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…
Blog Archives
Congress includes one-year extension of black lung excise tax in omnibus spending bill
TAGS: 116th Congress Biden administration black lung association Black Lung Disability Trust Fund black lung disease coal miners
Bankruptcy Proposal Would Dodge Mine Cleanup Laws
As the Blackjewel bankruptcy continues, the responsibility to reclaim mine sites and workers’ compensation for past medical bills are still major issues.
TAGS: bankruptcy blackjewel coal bankruptcy coal miners mine reclamation Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
Black lung service providers shift in the face of COVID-19
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.
Progress on healthcare for miners with black lung disease
Congress reinstated a tax to fund healthcare and benefits for miners with black lung and their families for 2020 — but further action is needed to extend the tax and support the fund for 10 years.
Miners Take Black Lung Demands to D.C.
Approximately 150 Appalachian coal miners, widows and their loved ones visited Capitol Hill in July to demand that Congress reinstate a tax rate on coal companies for black lung healthcare and benefits.
TAGS: Black Lung Disability Trust Fund black lung disease coal miners United Mine Workers of America
Miners Pressure Congress for Pension Fix
Dozens of retired coal miners came to the capitol and called on Washington lawmakers to pass legislation to preserve pensions for tens of thousands of retired and working miners.
Westmoreland Coal Allowed to Sever Worker Agreements
In February, a federal judge allowed Westmoreland Coal Company to terminate benefits for current and retired coal miners.
Blair Mountain Returns to National Register of Historic Places
The site of West Virginia’s Blair Mountain labor conflict between coal miners and law enforcement was placed back on the National Register of Historic Places after a federal judge ruled its delisting to be unlawful.
TAGS: blair mountain Coal coal miners National Register of Historic Places union United Mine Workers of America
Black Lung Disease Surges as Support for Miners Dwindles
A recent study shows that black lung disease in Appalachian coal miners is at a 25-year high — but federal taxes on coal companies that help compensate affected miners are set to expire next year.
Mine Safety, Water Quality Targeted in West Virginia Bills
Bills before the West Virginia legislature threaten to diminish mine safety and water quality protections. The measures were proposed by industry groups.
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