April 30, 2015

Manchin Encourages West Virginians to Submit Comments on Black Lung Benefits Rules

Rule helps miners seeking black lung benefits

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin today encouraged West Virginians to formally submit their comments to the Federal Register regarding the proposed rule to the Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA) regulations. The rule, published by the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), would improve the black lung benefits program by addressing obstacles that prevent miners with black lung from seeking benefits.

This proposed rule includes reforms offered in the “Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act,” legislation that Senator Manchin has introduced.

“Our coal miners have mined the coal that keeps our lights on, heats our homes, and powers our businesses,” Senator Manchin said. “It is unacceptable that they are forced to face the effects of black lung disease without our help. The very least we can do for our miners is make sure they are not met with burdensome roadblocks when seeking the health benefits they rightly deserve. With this proposed rule, the Department of Labor is putting the well-being of our miners first by improving transparency and efficiency in the claims process. I hope all West Virginians – especially those who have been impacted by black lung disease – will take time to review and comment on this rule.”

For instructions on how to review the proposed rule and submit a comment to the Federal Register, please read below.

You may submit comments, identified by RIN number 1240-AA10, by any of the following methods. To facilitate receipt and processing of comments, OWCP encourages electronic submission. Comments must be received by June 29, 2015.
 
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
 
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Follow the instructions on the docket for submitting comments, or click here: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-09573.

Fax: (202) 693-1395 (this is not a toll-free number). Submit comments of only ten pages or less, including a Fax cover sheet and attachments.

Regular Mail: Submit comments to: Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation Programs, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, U.S. Department of Labor, Room C-3520, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. The Department's receipt of U.S. mail may be significantly delayed due to security procedures. You must take this into consideration when preparing to meet the deadline for submitting comments.

Hand Delivery/Courier: Submit comments to: Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation Programs, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, U.S. Department of Labor, Room C-3520, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210.

Note: All submissions received must include the agency name and the Regulatory Information Number (RIN) for this rulemaking. All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

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