Federal Agency Orders More Oxygen In Mines
More than 37,000 underground coal miners and contract workers nationwide would be provided with adequate emergency oxygen to escape from fires and explosions, under a temporary federal government rule.
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration plans to publish the temporary rule on Thursday, and then make the requirement permanent later this year.
MSHA announced plans for the rule a month ago. Since then, the agency has been working out details, and seeking White House approval for the rule.
In the text of the emergency rule, MSHA argued that that additional oxygen would have saved