On April 4, 2010, 29 coal miners working in the Upper Big Branch mine were killed in an explosion. This tragic disaster turned out to be the worst coal mining accident in four decades. An independent investigation found that the coal company that operated the mine was directly responsible for the blast. The company was […]
https://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/UBBMemorial.jpg300620Friends of Coal Minershttp://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-header.pngFriends of Coal Miners2021-04-05 14:48:002021-04-06 08:43:48Gone but Not Forgotten: BJC Remembers the Fallen Workers from the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mining Disaster
Those who work in dangerous conditions are generally well rewarded. But coal miners, who face a variety of hazards daily, may not get the care and compensation they deserve when they become injured or are diagnosed with a work-related illness. As a coal miner, The 1977 Mine Act (as amended by the 2006 MINER Act) and other […]
https://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/shutterstock_1019371927-1.jpg5611000Bailey Javins & Carterhttp://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-header.pngBailey Javins & Carter2020-11-30 15:43:322020-11-19 15:49:15Coal Miners – You Should Know Your Rights
The mining industry has a unique history and comes with its own set of challenges. When workers are tasked with pulling material from the ground that will fuel a nation, there’s risk involved, and some of the health risks to miners can be quite serious. But mining is also a highly regulated industry that has […]
Black lung disease has been on the rise in recent years. This deadly disease that primarily effects coal workers was a major epidemic in the 1970s, but by the end of the 1990s, it had almost been wiped out (largely due to new laws and regulations). Since 2000, black lung disease has come back with […]
https://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Coal-f.jpg6671000Bailey Javins & Carterhttp://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-header.pngBailey Javins & Carter2018-07-30 20:23:202018-07-31 16:02:38U.S. Coal Industry Not Doing Enough to Fight Black Lung Disease: Report
Coal companies have paid millions of dollars to Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions over the last decade for medical opinions that have been used to deny hundreds of ailing mine workers meager black lung benefits, a yearlong investigation by ABC News and the Center for Public Integrity found. “It is a total, national disgrace,” said Sen. […]
https://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/shutterstock_129612527-2.jpg6671000Friends of Coal Minershttp://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-header.pngFriends of Coal Miners2013-10-30 15:36:122025-05-13 15:13:42For Top Hospital, Tough Questions About Black Lung and Money
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Coal miners’ pneumoconiosis was supposed to be gone by now. Years of suffering led to a 1969 law requiring mining companies to control airborne dust inside mines. Safety requirements would prevent exposure to deadly levels of coal dust that literally blacken workers’ lungs and leave them gasping painfully for air. So, why […]
https://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/shutterstock_245936878-1.jpg6651000Friends of Coal Minershttp://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-header.pngFriends of Coal Miners2012-08-09 11:43:342025-05-09 11:29:55‘Diabolical’: Black lung is back
Two years ago this afternoon, a horrific explosion ripped through Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, W.Va. Twenty-nine coal miners died and two others were injured. For many of us, the 2nd anniversary is a time to revisit the disaster, to ask questions about whether enough has been done to prevent another […]
https://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shutterstock_102564251-1.jpg6671000Friends of Coal Minershttp://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-header.pngFriends of Coal Miners2012-04-05 11:10:302025-05-09 11:21:34The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, April 5, 2010
FOCM has launched an initiative to assist the National Black Lung Association in WV, with all proceeds from FOCM shirts dedicated to the organization. Download the pdf
https://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/shutterstock_2489816801-1-1.jpg6671000Friends of Coal Minershttp://www.friendsofcoalminers.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-header.pngFriends of Coal Miners2012-02-17 11:25:582025-05-09 13:16:45FOCM and National Black Lung Association in West Virginia
Gone but Not Forgotten: BJC Remembers the Fallen Workers from the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mining Disaster
/by Friends of Coal MinersOn April 4, 2010, 29 coal miners working in the Upper Big Branch mine were killed in an explosion. This tragic disaster turned out to be the worst coal mining accident in four decades. An independent investigation found that the coal company that operated the mine was directly responsible for the blast. The company was […]
Coal Miners – You Should Know Your Rights
/by Bailey Javins & CarterThose who work in dangerous conditions are generally well rewarded. But coal miners, who face a variety of hazards daily, may not get the care and compensation they deserve when they become injured or are diagnosed with a work-related illness. As a coal miner, The 1977 Mine Act (as amended by the 2006 MINER Act) and other […]
Mining Health Safety
/by Bailey Javins & CarterThe mining industry has a unique history and comes with its own set of challenges. When workers are tasked with pulling material from the ground that will fuel a nation, there’s risk involved, and some of the health risks to miners can be quite serious. But mining is also a highly regulated industry that has […]
U.S. Coal Industry Not Doing Enough to Fight Black Lung Disease: Report
/by Bailey Javins & CarterBlack lung disease has been on the rise in recent years. This deadly disease that primarily effects coal workers was a major epidemic in the 1970s, but by the end of the 1990s, it had almost been wiped out (largely due to new laws and regulations). Since 2000, black lung disease has come back with […]
For Top Hospital, Tough Questions About Black Lung and Money
/by Friends of Coal MinersCoal companies have paid millions of dollars to Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions over the last decade for medical opinions that have been used to deny hundreds of ailing mine workers meager black lung benefits, a yearlong investigation by ABC News and the Center for Public Integrity found. “It is a total, national disgrace,” said Sen. […]
‘Diabolical’: Black lung is back
/by Friends of Coal MinersCHARLESTON, W.Va. — Coal miners’ pneumoconiosis was supposed to be gone by now. Years of suffering led to a 1969 law requiring mining companies to control airborne dust inside mines. Safety requirements would prevent exposure to deadly levels of coal dust that literally blacken workers’ lungs and leave them gasping painfully for air. So, why […]
The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, April 5, 2010
/by Friends of Coal MinersTwo years ago this afternoon, a horrific explosion ripped through Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, W.Va. Twenty-nine coal miners died and two others were injured. For many of us, the 2nd anniversary is a time to revisit the disaster, to ask questions about whether enough has been done to prevent another […]
FOCM and National Black Lung Association in West Virginia
/by Friends of Coal MinersFOCM has launched an initiative to assist the National Black Lung Association in WV, with all proceeds from FOCM shirts dedicated to the organization. Download the pdf