ARTBA Members Meet with White House Officials on Silica Rule

What happened: ARTBA senior staff and members Tara Wetzel and Katie Rezin of Milestone Materials met June 3 with the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to discuss the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) 2024 respirable crystalline silica rule. The meeting comes as a potential related action is currently under review by the agency.

What they said: Wetzel and Rezin discussed implementation challenges associated with the 2024 rule, including exposure monitoring requirements for portable crushing operations and the need for additional compliance flexibility.

Why this matters: ARTBA supports protecting workers from silica exposure but has raised concerns about how portions of the rule are challenging for portable aggregate operations that are specific to transportation construction.

What’s next: The contents of the pending OIRA review have not been made public. ARTBA will continue monitoring developments and keep members informed of any changes that may affect the industry.