CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – For years, mining advocates have pushed for stricter rules when it comes to exposure to “silica dust” but no action has been taken until now.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued its final rule to cut the exposure of silica dust for miners in half on Tuesday.
The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) said this is a critical step to keeping coal, metal and non-metal miners safe for their entire lifetime.
“You’re seeing more miners in their 30s and 40s being diagnosed with black lung caused by the mixture of coal dust and the silica,” said Brian Lacy, Vice President of UMWA District 17. “Creating standards like this to help the working miner goes a long way in making sure they have a quality of life after their working days are done.”
Lacy said “silica dust” has become more of an issue in recent years because miners have to dig through more layers of rock to get to coal which creates “silica dust.” When mixed with “coal dust,” it can cause black lung.
“It’s a debilitating disease anytime you’re dragging around an oxygen bottle and you can’t catch your breath,” Lacy said. “Just easy tasks you would perform every day become more and more difficult because you don’t have any air.”
James Perry III, DO, a pulmonary critical care physician in South Charleston, said he’s treated several patients of all ages suffering from black lung disease as well as other miner-related illnesses. He said these diseases can affect people’s everyday lives forcing them to rely on oxygen and inhalers. For many, they also have to make frequent trips to the hospital.
“It’s something that can affect these patients greatly. I see them on a daily basis they’re not able to go out and shop at stores and go do the normal activities without being limited by oxygen requirements,” Perry said. “It’s a chronic disease state that they’re usually stuck with and just hopeful that they do not progress into something worse.”
More and more miners have been diagnosed with silica-related illnesses over the years, according to UMWA. Even with that rise, the union said it took more than two decades to get “a draft of new silica limits to the White House for review.”
According to the MSHA, the final rule will take effect on June 17. Coal mine operators have 12 months to be in compliance and nonmetal mine operators have 24 months. The organization expects the changes to prevent thousands of deaths and silica-related illnesses.
