Mollohan Backs New Effort Against Black Lung

Press Release

Congressman Alan B. Mollohan strongly endorsed the Department of Labor's renewed commitment to fight black lung disease.

In a letter to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Mollohan urged the Department and its Mine Safety and Health Administration to expedite new regulations to combat black lung, which "has been a scourge among mining communities throughout Appalachia's history."

The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced a new initiative to combat black lung during a conference held in Beckley yesterday. The initiative includes a new education campaign, better enforcement of existing regulations, and new regulations governing workplace exposure to coal dust.

The new initiative follows reports that the number of cases of black lung has been increasing over the past decade.

"Black lung has ruined the lives of far too many of our miners and their familiies," Mollohan said. "This cruel disease was one of the costs borne by West Virginians as we met the energy needs of a growing country in the last century. Today we have the knowledge and the technical capabilities to vastly reduce this particular risk. We owe it to our miners and their families to make going into the mines as safe as possible."

In August, Mollohan joined Solis, along with mine workers, coal operators, and other government officials, in a tour of a mine near Fairview. That tour was followed by a roundtable discussion on mine safety generally, including the risk of black lung.

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