The article discusses the recent suspension of several federal programs aimed at protecting coal miners from black lung disease due to government funding cuts and layoffs. Key programs operated by NIOSH for medical examinations and safety monitoring have halted, raising concerns among experts about miners' safety and health. As black lung disease rates reach a peak in 25 years, the situation is critical, with many expressing fears of devastating consequences for miners. Trump's administration, despite voicing support for the coal industry, is leading to the collapse of vital health protections.
"It's going to be devastating to miners," said Anita Wolfe, a 40-year NIOSH veteran who remains in touch with the agency. "Nobody is going to be monitoring the mines."
The cuts come as Trump voices support for the domestic coal industry, a group that historically has supported the president.
NIOSH estimates that 20% of coal miners in Central Appalachia now suffer from some form of black lung disease, the highest rate that has been detected in 25 years.
A decades-old program operated by NIOSH to detect lung disease in coal miners, for example, has been suspended.
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