Black lung disease, long a killer of coal miners, is on the rise again after retreating in the 30 years since Congress passed tougher mine safety laws, health and safety experts said on Friday.
The renewed appearance of the disease emerged from an investigation of the worst U.S. coal mining disaster in four decades. It comes at a time when coal prices have risen sharply and some mine operators have been accused of cutting corners on safety in favor of profits.
Of the 29 miners killed in the blast at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia on April 5 last year, almost 75 percent of them showed signs of black lung disease, according to an independent report released on Thursday.
"That sample ... is a terrifying number, an astonishing number, particularly given the age of some of these individuals," said Davitt McAteer, who headed the investigation, ordered by West Virginia's then-governor Joe Manchin.
The report blamed mine owner Massey Energy for safety failings, adding "the operator's commitment to production comes at the cost of safety." It cited inadequate ventilation systems and rock dusting standards.
In its response to the report, Massey did not address the black lung issue, but stressed "our goal is to find answers and technologies that ultimately make mining safer."
Coal dust is one of the main causes of lung diseases such as coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP), emphysema, silicosis, and bronchitis -- known collectively as black lung. It can lead to lung impairment, permanent disability, and death, but like all occupational diseases, can be prevented.
An estimated 1,500 former coal miners die each year from it, according to the United Mine Workers union (UMW). There are about 130,000 coal miners in the United States today, down from a high of 760,000 in 1927, according to the Labor Department.
Data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) show the incidence of black lung cases declined following the 1977 Coal Mine Safety and Health Act through the early 1990s, but this decline stopped in the 1995-99 period, and the incidence has risen since then.
Among active coal miners with more than 30 years of underground mining, the prevalence of CWP declined from 35 percent in the early 1970s to about 7 percent in the late 1990s. However, it increased to nearly 10 percent in the mid-2000's, the NIOSH figures show.
From 1995 to 2004, more than three-fourths of all CWP deaths were in the coal-mining states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky. Pennsylvania alone accounted for nearly half of all CWP deaths, the institute said.
"It is still killing miners and there are hot spots such as southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky, where Massey has operations," said UMW spokesman Phil Smith.
Although masks and breathing apparatus are available in most mines, Smith said many miners do not wear them. "They do not fit well with facial hair and many miners have beards," he said. Also they can impair communications underground.
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) says that while there is no cure for black Lung, there are potentially life-saving measures that MSHA requires to reduce exposure to respirable coal dust.
"Even though these measures have been required for many years, new cases of black lung continue to occur among the nation's coal miners, even in younger miners," MSHA said.
According to the McAteer report on the Upper Big Branch disaster, black lung was found in 17 of 24 autopsies carried out. It was not just long-time miners who had the disease, but some were as young as 25, and five had less than 10 years experience working in coal mines.
"The prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis among the deceased Upper Big Branch miners is both surprising and troubling," the report said in one of its findings.
It recommended that by 2012, the industry, along with state and federal regulators, adopt rules to reduce the permissible exposure limit for coal mine dust.
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.