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Miners with black lung call on Congress to protect benefits

five miners wearing shirts that say Black Lung Kills gather around a notepad

In an August webinar, advocates and representatives of the Black Lung Association discussed the critical importance for the passage of a permanent 25% increase to the Black Lung Excise Tax on coal companies.

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Tighter silica rules needed to protect miners from black lung disease

chart shows how MSHA allows twice as much silica dust exposure as other agencies

Coal miners are legally allowed to be exposed to twice as much dangerous silica dust as any other worker. That needs to change.

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Congress includes one-year extension of black lung excise tax in omnibus spending bill

A one-year extension of the excise tax that funds the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is included in the 2021 omnibus spending bill. This is the second year in a row that a one-year extension has been included in the

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Coal miners call on Congress for support amidst dual threats from black lung and COVID-19

The coal industry is trying to exploit the coronavirus pandemic for a tax break at the expense of healthcare and disability benefits for miners with black lung, but miners are pushing back.

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Black lung service providers shift in the face of COVID-19

normal human lung compared to diseased lung

As coal miners with black lung disease have a heightened risk of complications from coronavirus, black lung healthcare providers work to respond to the global pandemic.

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Federal negligence allowed coal companies to shrug off their responsibility for black lung benefits

For decades, coal companies ignored a federal requirement to provide enough funds for black lung benefits — and the government let them.

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Black Lung Healthcare Legislation Sees Progress

black lung demonstration

Congress temporarily reinstated a tax on coal companies that funds black lung benefits for miners and their families in December. Advocates continue to push for further protections for coal workers.

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The Black Lung Association Responds to the Deadly Disease’s Rise

Jimmy Moore

The Black Lung Association has a storied history of fighting for miners’ rights to occupational healthcare. Today, that fight continues as rates of the disease continue to climb.

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Blackjewel’s black lung problem

black and white graphic with skeleton wearing miner hat, text reads "black lung kills"

Bankrupt coal company Blackjewel owes nearly $10 million in taxes to the fund that provides benefits to miners with black lung disease whose employer has gone bankrupt.

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