Ending Black Lung Illness by Means of Using an Effeciant Haul Road Dust Control Approach

Posted by Rolf Joho on February 15th, 2010 filed in What Causes Global Warming

Haul Road Dust Control is a very important element to the efficient operation of a mining business. Not just with regards to security but as well to the employees wellbeing.  Surface mining operations use large off-road haul trucks considerably to transport material at mining properties. Historical investigation, using the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emissions factors for unpaved haul roads, has revealed that haul trucks cause the majority of dust emissions from surface mining sites, accounting for in the region of 78%-97% of total dust emissions. This is even greater with low value haul road dust control programs.

Observations of dust emissions from haul trucks demonstrate that if the dust emissions are unrestrained, they can become a safety danger by means of impairing the operator’s visibility. This increases the chance for haul truck accidents. However, the greatest long-term health hazard of dust generated from hauling operations is due to inhalation of the respirable dust [middle diameter <4 micrometers (?m)] in addition to thoracic dust, which is comparable to the EPA’s characterization of PM10 [particulate matter with a median diameter <10 ?m]. Exposure to respirable dust has long been considered a health risk on surface mining operations, particularly if silica dust is present.

Present are two governmental acts that regulate the air quality designed for mining operations: the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 and the Clean Air Act of 1970. The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 established the restrictions meant for dust in the work place for healthiness and safety purposes. The Clean Air Act of 1970 controls air emissions from facilities from an environmental standpoint. Characterizing fugitive dust emissions from haul trucks may help mine operators understand the effects of exposure.

The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 established a threshold for coal respirable dust of 2 mg/m3 for coal excavation staff. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) enacts and enforces pit employee safety and health standards to mitigate mine employee injuries along with work-related diseases. If silica is encountered at some stage in the sampling procedure then the applicable respirable dust standard is reduced to the quotient of 10 divided by the measurement of quartz within the dust. Representing non-coal mine workers, the applicable standard is the respirable dust standard of 10 divided by the sum of the quartz proportion plus 2. Both of these dust standards are designed to limit worker respirable crystalline silica (quartz) contact to 0.1 mg/m3 or fewer for the shift. Falling in line with these dust standards is expected to lower a worker’s chance of occupational lung illness over an average life expectancy. In addition, MSHA’s nuisance dust limit (total dust) for non-coal miners is 10 mg/m3.