Workers raise red flags about hazardous US policy change: 'The companies might be getting a handout'

Despite the U.S. government's support for coal as an energy source, many coal miners have been feeling overlooked as they deal with the long-term health problems their profession has caused.

What's happening?

While the Trump administration has cut government support for cleaner, renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind, it also has pushed for a return to dirtier, nonrenewable fuels like coal. 

This shift has come at a significant cost not only for the environment but also for workers like coal miners. 

As The New York Times detailed, one key factor impacting worker health has been an effort to roll back regulations governing permissible levels of silica to which miners are exposed. 

Silica exposure, which is common in coal mines, can cause serious respiratory problems, including the ailment known commonly as black lung disease.

The government "was handed tools to protect black lung, and they are doing everything in their power to toss those rules in the trash," said Jason Walsh, the executive director of BlueGreen Alliance, a group that brings together labor unions and environmental advocates, per the Times.

Meanwhile, support for mining firms is also seen as a slap in the face for those who do the work. 

"The companies might be getting a handout, but the miners ain't getting none," said Gary Hairston, a retired coal miner from West Virginia, per the Times. 

Why is coal concerning?

Globally, energy production from solar and wind saw dramatic increases in the first half of 2025, according to Ember, an energy think tank. 

While the combination of new solar and wind production was able to outpace the increase in global demand for electricity, production from nonrenewable extracted fuels like coal actually fell. 

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However, the U.S. was an outlier, with the amount of electricity generated by burning coal increasing over the first six months of the year. 

Coal consumption in the U.S. grew by 15% compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration, a government agency. 

As The New York Times illustrated in tragic detail, burning coal to generate electricity not only spews large amounts of planet-heating pollution into the atmosphere. It also poses a severe risk to worker health. 

"The coal miners have supplied this country with electricity, and now they're just cast aside to die," said Judith Riffe, whose husband died of complications from black lung after working in coal mines for four decades, per the Times.

What's being done about it?

In order to help workers and combat rising global temperatures, governments around the world need to continue to shift away from dirtier, extracted fuels like coal and toward cleaner renewables like wind and solar. 

In the meantime, governments and employers need to provide workers in hazardous professions, such as coal miners, with the protections they need to perform their jobs safely and without putting their long-term health at risk.

To help make a difference, you can use your voice, contact your elected representatives, and support pro-climate candidates.

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