Black Lung on the Rise in Coal Country

The recent reporting from the Charleston Gazette and the Center for Public Integrity provides a sobering analysis of the dramatic resurgence of black lung disease. Only this time, the disease is being diagnosed in large numbers in younger miners and is progressing more quickly in those who are affected.

The same "improved efficiency" that enabled the mining industry to lay off workers in the industry is one of the reasons for the increase in cases of black lung, as powerful machines cut deeper and further into rock surrounding the coal.

Big Coal's resistance to common sense public safeguards and its 'gaming' of the dust sample system have condemned tens of thousands of people to agonizing, slow deaths.

Greenpeace photographer Les Stone has documented many of the miners of Virginia and Kentucky over the years, including these powerful pictures of black lung victims and their families.

They capture some of the damage done to mining communities by the archaic practice of hauling fossil fuels out of the earth to burn them, yet another destructive step in the lifecycle of coal.

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Comments

[BigBearcatBill]

11:05 AM on 08/02/2012

As a semi-retired safety professional with a lot of business education (never a business guy though) I have come to this simple analogy for these situations: Industries that are in great competition have two "horses" called the Production Horse and the Safety Horse to race and maintain and they often find that they only need to maintain one at top level to be the winner in the industry - the Production Horse. Another issue is they only may have the resources to keep one of the horses in top condition so of course they put it in the Production Horse to survive the competition. The Safety Horse gets a shot of improved maintenance and sometimes catches up with the Production Horse to keep all processes safe on occasion, but usually takes something to motivate the management to do that because "safety is not free" as you should know. So it looks like the companies are slipping back into the one horse in the race attitude. Hopefully something will motivate them to get the Safety Horse back in the race at a competitive level...hey aren't the coal mines near those KY racetracks, so so this attitude may be strong in the region?

[Kevin Rayburn]

11:52 PM on 08/01/2012

the reason black lung is on the rise is that there is a missing generation of coal miners, of course black lung decreased in the 80s and 90s, less men were going underground. but scientists always refuse to look at facts that interfere with their research grant $$.

[Lynette]

08:54 PM on 08/01/2012

Very sad. But these are republicans who believe in republican ideology--little to zero regulation. It's like trying to regulate assault weapons when the people do not want gun regulation. It's another losing battle. These folks will continue to be stuck in a rut, until they stand up for themselves.

[Skizzel]

12:07 AM on 08/02/2012

Fanned

I read this and couldn't help thinking about an article I read the other day where coal miners were complaining about green energy and regulations taking away their jobs. I wish they could understand windmills and solar panels create jobs too.

[Lynette]

12:34 PM on 08/02/2012

Probably never will so long as the GOP keep giving them tea to drink.

[Artparker]

01:12 PM on 08/02/2012

I read the same article...it was about the surveillance copters going over the mines and catching them breaking laws. Concerning the jobs, they don't care about progress with green tech, they just care about money...and if they actually do give a crap, then it means they are totally in denial about what's better for us all.

[spaceagepolymer]

04:28 PM on 08/01/2012

God forbid government regulation.

[Iatros78]

03:34 PM on 08/01/2012

Are there regulations that require miners to use respirators and that fine companies who do not ensure that their employees follow the law? These deaths are completely preventable. That they still occur is a testament to the power of Big Coal, the active support of Big Coal by politicians (including Democrats like Joe Manchin), and the apathy of the American public who can't be bothered with the fate of a few "hillbillies" or "rednecks" in West Virignia.

[jhNY]

01:39 PM on 08/01/2012

Clean coal-- a catchphrase without a referent.

[Kenz300]

12:52 PM on 08/01/2012

It is time to transition to safe, clean alternative energy sources.

Wind and solar are the future.

[Kenz300]

12:51 PM on 08/01/2012

Coal fired power plants are shutting down due to the competition from cheap natural gas.

This is reducing our nations use of coal and the reducing the environmental damage from burning coal.

Wind and solar are also dropping in cost and providing even more competition to coal.

[Skizzel]

12:11 AM on 08/02/2012

Unfortunately the mining remains as China increases its number of coal burning plants.

But what can we do? They are a "developing" nation, surrounded on all sides by enemies. They will continue to trash the planet as they see fit, because they can.