black lung

New rule aims to limit miners’ silica dust exposure but still relies on coal company self-oversight

BY: - July 17, 2023

Correction: This story previously stated the Mine Safety and Health Administration was not holding a hearing on the new silica dust proposal close to Appalachian coal communities. MSHA announced Thursday it had added a hearing in Beckley, West Virginia on Aug. 10. We regret the error. Gary Harriston, 69, compares what it feels like to […]

New study finds coal miners in Central Appalachia at highest risk of dying from lung diseases

BY: - February 28, 2023

Central Appalachian coal miners in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia are more than eight times more likely than men in the general population to die from respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and black lung, according to recent research. “This higher mortality has also worsened over time with modern miners facing greater risk than […]