Report: MSHA’s civil penalties reform effort over

The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) is no longer seeking to reform the system by which civil penalties are assessed against mining operations, the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) reports.

According to NSSGA, a list of rules the U.S. Department of Labor produced for fall 2016 indicates the pursuit of civil penalties reform is now over.

“While we are pleased that this administration will not enact this unnecessary regulation, we continue to advise the Trump transition team on the negative effects that this and other regulations have on our operations,” says Mike Johnson, NSSGA president and CEO.

The rules proposal, which was issued in 2014, would have increased costs associated with MSHA penalties by 50 to 80 percent, according to NSSGA. In 2015, MSHA assessed about $12 million in penalties against aggregate producers, the association adds.