Jul 10 Economy Laid-Off Employees Of Bankrupt Blackjewel Mining Seek Pay, Answers Patrick Fitchpatrick has worked at Blackjewel’s D-11 coal mine in Cumberland, Kentucky, for more than a year. He said he enjoyed the work right up until he was told not to come in last Monday. “Everything was smooth sailing and then one day it just all goes to hell,” he said. The country’s sixth-largest coal […] By Brittany Patterson and Sydney Boles Jul 10 Economy Laid-Off Employees Of Bankrupt Blackjewel Mining Seek Pay, Answers Brittany Patterson and Sydney Boles
Jul 3 Economy Judge Approves $5M Loan To Ailing Blackjewel Coal, But CEO Hoops Is Out Kentucky’s Attorney General said on Friday he is investigating complaints from miners who say they are not receiving pay following the fast-moving bankruptcy negotiations for Blackjewel mining, which employs some 1100 people in Central Appalachia. Attorney General Andy Beshear said in a statement he has received “numerous troubling complaints” related to the company, “ranging from […] By Brittany Patterson Jul 3 Economy Judge Approves $5M Loan To Ailing Blackjewel Coal, But CEO Hoops Is Out Brittany Patterson
Jun 19 Energy & Environment As Congressional Panel Focuses On Black Lung, Miners Health Advocates Urge Stronger Health Protections A Congressional panel heard testimony and had some sharp questions Thursday about the epidemic of black lung disease among Appalachian miners. Labor leaders are calling on federal regulators to strengthen protections for miners and several lawmakers wanted to know why the country’s top mine safety agency is not doing more in response to the dramatic […] By Sydney Boles Jun 19 Energy & Environment As Congressional Panel Focuses On Black Lung, Miners Health Advocates Urge Stronger Health Protections Sydney Boles
Jun 7 Energy & Environment As Calls For Action On Black Lung Disease Grow, Regulators Show Little Indication Of Change Harold Sturgill was disabled by black lung disease when he was 58 years old. Now he advocates for disabled miners. “When it comes to the mining companies, and it comes to the worker, it’s still all about production,” Sturgill said. “They could care less about me, how much dust I suck in, or how long […] By Sydney Boles Jun 7 Energy & Environment As Calls For Action On Black Lung Disease Grow, Regulators Show Little Indication Of Change Sydney Boles
May 13 Impact Join The ReSource For “Coal’s Deadly Dust” Film Screening And Meet NPR’s Howard Berkes Join Louisville Public Media, Appalshop, and the Ohio Valley ReSource for free screenings and panel discussions of the FRONTLINE/NPR film “Coal’s Deadly Dust,” an investigation of the rise of severe black lung disease among coal miners, and the failure of regulators and the mining industry to respond. These special events allow you to hear from […] By Jeff Young May 13 Impact Join The ReSource For “Coal’s Deadly Dust” Film Screening And Meet NPR’s Howard Berkes Jeff Young
May 8 Economy Retired Miners Make One More Push For Pension Protection On Capitol Hill Retired coal miners joined lawmakers from the Ohio Valley on Capitol Hill Wednesday for another attempt to protect miners’ pensions. Pensions are at risk because of a downturn in the coal market, the lingering effects of the 2008 recession, and coal company bankruptcies which have all reduced the amounts companies paid into a shared, or […] By Becca Schimmel May 8 Economy Retired Miners Make One More Push For Pension Protection On Capitol Hill Becca Schimmel
May 3 Energy & Environment Remembering A Coal Miner Who Stood Up For Those With Black Lung Robert Bailey started mining coal in southern West Virginia’s McDowell County in the 1970s. By the time he retired from the Patriot Coal Company 36 years later he was already having trouble breathing. By the time I first interviewed Bailey in 2014, his black lung disease had become severe. “I’m in the process of a […] By Jessica Lilly May 3 Energy & Environment Remembering A Coal Miner Who Stood Up For Those With Black Lung Jessica Lilly
Mar 1 Energy & Environment Defendant Wants To Change Plea In Kentucky Coal Dust Fraud Case One of the Kentucky mine workers charged in a coal dust fraud case last year wants to change his “not guilty” plea to “guilty,” a possible indication that the defendant will cooperate with prosecutors in the case. Court documents show defendant Ron Ivy, a former employee of Armstrong Coal, is scheduled to change his plea […] By Becca Schimmel Mar 1 Energy & Environment Defendant Wants To Change Plea In Kentucky Coal Dust Fraud Case Becca Schimmel
Feb 27 Energy & Environment Federal Prosecutor Adds Charges In Kentucky Coal Dust Fraud Case A federal prosecutor announced new charges against a senior coal company official for conspiring to falsify the required monitoring of coal dust. The case comes amid a surge in cases of black lung disease and widespread allegations from miners that cheating on dust monitors is common in the mining industry. Western Kentucky District U.S. Attorney […] By Becca Schimmel Feb 27 Energy & Environment Federal Prosecutor Adds Charges In Kentucky Coal Dust Fraud Case Becca Schimmel
Feb 20 Energy & Environment West Virginia Coal Miners Rally For Black Lung Legislation Miners and advocates rallied Wednesday at the West Virginia Capitol in support of a series of bills aimed at preventing and treating severe black lung disease. Five bills introduced by lawmakers would make it easier to make qualify for state benefits and provide benefits to miners who have early-stage black lung. The bills come at […] By Brittany Patterson Feb 20 Energy & Environment West Virginia Coal Miners Rally For Black Lung Legislation Brittany Patterson