[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11379-11380]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1177]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration


Technical Study Panel on the Utilization of Belt Air and the 
Composition and Fire Retardant Properties of Belt Materials in 
Underground Coal Mining

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

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice informs interested persons of the second meeting 
of the Technical Study Panel (Panel) on the Utilization of Belt Air and 
the Composition and Fire Retardant

[[Page 11380]]

Properties of Belt Materials in Underground Coal Mining. The public is 
invited to attend.

DATES: The meeting will be held March 28-March 30, 2007. The meetings 
on March 28-29, 2007 will start at 9 a.m. each day and conclude by 5 
p.m. The meeting on March 30, 2007 will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude no 
later than 1 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting location is the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh Airport, 
8256 University Blvd., Coraopolis, PA 15108-2591 (telephone: 412-262-
3600).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia W. Silvey, Director, Office 
of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, Mine Safety and Health 
Administration, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2330, Arlington, Virginia 
22209; [email protected] (Internet e-mail), 202-693-9440 (voice), 
or 202-693-9441 (facsimile).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Panel was created under section 11 of 
the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006 
(Pub. L. 109-236). The purpose of the Panel is to provide independent 
scientific and engineering review and recommendations concerning the 
utilization of belt air and the composition and fire retardant 
properties of belt materials in underground coal mining. By December 
2007, the Panel must submit a report to the Secretaries of Labor and 
Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor and Pensions, and the House Committee on Education and the 
Workforce. The first meeting of the Panel was held in Washington, DC on 
January 9-10, 2007.
    The agenda for the second meeting will include:
    (1) Belt conveyor material issues: flammability and toxicity.
    (2) Discussion: panel of belt manufacturers.
    (3) General discussion: ventilation, dust control, and escape 
issues.
    (4) Discussion: 1992 Belt Air Advisory Committee report.
    (5) Public input: The panel will allocate time at the end of the 
day on March 28 and March 29 for presentations by members of the 
public. MSHA expects the amount of time allocated for public 
participation to be approximately one hour, but it may vary based on 
the interest expressed. MSHA will also accept written submissions.
    MSHA requests that persons planning to participate in the public 
input session of this meeting notify the Agency at least one week prior 
to the meeting date. There will be an opportunity for other persons, 
who have not made prior arrangements with MSHA and wish to speak, to 
register at the beginning of the meeting on March 28. Speakers should 
limit their presentations to five minutes, but may supplement oral 
remarks with written submissions. MSHA will incorporate written 
submissions into the official record and make them available to the 
public. The Panel Chairman will moderate the public participation 
session, and panelists may ask the speakers questions.
    The public may inspect the official record of the meetings at the 
MSHA address listed above. In addition, the information will be posted 
on the Agency's single source Web page titled ``The Technical Study 
Panel on the Utilization of Belt Air and the Composition and Fire 
Retardant Properties of Belt Materials in Underground Coal Mining 
Single Source Page.'' The Single Source page is located at http://www.msha.gov/BeltAir/BeltAir.asp.

    Dated: March 8, 2007.
Richard E. Stickler,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 07-1177 Filed 3-9-07; 9:41 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P