The agency distributed a notice on the gatherings late last week via the Federal Register, and on November 13 also published the corrections to errors in the proposed rule initially released October 19. The corrections related to research figures.

MSHA assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health Joseph Main noted that the proposed rule would significantly improve health protection for both underground and surface coal miners through the reduction of occupational exposure to respirable coal mine dust.

“It will lower the risk that they will suffer material impairment of health or functional capacity over their working lives,” he said.

The first hearing has been set for December 7 at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beaver, West Virginia. On December 9, the agency will meet with interested parties from the industry in Washington, Pennsylvania, at The George Washington Hotel.

The third meeting will not be until January 11, and that hearing will be hosted by the Marriott Evansville Airport in Evansville, Indiana. The same week on January 13, a gathering will be held at the Sheraton Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama.

Wrapping up the hearing schedule will be events on January 25 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and January 27 in Arlington, Virginia. The Utah meeting will be held at the Marriot Salt Lake City while the final meeting in Virginia is set to convene at the MSHA headquarters.

Each of the public hearings, which will begin at 9am local time and adjourn no later than 5pm, will kick off with an opening statement from MSHA, followed by an opportunity for the public to make oral presentations.

While a written request is not required to speak at any of the hearings, the agency encourages anyone wishing to give input to provide advance notification via phone at 202-693-9440 for scheduling purposes.

MSHA will be accepting written comments after the hearings as well; that input must be received by February 28, 2011, at midnight (Eastern time zone).

The corrections to the MSHA final rule can be viewed at the Office of the Federal Register’s Public Inspection Desk, http://www.federalregister.gov/inspection.aspx. The October 19 proposed rule can be examined in its entirety at http://www.msha.gov/REGS/FEDREG/PROPOSED/2010Prop/2010-25249.pdf.