Nov 16 Environment Federal Watchdog Finds Coal Safety Regulator Not Protecting Miners From Silica Dust The Mine Safety and Health Administration is not doing enough to protect coal miners from deadly silica dust, according to a new report from the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General. The IG found that MSHA’s standards for exposure to deadly silica dust were out of date, and MSHA lacked the ability to […] By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Nov 16 Environment Federal Watchdog Finds Coal Safety Regulator Not Protecting Miners From Silica Dust Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
May 5 Health Coal And COVID-19: Lung Impairment Makes Miners Especially Vulnerable To Coronavirus Coal mines have been designated essential to keep the nation’s energy supply stable. But no one is regulating sanitation to keep the workers safe. By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource May 5 Health Lung Impairment Makes Miners Especially Vulnerable To Coronavirus Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Apr 2 Environment Justice Coal Companies Agree To Settle $5 Million In Delinquent Mine Safety Debts Coal companies owned by the family of W. Va. Gov. Jim Justice have agreed to pay more than $5 million in overdue health and safety fines. By Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource Apr 2 Environment Justice Companies Agree To Settle $5 Million In Delinquent Debts Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource
Feb 5 Health Scientists, Mine Safety Officials Discuss Black Lung Protections The new partnership is designed to discuss ways to better protect coal miners from the dust that causes black lung disease. By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Feb 5 Health Scientists, Mine Safety Officials Discuss Black Lung Protections Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Nov 25 Health MSHA Comment Period Shows Divide On Measures To Protect Miners Health Comments included a striking testimony from a coal miner sharing details of the ways in which mine operators cheat on dust monitoring. By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Nov 25 Health Comment Period Shows Divide On Measures To Protect Miners Health Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Aug 22 Environment Mines That Change Owners Have Worse Safety Record, Audit Finds According to a federal audit, mines that changed ownership during a 17-year period were nearly twice as likely to have safety violations. By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Aug 22 Environment Mines That Change Owners Have Worse Safety Record, Audit Finds Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Jul 22 Health Coal Miners To Hit Capitol Hill For Black Lung Funding Appalachian coal miners will be in Washington D.C. this week to ask lawmakers to support the black lung disability trust fund. By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Jul 22 Health Coal Miners To Hit Capitol Hill For Black Lung Funding Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Jun 19 Health As Congressional Panel Focuses On Black Lung, UMW Urges Stronger Health Protections UMW President Cecil Roberts and MSHA administrator David Zatezalo are both scheduled to testify Thursday morning before a House subcommittee. By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Jun 19 Health As Congress Focuses On Black Lung, UMW Urges Stronger Protections Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Jun 10 Environment Amid Calls For Action On Black Lung, Regulators Show Few Signs Of Changes Mine safety regulators show little indication they will increase protection for miners. By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Jun 10 Environment Amid Call For Action On Black Lung, Regulators Show Few Signs Of Change Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
May 22 Economy Facing Second Lawsuit From Feds, Justice Coal Companies File Suit Of Their Own Coal companies owned by the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice have filed a lawsuit against federal surface mining regulators. By Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource May 22 Economy Facing 2nd Lawsuit From Feds, Justice Companies File Their Own suit Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource
Apr 8 Environment Mine Safety Debt For WV Gov. Justice’s Family Companies Grows to $4M That $4.3 million is far more than the companies owed when Justice ran for governor in 2016, when he pledged to make good on such debts. By Alexandra Kanik and Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource Apr 8 Environment Mine Safety Debt For WV Gov. Justice’s Family Companies Grows to $4M Alexandra Kanik and Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource
Jan 29 Environment Black Lung Clinics Call For Action But Top Regulator Plans No New Measures NPR reports that more than 2,300 miners in central Appalachia are sick with the most serious form of the disease. By Jeff Young Jan 29 Environment Black Lung Clinics Call For Action But MSHA Plans No New Measures Jeff Young
Jan 4 Environment 3 Miners Dead In 11 Days: Grim December Caps Year In Coal Mine Safety The U.S. coal mining industry was on track for its safest year in history, but in an 11-day span in late December, three miners died after separate incidents. By Jeff Young Jan 4 Environment Grim December Caps Year In Coal Mine Safety Jeff Young
Dec 18 Environment Data Dives And Shoe Leather: How NPR’s Howard Berkes Investigated Appalachia’s Black Lung Epidemic Data loom large in this investigation: Berkes analyzed 30 years of dust monitoring data. But it also required old-fashioned shoe leather reporting. By Jeff Young Dec 18 Environment How NPR's Howard Berkes Investigated Appalachia's Black Lung Epidemic Jeff Young
Dec 5 Environment Mine Workers Sue Federal Regulators Over Controversial Mine Safety Decision The United Mine Workers of America is suing MSHA after the agency reduced its heightened oversight of a West Virginia coal mine with a poor safety record. By Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource and Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource Dec 5 Environment Mine Workers Sue Feds Over Controversial Mine Safety Decision Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource and Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource