Latest news with #CoalWorkers'HealthSurveillanceProgram
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Federal government reverses mass layoffs in effort to preserve vital program for local workers: 'I want to be cautiously optimistic'
Trump administration layoffs in the Department of Health and Human Services were rolled back on April 29 after they imperiled a program that screens coal miners for black lung disease. On June 2, though, the dozens of employees will be fired again, the Washington Post reported. Black lung is "a deadly and incurable disease caused by inhaling toxic coal dust." The move puts the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program in limbo. It is administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We have to have this function for the safety and health of our coal miners," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, the country's second-leading producer of coal, told the Post. The Post reported that coal miners contacted Capito to ask whether they would receive federal benefits from NIOSH. The program dates to 1969 and grants coal miners free and confidential chest X-rays, according to the Post. If a worker is diagnosed with black lung, they can move to a safer area of a mine without losing pay and apply for covered treatment and medicine. "This reinstatement does not include all impacted employees," Cathy Tinney-Zara, president of a union that represents NIOSH workers in Morgantown, West Virginia, said. "The focus of the recall appears to center on programs currently in the media spotlight — namely, the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program." Hundreds of coal miners filed a lawsuit saying the administration violated the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act by firing the workers, per the Post. It asks for the NIOSH employees to be immediately reinstated. Though coal mines are being phased out across the globe as countries transition to cleaner energy sources, President Donald Trump has issued executive orders to expand the industry. A global think tank said it "makes no sense, economic or otherwise." And even if every coal plant in America were shuttered today, federally mandated health care for miners, including the black lung screening program, would have to continue well into the future. Do you think the federal government should give us tax breaks to improve our homes? Definitely Only for certain upgrades Let each state decide instead No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Clean energy sources such as solar and wind are cheaper than dirty coal, gas, and oil and don't produce the toxic planet-warming gases that are driving rising global temperatures and leading to health problems, biodiversity loss, and increasingly severe and frequent extreme weather. Coal plants also affect crop yields and pollute vital water sources. "My [reduction in force] notice means that on June 2, I will be fired — that still hasn't changed," Noemi Hall, one of the NIOSH employees, told the Post. "I want to be cautiously optimistic, but I also know that there have been a lot of broken promises." Another, Scott Laney, said he would "have to give up this noble fight to save this program and go find a job," calling it exceedingly daunting. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
RFK, Capito and Moore didn't save NIOSH employees' jobs — a lawyer and coal miner did
U.S. District Court Judge Irene Berger ordered 'full restoration' of services at the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety's Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, pictured here on Jan. 28, 2012, is located in Morgantown, (Getty Images) Last week, a federal judge ordered 'full restoration' of services at the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety's Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program. However, after the ruling, credit for getting those people back to work at NIOSH started going to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. — the man who eliminated the positions in the first place. In her ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Irene Berger said the federal Department of Health and Human Services could not legally end services with the surveillance program, and that doing so would 'cost lives.' In April, more than 200 jobs were eliminated at NIOSH as part of President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative, which aimed to reduce staffing at DHHS from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees. This affected the entire NIOSH facility in Morgantown, leaving no one in the United States who performs the same services for occupational safety and health, said Cathy Tinney-Zara, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3040. 'We do the research to make everyone's job safer,' she said. West Virginia U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito was the only member of the state's Congressional delegation who spoke up against the job cuts. She requested a meeting with Kennedy, to ask him to bring back the NIOSH employees. Capito posted on X on the day of Berger's ruling that, 'The health and safety of our WV workers, including our miners, is of the utmost importance and I will always advocate for their wellbeing.' Despite that comment, she's not backing the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act that was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Bobby Scott, who both represent Virginia. She's not speaking out about delaying the Mine Safety and Health Administration rule that would have limited how much dangerous silica dust coal miners are exposed to while they work. She hasn't supported federal legislation to increase monthly black lung benefits stipends for thousands of West Virginia coal miners and their families to keep up with rises in inflation. On the same day as Berger's ruling, job cuts were reversed for a Pittsburgh lab that certifies virtually all U.S. government-approved respirators in the country. When Pennsylvania Capitol-Star reporter Ian Karbal reached out to DHHS about the reversal, a spokesperson pointed to employees at the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program getting back to work. They gave the credit, however, to Kennedy and, of course, the Trump administration. 'The Trump Administration remains committed to supporting coal miners, who play a vital role in America's energy sector. Under Secretary [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]'s leadership, NIOSH's Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program will continue to meet the needs of our nation's miners,' a spokesperson for DHHS wrote. West Virginia U.S. Rep. Riley Moore — who eventually began to care about the job cuts in Morgantown — credited himself and Kennedy for good news. 'This is a great win for West Virginia, and I can't thank the Secretary enough for working closely with my office to make this happen,' Moore posted on X. 'The work NIOSH does is critically important for our coal miners and their safety.' But that's not what happened. The NIOSH employees only got their jobs back because Berger ruled it was illegal to end the program. And she heard from NIOSH employees and the case's lead plaintiff, a coal miner named Harry Wiley, who presented 'overwhelming evidence' that the work had been stopped — not just paused — without any plans or efforts in place to ensure it continued as mandated by Congress. Mine safety and health lawyer Sam Brown Petsonk worked with Mountain State Justice and Appalachian Mountain Advocates to file Wiley v. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., et al. Petsonk found Wiley, a coal miner who was diagnosed with black lung in November, to testify and lead the case. Wiley asked to use Part 90, which allows workers diagnosed with black lung to transfer to a less dusty part of a mine without facing retribution from a mine operator. To qualify, miners must have their black lung testing results certified by NIOSH. But those employees were all placed on administrative leave on April 1, leaving no one to approve his application or offer him free screenings to verify his claims. 'As the testimony before the Court made clear, that dust exposure will cause [Wiley's] disease to progress until it becomes debilitating. Does [Kennedy] genuinely believe that a miner diagnosed with black lung is not being injured when the program designed to confirm his condition and provide him with workplace protections to prevent its progression is rendered inaccessible?' Berger wrote. 'This Court does not share such a belief.' Wiley risked the possibility of facing unofficial social reprimands from the coal mine he works at. He should feel insulted that people are thanking Kennedy — Kennedy didn't make the decision to put NIOSH employees back to work, Berger did. Our elected and appointed officials with one lone exception sat back while the government attempted to rob coal miners of the congressionally mandated rights their predecessors fought for. And those miners fight every day to survive an incurable disease without their help. When you see campaign ads featuring coal miners start to circulate on TV next election, remember where this credit really belongs. Remember who actually fought for our coal miners. Capito and Moore should be thanking Berger, Petsonk and Wiley for getting some NIOSH employees back to work. And they should be working to get the rest of the employees back on the job permanently as well. The mining research team in Pennsylvania is still on 'temporary' administrative leave. This isn't the end of the fight. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Washington Post
14-05-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Judge orders reinstatement of workers in health program for coal miners
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of nearly 200 fired federal workers who screen coal miners for black lung, a deadly and incurable disease caused by inhaling toxic coal dust. U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger issued a preliminary injunction that compels the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to bring back the workers in the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program. Berger said Trump administration officials 'lack the authority to unilaterally cancel' the screening program, which was mandated by the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. She ordered the program to be fully restored, with 'no pause, stoppage or gap in the protections and services.' Under the screening program, coal miners can receive free and confidential chest X-rays to determine whether their lung tissue is damaged. Those who are diagnosed with black lung can transfer to a less dusty part of the mine without a pay cut, and they can apply for federal compensation for medical treatments and prescription drugs. The screening program offers contracts to radiologists across the country who are certified to evaluate X-rays for black lung. It also employs epidemiologists who recently concluded that 1 in 5 longtime coal miners in Central Appalachia has black lung — the highest level recorded in 25 years. On April 1, the Trump administration fired most of the staff working on the program as part of massive layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services, The Washington Post previously reported. Many staffers were placed on administrative leave and told of their termination effective June 2. On April 30, the administration temporarily reinstated 30 to 40 of the fired workers until June 2. Then, last week, Berger heard testimony from two West Virginia coal miners with black lung, who urged the judge to permanently restore the workers' jobs. After Berger's ruling, the fired NIOSH workers received an email late Tuesday saying their 'reduction in force' notices were rescinded. 'You previously received a notice regarding the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) upcoming reduction in force (RIF),' said the email, a copy of which was obtained by The Post. 'That notice is hereby revoked. You will not be affected by the upcoming RIF.' Berger's decision comes as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify Wednesday before the House and Senate about President Donald Trump's budget proposal, which calls for deeply slashing spending for many federal health programs. Asked for comment on the ruling, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in an email: 'Secretary Kennedy has been working hard to ensure that the critical functions under NIOSH remain intact. The Trump Administration is committed to supporting coal miners and firefighters, and under the Secretary's leadership, NIOSH's essential services will continue as HHS streamlines its operations.' Sam Petsonk, a lawyer for the West Virginia coal miners with black lung, praised the decision but urged the administration to abandon other cuts to health programs across Appalachia. 'I'm glad to see the Administration already taking some initial steps in the direction of complying with the order,' Petsonk said in an email. 'America's coal miners deserve nothing less, and in fact they deserve a heck of a lot more.' The order, he added, 'represents one very significant reversal of Trump's unconstitutional abandonment of Appalachia, but hopefully not the last.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Job cuts reversed at Pittsburgh lab that certifies nation's respirators
Aerial shot of the NIOSH campus in Bruceton, Allegheny County. (Photo from the CDC) The Pittsburgh-area lab responsible for certifying virtually all U.S. government-approved respirators in the country was preparing to shutter for good in June. The Capital-Star reported last month that employees had been told their positions were being eliminated as part of sweeping cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The lab is responsible for certifying and auditing just about every N95, as well as masks worn by doctors, firefighters, welders, coal miners, and other professionals. But those plans changed Tuesday afternoon. Officials with the local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees union say many, if not all, employees remaining at the Bruceton facility, many of whom were on administrative leave, received an email telling them their jobs were safe — at least for the moment. 'You previously received a notice regarding the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) upcoming reduction in force,' read an email sent to lab employees by Thomas Nagy, the agency's acting chief human capital officer, and shared with the Capital-Star. 'That notice is hereby revoked. You will not be affected by the upcoming RIF.' The employee who shared the email did so under the condition of anonymity, for fear of retaliation. But a union official told the Capital-Star between recent buyouts, layoffs and early retirements, it's been difficult to say with certainty how many employees remain. And with so many on administrative leave, it's been hard to confirm if anyone did not receive the notification Tuesday. 'We're still trying to figure out what it all means and who it all covers,' said Suzanne Alison, a steward at the local American Federation of Government Employees chapter that represents Allegheny County's NIOSH employees. 'We're crowdsourcing a little bit among ourselves.' A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to detailed questions about the decision to reverse the planned cuts, but said that, 'The Trump Administration remains committed to supporting coal miners, who play a vital role in America's energy sector. Under Secretary [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]'s leadership, NIOSH's Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program will continue to meet the needs of our nation's miners.' Workers at the National Personal Protective Technology Lab learned their jobs were no longer being cut on the same day a U.S. District Court judge in West Virginia granted an injunction ordering employees of NIOSH's mine safety and respiratory health divisions return to work following previous cuts. That was in response to a class action case led by West Virginia coal miner, Harry Wiley. It's unclear if there was any connection between the ruling and the reversal of cuts to the respirator certification lab. Alison said the ruling likely only affected employees at NIOSH's Morgantown division, who also faced steep cuts earlier this year. West Virginia Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito said Tuesday on the social media platform X that over 100 employees would be returning to work at the Morgantown facility. However, employees at NIOSH's Pittsburgh-area Mining Research Division, which studies best practices for avoiding workplace injuries and deaths, do not appear to have received the same notices as those at the respirator certification lab, Alison said. Kennedy is scheduled to testify Wednesday before both the U.S. House Appropriations committee and the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee to discuss his agency's proposed budget, which includes drastic staff cuts. There are two Pennsylvania representatives on the House Appropriations panel, Republican Guy Reschenthaler and Democrat Madeleine Dean. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Some federal workers focused on 'black lung' screenings reinstated but still face June termination
The Trump administration plans to terminate federal workers focused on preventing and responding to work-related illnesses, including "black lung" disease in coal miners, according to an internal government memo obtained by NBC News, despite in recent days reinstating some who had been let go. Those terminations could threaten critical programs used to screen for health issues in workers with toxic exposures, including 9/11 first responders, according to people who work on or benefit from the programs. Some workers who benefit from those programs have expressed fears that conditions such as cancer or lung disease could go undetected as a result. Concerns about the future of those programs began earlier this month when the Department of Health and Human Services effectively gutted the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), drastically cutting the headcount of an agency that has been around for 55 years. The move was part of a broader plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce, including a massive restructuring of federal health agencies that called for the termination of roughly 20,000 full-time employees. In an agencywide email sent Wednesday, NIOSH's director, John Howard, acknowledged 'a significant number of [reduction in force] notices sent to staff' and said some staffers were brought back from administrative leave this week as part of 'a temporary arrangement to help complete our obligations.' The staffers had received notices on April 1 that they had been placed on leave, with official termination dates set for June. Howard himself received a termination notice in early April but returned to his post after bipartisan opposition from members of Congress regarding his dismissal. The notices 'created confusion and gaps in information that we are continuing to try to fill,' Howard said in his memo. Some programs within NIOSH will move to a newly created agency known as the Administration for a Healthy America, he said, but it's unclear how that transition will occur. One program caught up in the cuts is the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, a congressionally mandated effort to monitor the health of coal miners. For decades, it offered free X-rays to identify lung scarring in miners who continuously inhale coal dust — what's colloquially known as 'black lung.' An HHS official said critical NIOSH programs, including the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, will continue to serve the needs of miners via the newly created Administration for a Healthy America, but did not address the upcoming staffing cuts. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, said Tuesday evening on X that she was encouraged by some NIOSH staff returning to work this week. 'My understanding is that this is temporary, so my focus will continue to be on working with @HHSGov on permanently restoring these functions and personnel in the most efficient and effective manner,' she wrote. A lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coal miner in West Virginia on behalf of himself and others in his field calls for the program to be reinstated. It accuses HHS of violating the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act — which established the program in 1969 — by terminating staffers involved in black lung screenings. HHS has until Thursday to respond to the suit. Coal miners have a higher-than-average risk of dying from black lung by virtue of their occupation. One in 10 underground coal miners who worked in mines for at least 25 years had black lung, according to a NIOSH report in 2018. In Central Appalachia, one of the main coal mining regions in the U.S., the rate was 1 in 5. Scott Laney, an epidemiologist at the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, said the program diagnosed new cases and provided evidence of the disease to miners filing for disability benefits. He estimated that, due to staffing cuts, there are hundreds of thousands of X-rays currently sitting in the basement of the NIOSH facility in Morgantown, West Virginia. 'There's a tranche of X-rays that have gone unread in our system, and these miners are waiting to find out whether they have black lung or not,' he said. On top of that, he said, 'if someone calls NIOSH and asks for their personal health information, we don't have the ability to send that to them right now.' Dave Dayton, a miner in Marion County, West Virginia, said he has personally taken advantage of NIOSH's mobile screenings for lung disease. Many miners work long shifts and would otherwise struggle to see a doctor, he said. 'Without NIOSH being there to help us, I don't know where we're going and where the miners are going to be without their help,' he said. This article was originally published on
