New Data: Black Lung Rate in Appalachia Highest in Nearly 50 Years

WASHINGTON – Following a new report that found that coal miners in central Appalachia are suffering from black lung at the highest rates in nearly 50 years, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) highlighted the urgent need to strengthen protections for miners and ensure they receive the health care and benefits they have earned. “Coal miners in Appalachia are getting sicker and at younger ages, and this new data that black lung rates are at their highest in nearly 50 years is devastating. The administration’s decision to cut funding for programs that protect miners’ health and pause enforcement of the silica dust rule is leaving miners at greater risk,” said Sen. Warner . “Miners have risked their lives to fuel and power our nation. I am proud to fight for coal miners in Appalachia and across the country, and we must do right by them. Congress must enact legislation to ensure miners can access the medical care, compensation, and benefits they have earned.” The report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a federal research agency, found that among miners in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia with at least 25 years in the mines, 32.5 percent tested positive for black lung, the highest recorded rate since 1978. The report also found that miners with at least 15 years underground are developing black lung at rates not seen in nearly 40 years. Sen. Warner has introduced the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act and the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act , bills that would remove barriers to benefits and ensure that miners and their families receive the compensation they are entitled to. He also previously spoke out against the Trump administration’s decision to pause enforcement of a Department of Labor rule to protect miners from silica dust, which is contributing to a significant uptick in severe black lung disease, particularly among younger miners in their thirties and forties. ###