After decades of delays and broken promises, coal miners hail rule to slow rise of black lung

After years of delays and broken commitments, coal miners are celebrating a proposed rule aimed at curbing the rise of black lung disease. Several decades ago, prominent health experts had urged the federal agency responsible for mine safety to implement stringent regulations to protect miners from toxic rock dust. Unfortunately, due to denial and lobbying efforts from industries such as coal, little action was taken, resulting in thousands of premature deaths from pneumoconiosis, commonly known as black lung disease.

The situation worsened as miners began digging through deeper layers of rock to access less accessible coal, generating deadly silica dust. This silica-related illness has become a significant occupational health failure, with coal miners lacking adequate protection from its harmful effects.

However, there’s now hope for change as the Mine Safety and Health Administration has proposed a new rule to halve the permissible exposure limit for silica dust. This reduction is seen as a major victory for safety advocates, but there remains skepticism about the government’s commitment to enforcing the rule after years of broken promises and delays.

The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register, would reduce the permissible exposure limit for silica dust from 100 to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air during an 8-hour shift in coal, metal, and nonmetal mines. This standard is in line with exposure levels set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for non-mining industries and has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control since 1974.

The impact of silica dust on miners’ health was initially overlooked, and regulations mainly focused on coal dust, another hazard that contributes to black lung disease. However, as miners began encountering more silica dust in their work environments, cases of black lung have surged. Silicosis caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust is 20 times more toxic than coal dust and leads to severe forms of black lung disease in a relatively short exposure period.

The current black lung crisis is alarming, with approximately one in five tenured miners in Central Appalachia affected by the disease, and cases are increasingly being diagnosed at younger ages. Safety advocates and organizations like the United Mine Workers of America are urging for urgent action to protect miners from dangerous levels of silica exposure, highlighting that no one should suffer or die due to their occupation.

The proposed rule is supported by several Democratic Senators who have been pushing for change to safeguard miners’ health. However, there are still concerns and debates over the use of respiratory protection equipment as a compliance method. The National Mining Association argues in favor of permitting respirators, while others believe they are ineffective during labor-intensive work in confined spaces.

In addition to the proposed silica exposure limit reduction, the rule includes provisions for companies to self-report silica levels, raising concerns about data manipulation. There are calls for more stringent oversight and inspections to ensure compliance.

Overall, the proposed rule represents a significant step forward in protecting miners from black lung disease, but its effectiveness relies on diligent implementation and enforcement to prevent further tragedies and suffering among miners and their families.

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More about black lung disease

• “Federal Register: Lowering Miners’ Exposure to Respirable Coal Mine Dust, Including Continuous Personal Dust Monitors” – https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/07/2022-14213/ lowering-miners-exposure-to-respirable-coal-mine-dust-including-continuous-personal-dust-monitors
• “Black Lung Disease” – https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/blacklung/default.html
• “Silicosis and Silica Dust” – https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/silica/default.html
• “United Mine Workers of America” – https://umwa.org/
• “Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)” – https://www.osha.gov/
• “National Mining Association” – https://nma.org/