Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116431

Celeste Monforton, MPH, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, The George Washington University School of Public Health or Health Services, 2100 M Street NW, Ste 203, Washington, DC 20052, (202) 994-0774, eohcnm@gwumc.edu

In many underground mining operations, the equipment needed to extract the stone and ore is powered by heavy-duty diesel engines. As a result, underground miners are exposed to extraordinarily high levels of diesel particulate matter, higher than workers in any other occupation. Over the last 10 years, a coalition of mine operators has used a variety of clever tactics to obstruct a NIOSH/NCI epidemiological study of this worker population. At the same time, this coalition sought to delay a worker protection standard for diesel-exposed miners, arguing that MSHA needed to wait for the results of the NIOSH/NCI study. This case study illustrates the severe (and very real) consequences that result from delays in scientific inquiry and regulatory action.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the health risks associated with diesel particulate matter for underground miners.
• Learn how a coalition of mine operators has used a variety of tactics to obstruct scientific inquiry and impede public health action designed to protect underground miners from diesel particulate matter.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.