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“Dozens of coal miners are expected on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, where they’ll press federal regulators and members of Congress to address the epidemic of deadly progressive massive fibrosis, the advanced stage of black lung disease. They’ll ask lawmakers to fully restore a coal excise tax that pays for medical care and some living expenses for miners diagnosed with black lung, a crippling disease caused by the inhalation of coal and silica dust. The tax was cut more than 50% at the end of last year. It supports the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which is more than $4 billion [...]

Below are some articles we thought would be helpful for those who would like to stay updated on the EPA rollbacks of Obama-era regulations on coal emissions, which instead allow for states to have more discretion. CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/19/politics/epa-rolls-back-obama-coal-emissions/index.html Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/the-latest-epa-chief-eases-rules-on-coal-fired-power-plants/2019/06/19/463f12e2-9307-11e9-956a-88c291ab5c38_story.html?utm_term=.4d50c3bf74bb

“A new National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program, the Rural Community Loan Repayment Program, will award up to $100,000 in student loan repayment to primary care and behavioral health clinicians providing substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in rural communities nationwide. In exchange, participants commit to serve for three years at rural health care sites.” Click here for more information or copy + paste the link below https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loan-repayment/nhsc-rural-community-loan-repayment-program Application Help NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program Application Webinar June 131:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET Access Link Dial-in number: 800-857-1286 Passcode: 4667956 NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program Application Online Q & A Sessions June 27 [...]

The U.S. Department of Labor- Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs- Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness has issued an update to instructions for regarding OWCP-1500 Field 5 Submissions. “Effective May 5, 2019, DEEOIC will enforce completion of Field 5 on the OWCP-1500 Health Insurance Claim Form. When submitting the OWCP-1500, providers are required to enter the patient’s mailing address and zip code in Field 5. If Field 5 is incomplete, DEEOIC will return the OWCP-1500 and the provider will be required to resubmit the form with the required information.” Subscribe to the newsletter here to get updates from the DOL!

“United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman announced the charging of an additional former supervisor and safety official from Armstrong Coal, in addition to the eight previous officials charged by a federal grand jury, for conspiracy to defraud an agency of the United States government by deceit, trickery, and dishonest means. ” Read more below in the US DOLs News release: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/msha/msha20190227

Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has announced that more than $291 million in funds will be distributed to states and tribes in an effort to eliminate dangerous conditions and pollution caused by former coal mining. The most allocated will be going to Wyoming, who is receiving $87,833,889. Click below for the US Department of the Interiors News Release. https://www.osmre.gov/resources/newsroom/News/2019/031919_AMLdistribution.pdf Click below to see an article on it pertaining to IN. https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/indiana-gets-8.1m-to-clean,-repurpose-old-coal-mines.php

Congress established the Black Lung trust fund in 1978. The tax rate used to fund it expired on Dec. 31, 2018, and has since been cut in half, leaving many beneficiaries uncertain of what will happen next. Below are links to articles regarding the current state of federal Black Lung funding. AP News Break: Congress’ Inaction Endangers Black Lung Fund NY Times: With Black Lung Fund in Jeopardy, Taxpayers Could Fit the Bill KHN: Expected Shortfalls For Black Lung Fund Will Be Covered By Taxpayers Instead Of Coal Companies

“In an investigatory piece conducted jointly with the PBS investigative series Frontline, NPR (1/22, Berkes) reports, “Thousands of coal miners are dying from an advanced form of black lung disease, and federal regulators could have prevented it if they had paid closer attention to their own data.”