Caity Coyne at West Virginia Watch reports the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) are condemning a Federal Court’s decision to continue delaying the implementation of a Federal Rule to lower Coal Miners’ exposure to dangerous silica dust, calling the pushback “bureaucratic cowardice.” The Silica Dust Rule - finalized under the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) last year - should have gone into effect on last week after being delayed for the first time in April. But now the rule has yet again been pushed back to at least October due to a previous temporary injunction issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in response to a request from the National Sand, Stone and Gravel Association (NSSGA) to block the rule’s implementation completely. The rule would have gone into effect last week only for coal mines, but the NSSGA - along with several other industry groups who joined the organization in its request - would not have been impacted by the new regulations until 2027, per the rule. Meanwhile, as the rule is delayed, more and more Coal Miners are working in dusty conditions known to cause and exacerbate Black Lung Disease. “This is bureaucratic cowardice, plain and simple,” UMWA International Secretary-Treasurer Brian Sanson said. “We’ve buried too many friends, too many fathers and too many sons because of black lung. Bowing to corporate interests doesn’t solve the problem, it puts more Miners at risk. The science is clear, the rule is needed and the delay is shameful.”

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: UMWA calls continued delay of silica dust rule a ‘death sentence’ for coal miners in WV and beyond • West Virginia Watch