In early April, President Donald Trump collected dozens of difficult coal miners in the White House Eastroom. He joked about his arm sending and announced that he was signing the enforcement order to promote coal production.To regain abandoned industries”And“ I put the miners back to work. ”
Trump calls it a “beautiful and clean” coal. “I say that if you don’t put ‘beautiful and clean’ things, my people don’t use the word ‘coal’.”
On the same day, the Trump administration paused the implementation of the rules to help protect coal miners from aggressive form of black lung disease. The execution of new protection will be officially suspended until mid -August. According to the federal announcement A few days have passed since the Federal Court agreed to withhold execution to listen to the industry’s challenges. However, even if the rules are complete after the delay, the federal agency is in charge of the task of implementing it in Appal Rae teeth and may not meet the task after sweeping the dismissal and office closure elsewhere.
Death of black lungs -chronic status due to coal dust inhalation- Decline After introduction Federal regulations Half a century ago. But in the last decades The case has increased rapidly. By 2018, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one of the five coal miners of Central Appal Teeth showed evidence of black lungs. I am diagnosed with a young miner. And the most deadly form, progressive massive fibrosis has increased 10 times among long -term miners.
Silica is a major culprit. The exposure has increased since the mining work has cut more sandstone and begins to reach deeper coal sediment. The stone is divided into a sharp particle in the air that can be stuck in lung tissues in the air and can sometimes cause a fatal state.
The new rules will be effective in April, and have been reduced by half of the allowable silica dust inside the mine, cutting to the limit of other industries, and setting more stringent guidelines for execution.
Over the years, the miners advocates have noticed a new standard as a groundbreaking standard. “It is inevitable that miners in our country have worked without proper protection from silica dust despite decades of health risks.” Labor Minister Julie su When the rules were announced under the BIDEN administration last spring.
The temporary suspension of the rules has been hit another to mine safety supervision. In March, the government’s efficiency, created by the Trump administrative order, announced that the Labor Party will terminate the lease at 30 field offices of the Mining Safety and Health Bureau. The organization is responsible for implementing the Mining Safety Act.
Then, in April, two -seconds (almost 900 people) were fired among workers in the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. As a result, NIOSH’s coal workers’ health surveillance programs suspended the operation by providing free screening by the mobile clinic miners.
MSHA’s announcement of the delayed silica rules cited the “unexpected Niosh restructuring and other technical reasons” as a catalyst for suspension, but did not mention the federal court’s decision in the case of withdrawing the rules.
May 7 lawyer Sam Petsonk To restore this program, we have filed a lawsuit for health and human service and its officer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Harry Wiley, a customer of the case, was diagnosed as an early stage of the black lungs and applied to Niosh to deliver it to an environment with low dust exposure to Niosh, but was not reacted. He keeps working underground.
On May 13, the US local judge Irene Berger issued a prohibition order to restore the surveillance program. The next day, Kennedy said that the administration would do it. Over the dismissal of 328 NIOSH employees. That day they returned to work.
“If you stay in a lot of dust, you can reduce the harm that you can breathe without walking, in addition to the inhabitants of Wiley.” “It’s hard to imagine a clear case of irreversible damage.”
MSHA officials plan to implement and implement them by refusing to respond to specific questions about silica rules or quoting progress.
The Labor Party spokesman Courtney Parrella said in an e -mail statement, “We are convinced that the mining safety and health bureau can implement all regulations according to all regulations. I am concentrating. ”
WES Addon says that a career in a mine is not necessarily a death sentence. He is from the minister of the generation. One of his great -grandfathers worked underground for 48 years and died at age 88.
But Addington also said that diligence is needed to protect the safety and health of the miners. He is the executive director of the Appal Rae Citizen’s Law CenterWhiteberg, Kentucky, and non -profit organizations represent and advocate miners and their families. According to a study conducted by the center, the employees of the MSHA office are almost 17,000 health and safety inspection From January 2024 to February 2025.
Addington said NIOSH has provided data to document the conditions worsening over the last decades.
Addington’s organization has advocated the new silica rules for 17 years. “We didn’t think it was perfect,” he said. He would have preferred the lower exposure limit and more stricter monitoring requirements. “But like that, I will save life.”
Addington said that the cuts of this institution could affect all US workers who could be exposed to harmful elements at work. NIOSH approves the respiratory system prescribed by the Occupational Safety and Health Management Regulations.
If there are few inspectors, the miner said, “The possibility of hurt at work and the injury can be fatal,” he said.
“And if you’re lucky enough to explore the liver and have a lucky for 20 or 25 years, you’ll have a significant increase in lung disease that can kill you when you are young.”
Black Lung Clinic Stone Mountain Health Service According to Drew Harris, a medical officer, he diagnosed 75 progressive large -scale fibrosis cases last year in southwestern Virginia.
Harris said, “People are dying as 100% prevented dust -related diseases, and we do not use everything that can help prevent diseases and save life.” It’s all very discouraged. “
He thinks that Kennedy reconstructs NIOSH. As he suggestedTo switch the responsibility of the surveillance team to another employee.
“This is a very unique expertise,” Harris said. “I will lose people who have been doing this for decades, knowing how to do this well.”
Rex Fields worked for the first time in a mines a year ago in 1967. The explosion killed 78 miners Near the small village of West Virginia Farming Turn. His wife Tilda Fields knew her husband’s risk, safety and long -term health problems. Her dad died of black lungs when she was seven years old. But it meant to pay well in the area where a small number of people were provided forever.
Rex (77) is now living with the progress of the black lung disease. He still can cut the lawn, but it can be easily wrapped when walking uphill. In March, there was an antibiotic in the second round to recover from a game with bronchitis.
In his career, Rex defended his fellow miners. He entered when he saw someone being abused. He once failed to help union efforts. For this effort, he said, “I moved the time to one or two hours from the third shift to the third shift.”
Today, Fieldes lobbies on behalf of miners and shares information on professional risks. Tilda organized a support group for family and widows. She is worried about the next generation. Two of the sons of Fieldses were also mined.
Tilda “People in the mountain here, we learn to do it.” But you want to be better. You want to be better for children than we have, and you always want their safety. “
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