US coal miners seek benefits as black lung disease cases hit 50‑year high

Former President Donald Trump’s recent remark that “he digs coal” has drawn attention to a troubling resurgence of coal‑workers’ pneumoconiosis, commonly known as black lung disease, which now stands at its highest level in five decades. Health officials report that new cases of the irreversible lung condition have surged among miners in Appalachia, while many afflicted workers are confronting prolonged delays in receiving federal disability benefits intended to support those whose health has been compromised by prolonged exposure to coal dust.

One of the latest examples is 74‑year‑old Josh Armes, who spent 38 years mining in West Virginia and Virginia before retiring. Shortly after leaving the industry, Armes was diagnosed with pneumoconiosis, a disease caused by inhaling fine coal particles that scar lung tissue and impair breathing. His case underscores a broader pattern: despite the disease’s long‑standing presence in the mining community, the Department of Labor’s Black Lung Benefits Program has been plagued by backlogs, leaving many veterans of the industry waiting months or even years for compensation. Advocacy groups argue that the increase in diagnoses, combined with administrative bottlenecks, calls for urgent policy reforms to expedite benefits and strengthen occupational safety measures for the nation’s remaining coal workforce.