Sep 25, 2026, at 12:00 pm ET via Zoom
Sep 25, 2026, at 12:00 pm ET via Zoom – In this webinar, the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center and ReImagine Appalachia discuss a new report tracking major milestones regarding mine safety and health from January 2025-September 2026.
Watch the full recorded webinar here…
In August 2026, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released findings that showed that 32 percent of veteran underground coal miners in central Appalachia have coal workers’ pneumoconiosis—black lung disease. These rates are up 12 percent from when NIOSH last reported on rates of the disease in 2018. Rates of black lung are, in fact, the highest they have been since 1978.
These rates should create an urgent call for action. Instead, as our new study shows, for over 500 days, the Trump administration’s approach to coal miner safety and health has been characterized by disinvestment and regulatory rollbacks, particularly initiatives aimed at curbing the black lung epidemic. These actions are in stark contrast to the energetic leadership the Trump administration has shown for bolstering the coal industry more broadly. Further, Congress continues to drag its feet on legislative reforms to improve the black lung benefits system.
While the actions to bolster the coal industry detailed above have been controversial to some and celebrated by others, the through line is that the Trump administration’s significant investments in the coal industry have not been accompanied by meaningful action to prevent the growing epidemic of black lung.
Event Follow-Up Materials
Key links:
- New Black Lung Report: Who Pays The Price?
- Recording:
- Speakers:
- Meredith Perkins, Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
- Brendan Muckian-Bates, Policy & Advocacy Associate · Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center
- Sam Petsonk, Labor, Employment & Black Lung Lawyer at Petsonk PLLC
- Upcoming Events:
- Upcoming Black Lung Livestream with The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum- Friday, Oct 2 at 12:30 pm ET, on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdtkVDLOh4x/
- Stay tuned for more information: Miners and advocates are gathering in Washington DC to meet with members of Congress to push for new legislation
- Take Action:
- To best support miners who are traveling to DC next week, use this link to contact your members of Congress: https://www.blacklungkills.org/take-action-soma
You can learn more about legislation that advocates are pushing for in Congress at the website: blacklungkills.org
While on the call, we mentioned this letter supporting expanding black lung benefits released today from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
This report is part of a series looking at how the changes since January 2025 have impacted Appalachian communities. This report from Dec 2025 focuses on energy and manufacturing programs and DOE changes; this report from May 2026 details a timeline of changes at FEMA.