Dec 19 Energy & Environment Still, They Persist: Black Lung Advocates Demonstrate At McConnell’s KY Office With just days left before a Congressional deadline, advocates for black lung treatment are still pushing Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell to secure funding for miners’ benefits. About two dozen people demonstrated Wednesday near McConnell’s regional office in London, Kentucky, carrying placards reading “Black Lung Kills” and singing along with a banjo tune modified for the […] By Sydney Boles Dec 19 Energy & Environment Still, They Persist: Black Lung Advocates Demonstrate At McConnell’s KY Office Sydney Boles
Dec 18 Energy & Environment Data Dives And Shoe Leather: How NPR’s Howard Berkes Investigated Appalachia’s Black Lung Epidemic NPR is reporting that more than two thousand coal miners are now suffering from the most severe form of black lung disease, Progressive Massive Fibrosis, or PMF. And despite clear warnings, investigative reporter Howard Berkes shows, the mining industry and government regulators did little to stop it. Data loom large in this story: Berkes took a […] By Jeff Young Dec 18 Energy & Environment Data Dives And Shoe Leather: How NPR’s Howard Berkes Investigated Appalachia’s Black Lung Epidemic Jeff Young
Dec 18 Energy & Environment Amid Black Lung Surge Pulmonary Rehab Brings Hope To Disabled Miners Marcy Tate grew up in southwest Virginia in a coal mining family. “My father-in-law was a coal miner, my father was a coal miner, my grandfather was a coal miner, my great-grandfather was a coal miner,” she said. Tate knew what black lung disease looked like. In 2003, her father-in-law passed away from what Tate […] By Sydney Boles Dec 18 Energy & Environment Amid Black Lung Surge Pulmonary Rehab Brings Hope To Disabled Miners Sydney Boles
Dec 14 Energy & Environment Black Lung, Red Ink: Residents Press McConnell As Deadline Looms For Black Lung Fund On a cool but clear November day about a dozen residents from eastern Kentucky’s coal mining region crowded into the lobby of an office building in the small town of London, Kentucky. That’s where Kentucky’s powerful senior senator, Mitch McConnell, has his local field office. McConnell’s staff let the local advocates for black lung treatment […] By Becca Schimmel and Sydney Boles Dec 14 Energy & Environment Black Lung, Red Ink: Residents Press McConnell As Deadline Looms For Black Lung Fund Becca Schimmel and Sydney Boles
Dec 14 Uncategorized Ohio Valley’s Black Lung Trust Fund Claims By Alexandra Kanik Dec 14 Uncategorized Ohio Valley’s Black Lung Trust Fund Claims Alexandra Kanik
Oct 23 Health McConnell Hints At Action To Preserve Tax Supporting Black Lung Fund Amid a surge in cases of black lung disease, concerns are rising about the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which provides federal benefits to some coal miners with the disease. A tax that supports the fund would be cut by half at the end of the year unless Congress acts. Now Senate Majority Leader Mitch […] By Sydney Boles Oct 23 Health McConnell Hints At Action To Preserve Tax Supporting Black Lung Fund Sydney Boles
Sep 25 Economy Miners Urge Congressional Action On Pensions, Black Lung Fund Retired coal miners and coal community activists are on Capitol Hill this week urging action on two important issues for miners: pensions and black lung benefits. Advocates say funds supporting both pensions for retired miners and the federal benefits for those sickened by black lung disease are at risk if Congress does not act. […] By Becca Schimmel Sep 25 Economy Miners Urge Congressional Action On Pensions, Black Lung Fund Becca Schimmel
Aug 10 Energy & Environment Federal Dust Fraud Charges Highlight Black Lung Threat For Miners When former coal mine employees in western Kentucky faced arraignment Wednesday on federal charges that they conspired to falsify the required monitoring of coal dust, the hearing brought renewed attention to the region’s surge in black lung disease. The case highlights the many challenges miners face in the workplace. And health officials in black lung […] By Becca Schimmel Aug 10 Energy & Environment Federal Dust Fraud Charges Highlight Black Lung Threat For Miners Becca Schimmel
Jul 19 Energy & Environment Region’s Black Lung Rates Highest In 25 Years A new study by federal health officials finds the recent surge in cases of black lung disease is especially concentrated among coal miners in central Appalachia. Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health say the rate of black lung disease among experienced miners in central Appalachia is the highest they have seen […] By Jeff Young Jul 19 Energy & Environment Region’s Black Lung Rates Highest In 25 Years Jeff Young
Jul 11 Energy & Environment Federal Prosecutor Charges Coal Company With Faking Dust Samples Amid Black Lung Surge Western Kentucky District U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman didn’t hide his emotion when announcing federal charges against a coal company for faking coal dust samples. “This is one of those that just made me angry, it just made me angry to see the impact on these miners,” Coleman said. Coleman unsealed indictments Wednesday against eight employees […] By Jeff Young and Becca Schimmel Jul 11 Energy & Environment Federal Prosecutor Charges Coal Company With Faking Dust Samples Amid Black Lung Surge Jeff Young and Becca Schimmel