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“This extra impairment would be enough to kill them which is why we’re trying to be so careful in not having them in the clinic and encouraging them to stay at home, stay away from people so they don’t get it because it would be much more difficult for someone like that to recuperate, if it’s even possible,” said Debbi Wills, a black lung clinic coordinator in West Virginia.’ Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/19/ive-already-got-infected-lungs-for-sick-coal-miners-covid-19-is-a-death-sentence

Attached is a letter from the National Coalition of Black Lung & Respiratory Disease Clinics Inc. (NCBLRDC) to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in support of the UMWA request for a more robust approach in responding to Covid-19. Read the UMWA letter here: https://umwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/032420-CER-Letter-David-Zatezalo-COVID-19.pdf  

Dr. Leonard Go, Assistant Director of the MinER Center, was quoted in this 3/25/20 Gizmodo article: I’m Just Praying’: Miners Fear the Impacts Covid-19 Could Have in Coal Country

What We Know: Coronavirus or officially known as COVID-19 is a new infectious respiratory virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11th, 2020. Most people experience mild to moderate symptoms. Elderly and those living with pre-existing conditions tend to experience more severe symptoms and may require hospitalization.

Click the link to read more: https://www.100daysinappalachia.com/2020/02/black-lung-benefits-drop-for-kentucky-coal-miners-after-controversial-law-change/

Read more here: https://www.etui.org/Publications2/Periodicals/HesaMag-20-Migrant-workers-in-Fortress-Europe

“New laws in Queensland, Australia could see executives of mines and quarries facing a maximum of 20 years in jail for negligence in worker deaths, with companies receiving fines of up to AUD13m. The new laws, introduced today by the Palaszczuk government mines minister Dr. Anthony Lynham, propose that senior officers of a mine or quarry company can be put on trial for industrial manslaughter.” Read more here: https://www.mining-technology.com/mining-safety/proposed-queensland-law-re-frames-mining-deaths-as-industrial-manslaughter

The slow death of the American coal industry has forced Murray Energy, the largest private coal miner in the United States, to file for bankruptcy protection Tuesday. Murray Energy’s bankruptcy has been telegraphed for years. More Info

(WASHINGTON, DC) The House Natural Resources Committee today passed HR 934, the Health Benefits For Miners Act, and HR 935, the Miners Pension Protection Act, by unanimous voice votes. The committee action clears the way for these critical bills to be voted on by the full House of Representatives. More Info

AS COAL MINES SHUTTER ACROSS WEST VIRGINIA, A NONPROFIT IS HELPING UNEMPLOYED MINERS AND LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS MAKE MONEY BY RAISING BEES AND SELLING THEIR HONEY. IT’S EXTRA INCOME FOR THEM AND A BIG BONUS FOR LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS. A Movement to Transform Coal Miners Into Beekeepers Is Great News for the Planet