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9299-9300]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1748]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

30 CFR Part 49

RIN 1219-AB44


Underground Mine Rescue Equipment and Technology

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Request for Information; notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: MSHA will hold a public meeting to receive comments on 
specific topics raised in its Request for Information (RFI) published 
in the Federal Register on January 25, 2006 (71 FR 4224). The RFI 
sought comments, data, and other information on topics relevant to 
underground mine rescue equipment and technology. The purpose of the 
meeting is to receive technical information with respect to technology 
used for underground communications and tracking of underground miners 
in order to improve mine rescue capabilities in both coal and in metal 
and nonmetal mines.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on Monday, March 13, 2006 at the 
National Press Club, 529 14th Street, NW., First Amendment Lounge, 13th 
Floor, Washington, DC 20045. If individuals or organizations wish to 
make an oral presentation for the record, they should submit their 
request at least five days prior to the meeting date. MSHA encourages 
speakers to request speaking time in advance of the meeting. You may 
request to speak by contacting the Office of Standards, Regulations, 
and Variances, at (202) 693-9440 or by e-mail to Yvonne Quinn at 
[email protected]. Include the regulatory information number, RIN 
1219-AB44, in your e-mail. Any unalloted time will be made available to 
persons making same-day requests to speak at the meeting.
    Members of the public may submit written comments relating to the 
RFI as set out in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice. The post-public 
meeting comment period will close concurrently with the comment period 
for the RFI on March 27, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may use mail, facsimile (fax), or electronic mail to 
send us your request to make an oral presentation at the public meeting 
or to submit written comments. Clearly identify your request and send 
it one of the following ways:
    (1) Fax: (202) 693-9441. Include RIN 1219-AB44 in the subject line 
of the fax.
    (2) By electronic mail to [email protected]. Include RIN 1219-AB44 
in the subject line of your electronic mail.
    (3) Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: MSHA, Office of Standards, 
Regulations, and Variances, 1100 Wilson Blvd., Room 2313, Arlington, VA 
22209-3939. If hand-delivered in person or by courier, please stop by 
the 21st floor first to check in with the receptionist before 
continuing on to the 23rd floor.
    Docket: To access comments electronically, go to http://www.msha.gov and click on ``Comments'' under ``Rules and Regulations.'' 
All comments received will be posted without change at this Web 
address, including any personal information provided. Paper copies of 
the comments may also be reviewed at the Office of Standards, 
Regulations, and Variances, 1100 Wilson Blvd., Room 2349, Arlington, 
VA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Stone, Acting Director, Office 
of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, 
Room 2350, Arlington, VA 22209-3939. Mr. Stone can be reached at 
[email protected] (Internet e-mail), (202) 693-9440 (voice), or 
(202) 693-9441 (facsimile).
    To subscribe to the MSHA listserve and receive automatic 
notification of MSHA Federal Register publications, visit the site at 
http://www.msha.gov/subscriptions/subscribe.aspx.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Format of the Public Meeting

    The public meeting will begin on March 13 at 8:30 a.m. and is 
scheduled to end at 5 p.m. Please note that speakers and all members of 
the public may also submit written documentation to the MSHA panel on 
the date of the meeting. Any written comments received at the meeting 
will be included in the public meeting record.
    The meeting will be held at the National Press Club, 529 14th 
Street, NW., First Amendment Lounge, 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20045. 
The meeting will begin with an opening

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statement from MSHA, followed by an opportunity for members of the 
public to make oral presentations. MSHA is specifically soliciting 
technical presentations that discuss the following key issues raised in 
the RFI: underground communications and tracking of underground miners. 
Please note that MSHA approves all electrically operated equipment 
taken in by the last open cross-cut in a coal mine as ``permissible'' 
under Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations, subchapter B. Accordingly, 
technical presentations should address permissibility and intrinsic 
safety. Information concerning MSHA's approval programs can be obtained 
from the MSHA Web site at http://www.msha.gov.
    The meeting will be conducted in an informal manner. The MSHA panel 
at the meeting may ask questions of speakers. The presiding official 
may exercise discretion to ensure the orderly progress of the meeting 
and may exclude irrelevant or unduly repetitious material and 
questions. A transcript of the proceeding will be prepared and made a 
part of the public meeting record. The transcript will be available on 
MSHA's Home Page at http://www.msha.gov, under Statutory and Regulatory 
Information.

    Dated: February 21, 2006.
David G. Dye,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 06-1748 Filed 2-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P