§ 861. — Mandatory safety standards for underground mines.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 30USC861]
TITLE 30--MINERAL LANDS AND MINING
CHAPTER 22--MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH
SUBCHAPTER III--INTERIM MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS FOR UNDERGROUND COAL
MINES
Sec. 861. Mandatory safety standards for underground mines
(a) Coverage; enforcement; review
The provisions of sections 862 through 878 of this title shall be
interim mandatory safety standards applicable to all underground coal
mines until superseded in whole or in part by improved mandatory safety
standards promulgated by the Secretary under the provisions of section
811 of this title, and shall be enforced in the same manner and to the
same extent as any mandatory safety standard promulgated under section
811 of this title. Any orders issued in the enforcement of the interim
standards set forth in this subchapter shall be subject to review as
provided in subchapter I of this chapter.
(b) Purpose; initiation of studies and research
The purpose of this subchapter is to provide for the immediate
application of mandatory safety standards developed on the basis of
experience and advances in technology and to prevent newly created
hazards resulting from new technology in coal mining. The Secretary of
the Interior in coordination with the Secretary shall immediately
initiate studies, investigations, and research to further upgrade such
standards and to develop and promulgate new and improved standards
promptly that will provide increased protection to the miners,
particularly in connection with hazards from trolley wires, trolley
feeder wires, and signal wires, the splicing and use of trailing cables,
and in connection with improvements in vulcanizing of electric
conductors, improvement in roof control measures, methane drainage in
advance of mining, improved methods of measuring methane and other
explosive gases and oxygen concentrations, and the use of improved
underground equipment and other sources of power for such equipment.
(Pub. L. 91-173, title III, Sec. 301, Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 765; Pub.
L. 95-164, title II, Sec. 203, Nov. 9, 1977, 91 Stat. 1317.)
Amendments
1977--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95-164, Sec. 203(a), substituted ``The
Secretary of the Interior in coordination with the Secretary shall
immediately initiate studies'' for ``The Secretary shall immediately
initiate studies''.
Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 95-164, Sec. 203(b), struck out subsec.
(c) which related to the modification of standards, and subsec. (d)
which related to the applicability of section 553 of title 5 in cases
where the provisions of sections 862 to 878 of this title had provided
that certain actions, conditions, or requirements be carried out as
prescribed by the Secretary or the Secretary of Health, Education, and
Welfare.
Effective Date of 1977 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 95-164 effective 120 days after Nov. 9, 1977,
except as otherwise provided, see section 307 of Pub. L. 95-164, set out
as a note under section 801 of this title.
Effective Date
Subchapter operative 90 days after Dec. 30, 1969, except to the
extent an earlier date is specifically provided for in Pub. L. 91-173,
see section 509 of Pub. L. 91-173, set out as a note under section 801
of this title.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 951, 958 of this title.
