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Statement of Need: Section 4 of the MINER Act requires the Secretary of Labor to finalize mandatory health and safety standards relating to mine rescue teams in underground coal mines no later than December 15, 2007. Current standards require properly trained mine rescue teams to be immediately available during mine emergencies. The MINER Act requires team members to have underground coal mining experience and requires teams to participate in mine rescue contests. The MINER Act also provides for multi-employer teams, State-sponsored teams, and contract teams to ensure the availability of qualified mine rescue teams.

Summary of the Legal Basis: Promulgation of this regulation is authorized by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and the MINER Act of 2006.

Alternatives: As required by the MINER Act, MSHA must publish a regulation on mine rescue teams.

Anticipated Costs and Benefits: MSHA will develop a preliminary regulatory economic analysis to accompany the proposed rule.

Risks: Mine explosions at the Sago Mine and Darby No. 1 Mine and a mine fire at the Alma Mine in 2006 resulted in the deaths of 19 underground coal miners. Explosions, fires, and the migration of potentially explosive methane-air mixtures from worked-out areas to the working areas of an underground coal mine endanger all miners who work in the mine, including potential rescuers.