# 2026-12662: Mine Operator Requests Standard Safety Exemption

2026-12662, Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards, is a Federal Register notice from Labor Department, Mine Safety and Health Administration published 2026-06-24, effective All comments on the petition must be received by MSHA's Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances on or before July 24, 2026.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12662
- As of: 2026-07-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-12662
- Title: Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Labor Department; Mine Safety and Health Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 38021
- Published: 2026-06-24
- Effective: All comments on the petition must be received by MSHA's Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances on or before July 24, 2026.
- Comments close: 2026-07-24
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-07-01

## In one line

Mine Operator Requests Standard Safety Exemption

## Summary

Iron Cumberland, LLC wants to change some safety rules at their mine to use a different method that keeps workers just as safe. They’ve asked the Mine Safety and Health Administration to review their plan, and everyone has until July 24, 2026, to share their thoughts. If approved, this could mean safer or more efficient work without extra costs or delays.

## Abstract

This notice is a summary of a petition for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by Iron Cumberland, LLC.

## Effects PRIA read

- Mine may mine inside 300-ft well barriers: benefit, medium. If MSHA approves the petition, Iron Cumberland could mine within the 300-foot diameter safety barrier around six Daddy Long Legs Marcellus gas wells at the Cumberland Mine in Greene County, Pennsylvania. The request covers six specific wells (API #37-059-26887(1H) through #37-059-26892(11H)) and ap…
- Detailed well-plugging and testing rules: cost, medium. The petitioned alternative would require detailed cleaning, testing, and plugging steps before mining within the 300-foot barrier: a diligent attempt to remove casing (minimum 150% of casing string weight or at least three spear attempts), perforations at least every 50 feet from 400 feet below the…
- Mandatory safety checks and miner training: benefit, medium. The petition requires safety procedures and training for miners before and during well intersections, including handheld methane tests at least every 10 minutes when the face is within 30 feet of the well, calibration of methane monitors on the shift prior to intersection, no open flames until meth…

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## Sources
- [2026-12662 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/24/2026-12662/petition-for-modification-of-application-of-existing-mandatory-safety-standards)
- [2026-12662 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-24/pdf/2026-12662.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-12661, Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12661)
- [Next: 2026-12663, Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12663)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12662 (as of 2026-07-01).