Electricity Rates And Silica Dust Regulations, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Appalachian Power has asked state regulators for permission to raise electricity rates for the first time in five years. As Curtis Tate reports, the public reaction has been less than receptive.

Also in this episode, coal miners and their advocates have spent decades negotiating with the federal government to put safety rules in place that limit the miners’ exposure to toxic silica dust, which causes black lung and silicosis.

When a new rule was finalized in April, miners and their advocates celebrated. But even before it could take full effect, opponents threw up a new roadblock.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Emily Rice brings the latest story from our series “Public Health, Public Trust” produced in partnership with the Global Health Reporting Center and with support from the Pulitzer Center.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Maria Young produced this episode.

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