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Black lung disease rates rise among Appalachian coal miners
Black lung disease rates among coal miners in the Appalachian region of the United States have reached their highest levels since the 1970s. According to research published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), approximately one in three miners in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia with at least 25 years of experience now suffer from coal workers’ pneumoconiosis.
Epidemiologists attribute this resurgence to increased exposure to respirable crystalline silica. As easily accessible coal deposits are depleted, miners must drill deeper into rock, releasing silica particles that are significantly more toxic than coal dust. This exposure is linked to more rapid and severe respiratory decline.
In response to these findings, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) is calling on the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to reinstate enforcement of a 2024 regulation. The rule, which sought to halve the permissible exposure limit for silica dust, is currently on hold due to legal challenges from the mining industry.
Entities
Appalachia · Brian Sanson · Mine Safety and Health Administration · National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health · United Mine Workers of America · West Virginia
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] A 2024 MSHA rule aimed to reduce the permissible exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica by half, but enforcement is currently on hold due to legal challenges. www.wkms.org · www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) is demanding that the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reinstate enforcement of a 2024 silica dust regulation. www.wkms.org · www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] Approximately 32.5% of coal miners in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia with 25 or more years of experience have black lung disease. www.wkms.org · information.tv5monde.com · imazpress.com · www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com · www.tvn-2.com · +1 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Black lung disease rates in the Appalachian region are at their highest levels since the 1970s. information.tv5monde.com · imazpress.com · www.tvn-2.com · oglobo.globo.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Increased exposure to silica, caused by mining deeper into rock to reach remaining coal, is driving the resurgence of the disease. information.tv5monde.com · imazpress.com · www.tvn-2.com · oglobo.globo.com