Miller: MSHA’s Black Lung Rule Will Protect Miners’ Long Term Health

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) begins implementing a new regulation to protect coal miners from black lung disease on August 1, to which Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following response today.

“While black lung rates have dropped dramatically since the passage of Coal Act in 1969, there has been an alarming resurgence of coal miners—particularly younger miners—contracting this irreversible and potentially deadly disease.  MSHA’s long overdue rule was carefully crafted to improve monitoring of exposures to coal dust, reduce allowable dust levels, give miners more access to lung screenings, and close loopholes that allowed rogue mine operators to expose their workers to dangerous levels of coal mine dust. This rule will give miners more peace of mind that they can go to work every day and have a full career without ravaging their lungs.”