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Coal miners are dying of black lung.
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Coal miners are dying of black lung.

And a Kentucky law could make it harder to claim benefits.

0 min read

A black lung epidemic is killing miners younger than ever before; a new Kentucky law could make it harder to claim benefits.

Key quote:

instead of making it easier for miners to get access to health care, Kentucky's lawmakers passed a law that may soon hinder miners' ability to obtain workers' compensation benefits.

Vice is the latest to report on what has become the biggest black lung epidemic in years.

Inside Climate News had a report Thursday by veteran reporter Jim Bruggers alleging that miners were pressured to cover up monitors meant to protect their health.

Popular Science had a piece back in February about the worrisome reversal of decades of health and mine safety improvements. "A greater proportion of miners than before are younger and have worked in mines for less than 20 years," Amal Amed reported, after concluding the rise isn't due to higher reporting rates or better detection.

We've aggregated a bunch of stories about the condition this year. See the whole collection here in our archives.

Read the full Vice News report.

About the author(s):

Douglas Fischer

Douglas Fischer is the executive director of Environmental Health Sciences, which publishes EHN.org.

A black lung epidemic is killing miners younger than ever before; a new Kentucky law could make it harder to claim benefits.

Key quote:

instead of making it easier for miners to get access to health care, Kentucky's lawmakers passed a law that may soon hinder miners' ability to obtain workers' compensation benefits.

Vice is the latest to report on what has become the biggest black lung epidemic in years.

Inside Climate News had a report Thursday by veteran reporter Jim Bruggers alleging that miners were pressured to cover up monitors meant to protect their health.

Popular Science had a piece back in February about the worrisome reversal of decades of health and mine safety improvements. "A greater proportion of miners than before are younger and have worked in mines for less than 20 years," Amal Amed reported, after concluding the rise isn't due to higher reporting rates or better detection.

We've aggregated a bunch of stories about the condition this year. See the whole collection here in our archives.

Read the full Vice News report.

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