Coal miners protested on Tuesday against the Trump administration‘s delay of a rule that would protect miners from black lung disease.
Coal miners gathered in front of the Labor Department in Washington, D.C., to accuse President Donald Trump of not doing enough to protect them from black lung disease, a condition caused by inhaling coal and silica dust. The miners are asking the Trump administration to impose a rule that limits silica dust, as an existing rule has been stalled in court for several months.
The protest comes as the Trump administration has made broad efforts to support the coal industry through executive orders and deregulation. The administration views coal as essential for meeting growing energy demand.
Roosevelt Neal, a former West Virginia miner with 28 years of experience and black lung disease, told the Washington Examiner that miners have been fighting for a silica dust rule for over 10 years.
Neal dismissed the administration’s efforts to boost the industry, saying that “talk is cheap.”
“Prove it to me, Mr. President, show me what you made out of. Show me what you made out of. We need this rule,” Neal said.
Neal also said Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Jim Justice (R-WV) have failed to protect coal miners, as they represent “big business.”
Former President Joe Biden’s Labor Department finalized a rule last year to limit silica dust exposure, requiring mine operators to take immediate action if the limit is exceeded. At the time, the administration estimated that the rule would help prevent more than 1,000 deaths and over 3,700 cases of black lung disease.
The rule was set to take effect in April. However, it was met with legal challenges by the National Sand and Stone Association, the National Mining Association, and other industry groups. These groups asked a federal appeals court to block the rule, arguing that it would impose significant costs on mining operators.
The Trump administration did not defend the rule, delayed enforcement, and also asked for another court delay in October, citing the government shutdown.
Phil Smith, who works with the United Mine Workers, told the Washington Examiner that, to undo the Biden regulations, the Trump administration needs to promulgate another rule. However, he said there has been no indication that it is doing so.
“We’re pro-coal too, but we want to see them working safely and not put their lives at risk when they go to work,” Smith said.
“No workers should have to worry about that either from an immediate incident that may happen at work or for a long-term occupational disease like this,” he added. “We know enough about how to prevent this from happening … people should be able to go to work in this country and not feel like it’s going to kill them.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pushed to increase the production of fossil fuels, such as coal, to meet energy needs, while slowing the growth of renewable energy sources.
Smith said the administration has taken action to keep coal steady but not build it up.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CANCELS NEVADA’S MASSIVE SOLAR PROJECT
“We support what the administration is doing with respect to keeping coal-fired power plants open longer than they would have been,” he said, adding that the problem is nobody is building new ones.
He added, “While we appreciate what they’re doing, it’s really just kind of keeping the status quo, which is where we are now. I don’t know how long it’s going to last.”
