Sickened Coal Miners Plead for Their Black Lung Benefits as Cases Surge
This story was originally co-published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. For 38 years, Josh Armes worked as a coal miner in West Virginia and Virginia. After retirement, Armes, 74, of Grundy, Virginia, was diagnosed with black lung disease, medically known as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), caused by breathing in coal dust over long […]
Josh Armes, a 74-year-old former coal miner based in Grundy, Virginia, has been diagnosed with black lung disease, a condition resulting from prolonged inhalation of coal dust. This has left him reliant on an oxygen tank and regular medical treatments. Despite receiving black lung benefits in 2014, Armes and his family have been embroiled in an ongoing appeals process for the past decade, struggling to regain these benefits amid a surge in such cases.
The federal black lung program, established in 1969, aims to offer monetary and medical assistance to disabled miners, but the Armes family, like many others, has encountered significant challenges in securing these benefits.
The Trump administration's efforts to bolster the coal industry coincide with a spike in black lung cases, which have reached a rate not seen since 1978. According to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), 7,709 miners received benefits in 2024, with 22,500 beneficiaries including families and survivors in fiscal year 2025.
Between 2013 and 2024, 40 percent of approved claims were contested by coal operators, a trend reflected in the 390 cases where initial approvals were overturned after appeal. Claimants, including Armes, often face years of delay and added financial burdens due to medical tests and legal fees, with some even facing the prospect of losing their benefits altogether.
The report highlights the frustrating experience of miners, with claims taking more than three years to resolve on average, and more than 10 percent exceeding a decade. The Armes family remains in limbo, awaiting resolution while unable to access the benefits they need. They express frustration with the system, where benefits can be stripped away upon appeal, and argue for changes to the legal process to ensure that coal companies cannot undermine miners' rightful entitlements.
Amid these struggles, the administration's delay in enforcing a silica dust regulation, deemed crucial for miner safety, has been criticized as inadequate protection for those at risk of black lung disease.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
