Posts Tagged ‘coal miners’
Coal miners, advocates rally in Washington, D.C. to protest attacks on black lung and miner protections
Today, more than 80 coal miners, members of Black Lung Associations, and other supporters rallied outside of the Department of Labor building in Washington, D.C., to protest the delay in implementing long-awaited silica dust protections for coal miners, along with funding and staffing cuts to mine safety and research.
Read MoreMiners and supporters will rally to demand safeguards from black lung disease on Oct. 14
On Oct. 14, coal miners, members of the Black Lung Association and their supporters will rally in front of the Department of Labor’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., in opposition to the department’s delayed enforcement of silica dust protections for miners.
Read MoreMore coal miner lives in jeopardy as silica safeguard delayed yet again
Measures that prevent deadly silica dust exposure among coal miners are indefinitely delayed, as coal industry lawyers and the Trump Administration’s Mine Safety and Health Administration reportedly continue to negotiate a settlement to the industry’s case to block safeguards that were initially scheduled to come into effect on April 14.
Read MoreThe state of coal community protections 48 years after landmark mining law
On Aug. 3, 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act into law. This anniversary presents a good opportunity to discuss SMCRA’s intent, where it’s fallen short over the years and how the Trump administration is undermining SMCRA’s protections.
Read MoreMiners and Advocates Push for Better Black Lung Benefits and Protections
On a rainy May afternoon, nearly 20 members of the Southwest Virginia Black Lung Association Chapter II gathered in Big Stone Gap to discuss the black lung crisis, which has been rising among Appalachia’s coal miners, often at younger ages.
Read MoreAmid intense grassroots pressure, General Services Administration reverses closures of MSHA field offices
Reports indicated that the General Services Administration reversed its intent to close more than 30 U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration field offices. These leases were scheduled to be terminated due to decisions by the controversial Department of Government Efficiency.
Read MoreNew map hints at scale of black lung crisis
Using data from the Department of Labor, we’ve created a map that hints at the scale of the black lung crisis.
Read MoreAdvocates respond to new rule cracking down on coal industry’s abandonment of black lung liabilities
Amid new coal mergers, new Department of Labor safeguard closes “self-insurance” loopholes that currently allow industry to dump liabilities on Black Lung Trust Fund For Immediate Release December 11, 2024 Contact: Trey Pollard, trey@pollardcommunications.com COAL COUNTRY – Today, the Biden Administration’s Department of Labor released a new rule to address a long-abused loophole that allows…
Read MoreCoal Miners’ Widows Tell their Stories to Kentucky Rep. Morgan McGarvey
Currently, some miners’ widows can lose their black lung benefits in certain situations. A bill Congress would help make the system more fair.
Read MoreRegulators Poised to Update Miners’ Protections from Silica Dust
Expected new silica dust regulations in mines could combat the rise of black lung disease. However, the effects of an ongoing federal silica enforcement initiative remain unclear.
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