A wave of opposition from miners, unions, and lawmakers prompted the Trump administration to reinstate key mine safety programs it had moved to cut earlier this year.
Katie Myers reports for Grist.
In short:
- In March, the Trump administration proposed closing over 30 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) field offices and slashing 90% of staff at the National Institute for Occupational Health, jeopardizing black lung screenings and mine inspections.
- After protests from coal miners, unions, and environmental groups — and bipartisan pressure from lawmakers — the administration reversed course, reinstating health workers and keeping field offices open.
- While some programs have been restored, miners remain concerned about continued staffing shortages, stalled enforcement of silica exposure rules, and a proposed 10% budget cut to mine safety efforts.
Key quote:
“I feel like we’ve won some. But I don’t think that we’ve got enough yet.”
— Vonda Robinson, vice president of the Black Lung Association
Why this matters:
Black lung disease has made a disturbing comeback in recent years, especially in Appalachia, where miners are being exposed to higher levels of silica dust from thin seams of coal. The disease is irreversible, progressive, and fatal. Safeguards like health screenings and federal inspections are often the only defenses workers have in environments where economic pressure pushes companies to cut corners. Reducing federal investment in these protections — especially while calling coal a “critical mineral” — heightens risk for some of the country’s most vulnerable laborers. Coal miners already face an industry in decline. Taking away access to basic health protections and industry oversight further damages trust between workers and the government agencies tasked with keeping them safe.
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