Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden for Protecting Miners from Exposure to Hazardous Silica Dust
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule to strengthen protections for miners against respirable crystalline silica.
“Experts have repeatedly stressed that, when inhaled, silica dust can cause a range of serious diseases, including lung cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, and silicosis. The Biden Administration’s final rule takes an important step to protect workers from these serious health threats by lowering the allowable levels of silica exposure in mines and extending operator-funded respiratory screenings to miners.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts are a significant relief for miners and their families who have waited decades for the federal government to strengthen protections against workplace exposure to silica dust. In fact, this is the first action taken by any Administration to update workplace protections against silica exposure for miners since the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the first silica standard for other workers more than 50 years ago.
“Moreover, I am grateful to see that Department of Labor (DOL) made several changes Dr. Adams and I requested from the proposed rule that advance sound science and close the door to industry-sponsored conflicted science. Specifically, I applaud DOL’s decision to require certain miner health information to be shared with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), thus enabling meaningful insights into worker health in the mining industry. It is also encouraging that DOL wisely decided to drop a provision from the proposed rule that would have opened the door to industry-backed scientists offering suspect studies to empower operators to escape regular dust sampling.
“While I am grateful that President Biden has answered our call for stronger regulations on silica dust, there is still more that needs to be done, such as strengthening miners’ tools and power to safeguard their own health. In particular, there is much more to be done to protect workers in metal and nonmetal mines, which vastly outnumber coal mines. Operators should be required to maintain records on exposures for much longer, given the long latency period of silicosis and related lung diseases. Nevertheless, this final rule is a significant step forward for miner health. I will always fight to protect workers’ safety and ensure they are no longer exposed to hazardous respiratory diseases on the job.”
Last September, Full Committee Ranking Member Scott and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Ranking Member Alma Adams (NC-12) urged the Mine Safety and Health Administration to address key shortcomings in its proposed silica dust rule that would have prevented it from fully protecting the health and safety of miners.
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