Electrical Equipment for Coal Seams Above the Water Table

What it does

• •Removes and reserves 30 CFR 75.501, 75.501-1, 75.501-2, 75.501-3, and 75.502, which contained requirements for permissible electric face equipment in coal seams above the water table.
• •Makes conforming amendments to 30 CFR 75.500(d), 75.503, and 75.504 to remove references to the deleted provisions.
• •Eliminates the distinction between coal seams above and below the water table for electrical equipment requirements, treating all underground coal mines as gassy mines subject to existing electrical safety standards in other parts of 30 CFR Part 75.

Why it matters

• •MSHA determined that all underground coal mines are now classified as gassy regardless of water table location, making the removed provisions outdated and no longer applicable to current mining practices.
• •The rule maintains miner protections because permissibility requirements for electrical equipment are already covered in other existing regulations; removal only eliminates redundant language without reducing safety standards.
• •The removal streamlines and clarifies MSHA standards for underground coal miners and operators by eliminating obsolete regulatory language.

Who is affected

• •Underground coal mine operators and owners, who will no longer need to comply with the removed permissible electric face equipment requirements for coal seams above the water table.
• •Underground coal miners, whose safety protections remain unchanged as equivalent electrical equipment standards are maintained in other regulatory sections.

What happens next

The rule becomes effective December 14, 2026.