Silica Rule Paused Causing Coal Miner Risk

The Trump administration has paused the enforcement of the Silica Rule. The rule is aimed at combating rising black lung and silicosis cases being suffered by coal miners. In a statement released by the Center for Coalfield Justice, the pause is temporary and is intended for operators to secure necessary equipment and otherwise come into compliance. The rule has been finalized since April of 2024 and was set to go into effect this month. In addition to the pause of the Silica Rule, the Department of Government Efficiency is closing 34 Mine Safety and Health Administration offices in 19 states and has placed all 25 employees at the CDC’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program on administrative leave. Nick Hood, Senior Organizer at CCJ said that “Coal has been on a long and steep decline for decades, but miner issues have increased, and pausing the Silica Rule only hurts them more.