Breathless Voices: Personal Accounts of the Resurgence of Black Lung in the Appalachian Coalfields

Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly referred to as black lung, is a debilitating chronic lung disease caused by the inhalation of coal dust. In the 1960s, the occupational disease affected more than thirty percent of miners. After much contention, the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act was signed into law by President Nixon in 1969. Consequently, rates of black lung sharply declined. This legislation was considered a great success, as roughly 30 years later, only about three percent of miners showed evidence of black lung. However, starting in the early 2000s, prevalence of black lung took an unexpected turn and began to increase once more. Despite legislative efforts, prevalence of black lung is now over sixteen percent in some West Virginia counties. This presentation highlights some of the breathless voices in the coalfields—those fighting for protection and justice for coal miners with black lung and their widows

The Changing Landscape of Appalachian Coal Extraction and its Externalities

Coal has garnered a great deal of attention in our current political landscape, yet few are aware of the changing dynamics of coal in the United States and globally. The purpose of this presentation is to offer an update on Appalachian coal mining issues including: changes in production and use, bankruptcies, the resurgence of black lung, and legislative pitfalls surrounding the Black Lung Benefits Trust Fund. Using existing data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, I will provide a detailed look at the current coal landscape in the United States. Discussion will include specifics regarding energy generation in the United States, coal production, and export markets. Additionally, I will provide a detailed look at the problem of resurgent black lung in central Appalachia using in-depth interviews and participant observation data. Major findings will highlight the growing problem of black lung in central Appalachia and related issues of culpability, i.e. who will pay as the Black Lung Benefits Trust Fund continues to decline? This presentation is intended to be one segment of the “The ‘Glocal’ Challenges of Coal Extraction and Black Lung Disease Among Miners” panel

The Resurgence of Black Lung: Economic Challenges and Escalating Risk

In recent years, miners have experienced a deadlier resurgence of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly known as black lung disease in central Appalachia. This research utilizes a qualitative approach and relies on several forms of data including: semi-structured interviews, direct observation, newspaper coverage, and government data and reports. Major findings suggest that the “coal crisis” (i.e. depleted seams, mechanization, competition from natural gas, and deunionization) have intensified the resurgence of black lung in central Appalachia and has contributed to a “culture of fear” among active coal miners. This research elucidates multiple issues faced by coal miners and the coal industry in general. As the coal industry has expanded production, it has generated greater environmental externalities and increased environmental health risks for miners. This problem is further complicated and intensified by the vast economic problems in Appalachia. The lack of alternative employment opportunities and protection in the workplace has created a “culture of fear” which leaves employed miners fearful of job loss and retaliation for speaking out. Furthermore, miners postpone black lung screening and diagnosis, fearing being stigmatized as sick and unable to work. This research offers a viable opportunity to discuss an obscured disease in hopes of mitigating future cases of black lung