Coal Miners Support Proposals to Curb Silica Dust Levels in Mines
Coal mining is a dangerous endeavor for both the environment and the miners tasked with extracting the substance from the ground. Continued exposure to airborne respirable dust increases coal miners’ risk of developing lung disease, can cause permanent scarring in the lungs and impair their ability to breathe. Former coal miner Terry Lilly recently spoke to a panel of federal regulators about how coal mining impacted his health. Struggling to speak, Lilly informed the panel that he suffers from black lung, a deadly respiratory condition that affects coal miners after sustained exposure to silica dust particles. The deadly lung condition…