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Coal industry fought black lung tax as disease rates rose

An overview of a coal prep plant outside the city of Welch in rural West Virginia on May 19, 2017, in Welch, West Virginia. Credit: Spencer Platt, Getty Images

Coal companies and industry groups lobbied against extending a tax program that provides a lifeline for sufferers and their families

While cases of black lung disease among miners were on the rise last year, coal companies and industry groups lobbied lawmakers against extending a tax program that provides a lifeline for sufferers and their families.

Mandatory disclosures show the coal lobby spent some of its influence money on discussions with lawmakers regarding the Black Lung Excise Tax and the trust fund that helps pay for the health and living benefits of sick coal workers whose employers have gone bankrupt, and their beneficiaries.

Industry efforts appear to have paid off as Congress did not act by Dec. 31 to extend the higher excise tax on coal companies, the primary source of money for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which was established in 1977.

View the complete January 25 article by Elvina Nawaguna on The Roll Call website here.

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