ACLC: Help Us Send Coal Miners with Black Lung to Washington, DC!

June 20th, 2019 — ACLC launches a crowdfunding campaign to send 100 miners with black lung and their family members to Washington, DC to demand that congress take action to protect black lung benefits! Please give now to support our efforts: rebrand.ly/blacklungkills

 
Black lung disease has reached epidemic levels in coal country. The Centers for Disease Control calls the resurgence of black lung disease “clearly one of the worst industrial medicine disasters that’s ever been described.”
Despite the epidemic, a lack of congressional action has put miners’ federal black lung benefits at risk. Coal miners and their families are fighting back by organizing black lung associations and holding rallies at the state and national levels.
Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center has represented thousands of miners and widows fighting for federal black lung benefits since its founding in 2001 in addition to advocating for miners’ health and safety. The nonprofit law center provides free legal services to sick miners and their families who are seeking benefits and supports local black lung association chapters in addition to advocating for miners’ health and safety.
In July, we will send 100 miners and widows to Washington, D.C. to demand an extension of the Black Lung Excise Tax, which is a tax that funds the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. Due to congressional inaction, the tax was slashed at the end of 2018, placing the fund at risk of insolvency and putting sick miners’ benefits at risk.
Miners and their families are fed up, and they are preparing to hold their legislators accountable and demand action now. Help miners suffering from black lung disease get to D.C. to have their voices heard! Every dollar helps, and people like you make this work possible. Give now to support our coal miners!

For further reading, please click here: https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-kentucky-black-lung-20181226-story.html