Communities across Central Appalachia welcome a bill introduced today by U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.. The bill includes specific requirements for how quickly coal mine reclamation must be completed following coal removal.
Communities across Central Appalachia welcome a bill introduced today by U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.. The bill includes specific requirements for how quickly coal mine reclamation must be completed following coal removal.
Community advocates from across Pennsylvania and Appalachia celebrated the introduction of two bills by Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Penn., that would take crucial action to address some of the root causes of the “zombie mine” crisis — the increasing number of non-producing modern-era mines that have not been cleaned up by the coal companies responsible for operating them.
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.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 2024 CONTACT Trey Pollard – trey@pollardcommunications.com – 202-904-9187 READ LETTER HERE COAL COUNTRY – As Congress advances a government funding bill that slashes millions in funding for the agency charged with supporting critical mine reclamation…
Today, advocates from across coal-mining communities released a new federal policy platform that serves as a road map to address and prevent unreclaimed “zombie mines” — idled modern-era mines that have not been cleaned up by the responsible coal companies.
On Feb. 15, advocates from across coal-mining communities will unveil a new federal policy platform that serves as a road map to address and prevent unreclaimed “zombie mines” — idled modern-era mines that have not been cleaned up by the responsible coal companies. Endorsed by 48 community and national organizations, the policy platform will offer an array of new recommended solutions to thwart the continued zombie mine crisis.
A new analysis from Appalachian Voices and Appalachian Citizens Law Center finds that the cost of living is significantly higher than black lung benefits payments received by many miners with black lung and their families, illustrating the urgent need for congressional action to update how benefits are calculated and deployed.
A recent study found that nearly 40% of the “active” surface permits in Kentucky have been sitting idle for the last five years. The coal companies responsible for those mine permits did not produce any coal, nor did they make any progress in cleaning up the sites.
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.