The House Appropriations Committee has included a provision in the annual appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education that would block funding for the recently finalized rule to protect miners from silica dust — a significant driver of the resurgence of black lung disease in Central Appalachia.
In April, the Mine Safety and Health Administration announced the final version of a rule meant to protect coal miners from respirable silica. The announcement was a long time coming.
Yesterday the Biden administration’s Mine Safety and Health Administration announced that it finalized a rule to protect miners from respirable silica — a significant driver of the resurgence of black lung disease in Central Appalachia.
With coal miners in Southwestern Virginia facing an epidemic as black lung disease hits unprecedented levels and 1 in 5 veteran coal miners in Central Appalachia now suffer from the disease, advocates today called on Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., and Sens. Warner and Kaine, D-Va. to prioritize investments in taking care of miners in the 2025 federal budget.
Dec. 13 was a day that Vonda Robinson had been waiting over three years for. On that day, Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., introduced the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This afternoon, lawmakers and advocates for miners with black lung called on Congress to pass major legislation during a virtual press conference. Leaders from the National Black Lung Association, Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center and Appalachian Voices were joined by U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.), who announced the introduction of the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act of 2023, which would ease the process for families of deceased miners to apply for black lung benefits, and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), a lead sponsor for the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act, which would help miners access the benefits they deserve.
Next week, lawmakers and advocates for miners with black lung will discuss major new black lung legislation — including the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act introduced today — during a virtual press conference.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 12, 2023 CONTACT Trey Pollard, trey@pollardcommunications.com, 202-904-9187 COAL COUNTRY – Last night at midnight EST, the 45-day comment period on the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s draft rule to protect coal miners from exposure to respirable…
Coal miners and black lung advocates filled several back rows of the auditorium at the Mine Safety and Health Administration Academy just outside of Beckley, West Virginia, on the morning of Aug. 10th to provide comments on the agency’s draft rule to protect miners from respirable silica dust.
During a public hearing held today in Beckley, West Virginia, a number of coal miners and advocates spoke out in support of strengthened silica dust exposure standards proposed by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration in response to an epidemic of new black lung cases among coal miners while highlighting areas where the proposed rule could be improved.
