Black lung rates in Appalachia are high as the 1970s, with thousands of miners sick

This was not a news article I expected to be reading in 2026. It seems the easy to reach coal seams in the Appalachia have already been mined resulting in miners needing to breakthrough silica to get to more.

Silica dust is 20 times more toxic than coal dust alone and contains fine particles that are easily inhaled. Silica particles cause lungs to fight back with fibrotic tissue that builds and builds, severely inhibiting the ability to breathe.

Because of this the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has found, "coal miners in central Appalachia are suffering from the incurable and fatal lung disease at the highest rates in nearly 50 years."

It's a sad state of affairs.

I discovered this article through The Morning News.