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Black lung disease in Appalachia hits highest rates in nearly 50 years

NIOSH study finds 32.5% of veteran coal miners in central Appalachia tested positive for the incurable disease.

4 items34 engagement11 comments BlueskyHacker News

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Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 4 items across 2 sources · 15h ago. Quotes are verbatim.

A peer-reviewed research letter from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reveals that black lung disease rates among working veteran underground coal miners in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia have reached their highest levels since 1978. The new data shows that 32.5% of miners with at least 25 years underground tested positive in X-rays over the last five years, up from 20.6% in 2018, while more than 1,700 coal miners died from the disease between 2020 and 2023.

  • Black lung disease rates among veteran coal miners in central Appalachia have reached 32.5% (one in three) for those with 25+ years underground—the highest since 1978, up from 20.6% in 2018.
  • More than 1,700 coal miners died from black lung disease between 2020 and 2023; respiratory therapists document the crisis through hundreds of funeral programs.
  • Regulatory failures and stalled federal protections from toxic silica dust leave miners vulnerable; MSHA declined to comment on the findings before publication.
  • The disease is striking younger workers with fewer years underground at rates not seen in nearly 40 years, indicating worsening conditions in coal mining operations.

How it unfolded

  1. Analysis NPR investigates regulatory failures and younger workers affected

    An NPR report investigates the devastating human cost on Appalachian families, decades of regulatory failures, and notes that the epidemic is striking younger workers. Life-saving protections from toxic silica dust remain stalled in federal court.

  2. Report Patient perspective: respiratory therapist documents deaths

    Marcy Freeman, a respiratory therapist at a pulmonary rehabilitation clinic in Norton, Virginia, holds more than 150 funeral programs for former patients who died from black lung disease, providing human evidence of the crisis.

    “Each one of these represents a life that's gone because of black lung. These are husbands. These are brothers. These men were just hardworking men, and the only thing they did was go to work and provide for their families. And it cost them…”

    Marcy Freeman · Bluesky ↗
  3. Report NIOSH study published on black lung rates

    A peer-reviewed research letter from NIOSH was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine showing that working veteran underground coal miners in central Appalachia are suffering from black lung disease at the highest rates in nearly 50 years.

  4. Report Key findings: 32.5% disease rate among 25+ year miners

    Miners in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia with at least 25 years underground experienced a 32.5% positive rate on X-rays conducted by NIOSH during the last five years, the highest since 1978. In 2018, the rate was 20.6%.

  5. Reaction NIOSH researcher expresses alarm

    Scott Laney, the lead author of the research letter and a NIOSH research epidemiologist, stated that the situation will not improve due to disease already in the pipeline and criticized the treatment of miners.

    “I'm disgusted. This is not going to get better because of all the disease that's already in the pipeline. These guys are being treated like disposable widgets, not human beings.”

    Scott Laney · Bluesky ↗
  6. Reaction Former regulator calls findings shocking

    Celeste Monforton, a former federal mine-safety regulator and workplace safety advocate, characterized the findings as something that should alarm anyone with compassion and linked the crisis to societal demand for cheap electricity.

    “This is the consequence of their work and the consequence of us wanting cheap electricity. We're back where we were [nearly 50 years ago]…Coal miners are no better off than they were [then].”

    Celeste Monforton · Bluesky ↗

What people are saying verbatim

“I'm disgusted. This is not going to get better because of all the disease that's already in the pipeline. These guys are being treated like disposable widgets, not human beings…We're watching them die right before our eyes.”

Scott Laney, NIOSH research epidemiologist, lead author · Mountain State Spotlight / NPR ↗ · Aug 4

“Each one of these represents a life that's gone because of black lung. These are husbands. These are brothers…These men were just hard-working men and the only thing they did was go to work and provide for their families. And it cost them everything…This is the aftermath of black lung.”

Marcy Freeman, Respiratory therapist, Norton, Virginia · NPR ↗ · Aug 4

“This is the consequence of their work and the consequence of us wanting cheap electricity. We're back where we were [nearly 50 years ago]…Coal miners are no better off than they were [then].”

Celeste Monforton, Former federal mine-safety regulator · Mountain State Spotlight / NPR ↗ · Aug 4

“The new findings 'should stagger and shock anyone who has compassion for … hardworking people'”

Celeste Monforton, Former federal mine-safety regulator · NPR ↗ · Aug 4

Voices from the web unedited

  • A new NIOSH research letter has found that black lung rates in Appalachia are at their highest level in nearly 50 years. 🔗 More from @npr.org:

    appvoices.orgBluesky3d ago3▲view on Bluesky ↗

  • NEW from @npr.org upfirst.bsky.social - more on the black lung crisis in Appalachia with a look back to @npr.org @pubhealthwatch.bsky.social @lpm.org @frontlinepbs.bsky.social reporting since 2012 and the new rate of disease - the worst since 1978.

    hberkes.bsky.socialBluesky21h ago1▲view on Bluesky ↗

  • New study: Black lung disease rate in Appalachia is the worst in nearly 50 years as coal miner protections stall — from @pubhealthwatch.bsky.social and @npr.org

    mtnstspotlight.bsky.socialBluesky5d ago1▲view on Bluesky ↗