coal miners Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Appalachian Couple Shares Lifelong Dream And Sam Weber Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Sue and Stan Jennings for 30 years have run Allegheny Treenware, a company that makes wooden kitchen utensils. But they started off as a couple of coal miners. Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro has more.

On this West Virginia Morning, Sue and Stan Jennings for 30 years have run Allegheny Treenware, a company that makes wooden kitchen utensils. But they started off as a couple of coal miners. Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro has more.

Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from Sam Weber. Known for his distinctive style that blends elements of folk, rock and Americana, Weber performed a handful of new works during his second appearance on Mountain Stage. We listen to his performance of “Hey, Hey.”

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.

Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Emily Rice and Chris Schulz produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

MSHA Issues Final Rule To Lower Silica Dust Exposure In Mines

As expected, the new MSHA rule lowers the maximum exposure to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air during an eight-hour shift.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration issued its final rule lowering silica dust exposure for coal miners Tuesday, a long awaited change amid growing concern about black lung disease.

As expected, the new MSHA rule lowers the maximum exposure to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air during an eight-hour shift. The current limit is 100 micrograms per cubic meter.

The rule will take effect on June 17. Coal producers will have 12 months to comply. Metal and nonmetal mine operators will have 24 months.

Respirable crystalline silica is a carcinogen. It can cause lung disease, silicosis, lung cancer, progressive massive fibrosis and kidney disease. Coal dust containing silica dust has been shown to increase the severity of black lung cases and affect miners in their 30s and 40s.

The silica dust problem is thought to be caused by the mechanization of mining, especially in central Appalachia. Large machines grind through larger volumes of rock to maximize coal production.

Mine operators are supposed to ventilate mine work areas to lower the concentration of coal and rock dust, as well as methane.

Studies have shown in recent years that 1 in 5 miners in central Appalachia has black lung.

An investigation of the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster in Raleigh County found that 17 of the 24 miners whose lung tissue could be sampled showed signs of black lung disease. A total of 29 miners died in the explosion, caused by a mixture of methane and coal dust.

MSHA rolled out the silica dust rule at an event Tuesday morning in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

U.S. senators from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, including Sen. Joe Manchin, praised the rule, though they had previously criticized the agency for delays to its implementation.

Read NPR’s coverage here.

Coal Miners Testify For U.S. To Lower Silica Dust Exposure Limit

Silica dust is driving a surge in new black lung cases, causing more severe forms of the disease and in younger miners.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) held a hearing in Raleigh County on Thursday on silica dust exposure in coal mines.

Active and retired miners testified that a lower limit for silica dust exposure is needed to protect the health of coal miners.

Silica dust is driving a surge in new black lung cases, causing more severe forms of the disease and in younger miners.

Gary Hairston, a retired miner in Fayette County who’s president of the National Black Lung Association, said it leaves younger miners unable to support their families.

“It’s bad when you’re at 35 years old and you can’t work no more,” he said. “I was at 48 and I couldn’t work no more.”

MSHA proposes a limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter per shift, in line with Occupational Health and Safety Administration guidelines.

The public will have until Sept. 11 to comment on the proposal, an extension of 15 days.

MSHA Proposes Lower Limit On Silica Dust Exposure For Coal Miners

The limit would be lowered to 50 micrograms per cubic meter per eight-hour shift, down from 100.

Federal mine safety regulators have announced a long-delayed rule that could help reduce cases of black lung disease.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration proposes a new limit on coal miners’ exposure to silica dust.

The limit would be lowered to 50 micrograms per cubic meter per eight-hour shift, down from 100. That matches what’s already required in other industries by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

“The purpose of this proposed rule is simple: prevent more miners from suffering from debilitating and deadly occupational illnesses by reducing their exposure to silica dust,” said Chris Williamson, assistant secretary for Mine Safety and Health at the U.S. Department of Labor. “Silica overexposures have a real-life impact on a miner’s health.”

Studies in recent years have found that silica dust exposure is driving an increase in cases of severe black lung disease in younger miners.

In a statement Friday, Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, said the change was long overdue.

“Workers in other industries have long been protected from excessive exposure to silica dust, but miners were not, even though they work in an environment where silica dust is encountered daily,” he said. “It was a travesty that the government had never taken steps to protect them. But now it finally has.”

The proposed rule also calls for exposure sampling and medical surveillance at no cost to miners.

The agency will take public comment on the proposed rule as well as hold hearings in Arlington, Virginia, and Denver on dates yet to be announced.

April 5 Marks 13th Anniversary Of Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

Wednesday, April 5, marked the 13th anniversary of the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster.

It was thirteen years ago when an explosion 1,000 feet underground killed 29 miners at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch coal mine in Raleigh County.

The explosion was caused by a buildup of methane and coal dust.

On Wednesday, wreaths were placed at a memorial in Whitesville in honor of the miners who died in the explosion.

In 2010, 48 coal miners were killed on the job nationwide, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), including the 29 at Upper Big Branch.

MSHA faulted Massey Energy for the UBB disaster and issued the company 369 citations and $10.8 million in penalties.

Five years later, federal prosecutors charged former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship with conspiring to willfully violate safety standards.

He served one year in prison and paid $250,000 in fines.

Promoting W.Va. And Cleaning Up East Palestine This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, a group of state legislative and education leaders will soon embark on another national economic development tour. The program, called ChooseWV, tells West Virginia’s story directly to those who can make a major job and industry impact.

We hear an update on the East Palestine train derailment from The Allegheny Front. The creeks that run through the Ohio town are still contaminated with chemicals, and some residents and researchers are questioning the testing and cleanup of the waterways.

Also, West Virginia University President Gordon Gee outlined several challenges facing the university during his State of the University address Monday morning, renewables surpassed coal for generating electricity for the first time last year and a coal miner who died last week at Century Mining-Longview Mine in Barbour County was pinned beneath a mantrip, according to a preliminary report.

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 West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning