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Shots - Health News
Doctors Confirm Black Lung In Victims Of Mine Blast
May 17, 2013 A study of mine blast victims finds further evidence that there's a resurgence of black lung among coal miners. The relatively young ages of some of the miners and their limited tenure underground suggests significant exposure to coal dust.
The Two-Way
Coal And Coral: Australia's Self-Destructive Paradox
March 23, 2013 The city of Gladstone is the world's fourth largest coal-export hub. It's also a jumping off point to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. But coal mining could eventually kill the reef that Australians revere.
The Two-Way
Coal May Pass Oil As World's No. 1 Energy Source By 2017, Study Says
December 18, 2012 Coal is poised to replace oil as the world's top energy source — possibly in the next five years, according to the International Energy Agency. The rise will be driven largely by growth in China and India, the IEA says, while the only large decline is seen coming in the United States.
The Two-Way
Coal Mine Inspection Sweep Targets Cause Of Black Lung
October 31, 2012 One of the 13 coal mines singled out by inspectors was once owned by Massey Energy, the company that owned the Upper Big Branch mine, the scene of a deadly 2010 explosion. Two others are owned by Murray Energy, whose Crandall Canyon coal mine experienced two collapses in 2007, killing nine miners and rescuers.
The Two-Way
New Regulations Aimed At Black Lung Disease Appear To Be Stalled
October 12, 2012 United Mine Workers officials suspect the Obama administration doesn't want to move forward on the new rules during the presidential campaign. The federal mine safety chief says the process takes time.
The Two-Way
Coal Mine Company Denies Responsibility Despite Disaster Settlement
September 27, 2012 The Labor Department says a Thursday settlement in the 2007 Crandall Canyon mine disaster clearly leaves mine owner Murray Energy with "acknowledged responsibility for the failures that led to the tragedy." The settlement must still be approved by an administrative law judge.
The Two-Way
Study Supports Regulators' Effort To Limit Miners' Exposure To Coal Dust
August 17, 2012 The Government Accountability Office says that the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) used appropriate data and scientific methods in drafting new regulations aimed at limiting the amount of coal dust miners are exposed to at U.S. operations.
The Two-Way
Republican Lawmakers Seek To Block Funding On Black Lung Regulation
July 17, 2012 Language inserted into a broad appropriations bill would block funding for a Labor Department effort to reduce the occurrence of black lung.
It's All Politics
After GOP Hits, Obama Energy Web Site Substitutes Coal For Efficiency
May 11, 2012 President Obama's re-election campaign played right into the hands of its GOP energy critics with a website explaining the administration's energy policy priorities that initially listed every source of energy except coal, which is produced in several battleground states.
The Two-Way
U.S. Coal Exports Soar To 1991 Heights
April 10, 2012 America's reliance on coal to produce electricity has declined by more than 20 percent in recent years — but it is exporting coal at a rate not seen in 20 years, according to the AP. Much of the new surge in coal exports comes from Japan and South Korea.
The Two-Way
After 14 Hours, Three Miners In Kentucky Coal Mine Are Rescued
June 20, 2011 They are in communication with officials on the surface and are thought to be OK. Flooding in the area, however, is making it difficult for rescuers to get to them.