According to the Northwest Community Action Programs (NOWCAP) Black Lung Clinic, more people in Wyoming likely have black lung disease than is actually reported, and a federal event this week is trying to raise awareness.
Black lung disease comes from inhaling coal dust. It is incurable, as it chars the lungs – making breathing extremely difficult. It is a progressive disease, meaning it gets worse with time. Often, miners will not realize they have the disease until retiring from the mines.
Typically, the disease is associated with underground mining – specifically in Appalachia. But, it affects surface miners too, which is how coal is primarily mined in Wyoming.
“There is a misconception that surface miners don't get it, and they do,” said Sarah Salveson-Jones, who is the program director of the Northwest Community Action Programs (NOWCAP) Black Lung Clinic, which helps miners in our region. “Silica will get in there and kind of rip up your lungs and the coal dust will get into that sensitive area.”
A single miner can qualify for about $737/month in federal benefits, and a married miner can qualify for about $1,100/month. Salveson-Jones said a lot of Wyoming miners that probably have the disease do not go through the process to sign up for benefits.
“A lot of miners when they're just like, ‘Oh, I'm fine, or I don't need it, or it won't benefit me,’” she said. “And then I'm like, ‘You know, your wife gets it until she dies?’”
Meaning if the miner passes away, the widow still gets a monthly check of about $730.
The federal benefits are meant to help with offsetting the costliness of the disease. As first reported by the Casper Star Tribune, only 25 miners in Wyoming currently are receiving payouts, just about half a percent of the total 4,567 working miners in the state.
“There are plenty who just haven't filed for one reason or another,” Salveson-Jones said. “They may not want to travel – they have to go to a provider that's a DOL (Department of Labor) provider. And those are few and far between out west, so there's some travel involved in that part of it too.”
The DOL is hosting events this week around the state to help miners submit claims for federal benefits.
“Just show up and chat with us,” Salveson-Jones said. “We won't make you sit down and fill out the paperwork and not let you leave.”
The last event is Thursday, June 15, in the town of Wright at the Wright Branch Library from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. If people who are interested miss the event, they can reach out to the NOWCAP Black Lung Clinic to get more information on the disease and how to submit claims.
