Gaming the system — Part III

In 2021, the Government Accountability Office found big problems with the Labor Department’s current rules because they do not require sufficient collateral to cover both current and future black lung liabilities.

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Gaming the system — Part II

Congress stated clearly that coal operators, instead of taxpayers, would shoulder the cost of black lung when it set up the Black Lung Trust Fund. The trust fund was intended to be a backstop for miners rather than a means for coal operators to underinsure their liabilities.

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Gaming the system — Part I

At its core, this is the age-old story of corporate greed whereby rapacious mine operators, who have subjected generations of miners to disabling and fatal black lung disease, managed to transfer their responsibility to pay black lung benefits to suffering coal miners from their corporate coffers to the taxpayer’s pockets.

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Inflation Reduction Act passes the Senate with historic climate investments, permanent black lung excise tax extension, rural energy infrastructure and more

CONTACT: Molly Moore, Director of Program Communications, (847) 401-3633, molly@appvoices.org WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which contains many of the climate and energy investments that President Biden pushed for in his Build Back Better agenda, as well as spending to support rural communities with energy efficiency and electrical…

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POSTPONED: Miners with black lung launch two weeks of demonstrations urging Sen. Capito to back 10-year extension of Black Lung Excise Tax

Contact Trey Pollard, 202-904-9187, trey@pollardcommunications.com Due to inclement weather and the increased risk it poses to people with black lung, these demonstrations have been postponed. This press release was updated at 11 a.m. on Dec. 6. CHARLESTON, WV — Today, the National Black Lung Association announced it would hold two weeks of daily demonstrations to…

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