September 22, 2026
Contact:
Trey Pollard – [email protected] – 202-904-9187
APPALACHIA — As the rate of deadly black lung disease among veteran coal miners hits a fifty-year high, ReImagine Appalachia and the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center are releasing a new analysis of the policy decisions from the Trump Administration related to miner safety and health since January 2025. The findings are jarring, showing that over the last 500 days, the Administration’s approach to coal miner safety and health has been marked by disinvestment and regulatory rollbacks of initiatives aimed at curbing the black lung epidemic. These actions stand in stark contrast to the administration’s sizable investments and loud advocacy for bolstering the coal industry more broadly.
In a webinar this week, the report’s authors and other advocates will discuss the findings and what actions should be taken immediately to protect coal miners amid the push to revive the struggling coal industry.
The report will be shared with attendees of the event, but is also available under embargo for interested members of the media.
When: Friday, September 25, 2026 – 12 PM ET/11 am CT
Who:
- Dana Kuhnline, Program Director at ReImagine Appalachia
- Brendan Muckian-Bates, Policy and Advocacy Associate at Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center
- Meredith Perkins, Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
- Sam Petsonk, Labor, Employment & Black Lung Lawyer at Petsonk PLLC