Dozens of coal miners who enthusiastically voted to eliminate job-killing regulations expressed bewilderment Tuesday after discovering those regulations included protections preventing their lungs from slowly fossilizing into the very product they mine.
The miners, representing regions where Trump won up to 81% of the vote on promises to axe Obama-era mining restrictions, gathered outside the Labor Department to protest the Trump administration's decision to axe Obama-era mining restrictions, specifically the ones limiting exposure to silica dust that causes black lung disease.
"We need President Trump to stand with coal miners, not the coal companies," said Gary Hairston, whose lungs have been gradually converting to sedimentary rock for 20 years, apparently distinguishing between the industry he voted to save and the companies that comprise that industry.
The administration paused enforcement of silica dust limits after mining organizations argued compliance would be economically unfeasible—a solid point considering that installing ventilation systems costs significantly more than attending funerals.
Black lung disease now affects one in five long-tenured miners, with cases appearing in workers as young as 30, many of whom require oxygen machines to breathe. Roosevelt Neal, a 28-year veteran with black lung, noted he had personally thanked Trump at the White House in April for reviving coal, apparently unaware the president heard "reviving coal" rather than "reviving coal miners."
"The companies might be getting a handout, but the miners ain't getting none," said Hairston, technically incorrect given that miners are receiving black lung disease, an incurable condition causing progressive massive fibrosis, respiratory failure, and death.
Judith Riffe, 80, whose husband Bernard died in March after his lungs finally surrendered their multi-decade battle against coal dust, expressed confusion that voting for fewer mining regulations resulted in fewer mining regulations. "They're mining a lot more now, but there's no benefits for the coal miners coming in," Riffe said, clarifying the only thing coming in was lethal particulate matter.
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly assured reporters that "President Trump has their back," though sources confirmed "back" does not include lungs, cardiovascular system, or lifespan.
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