The Centers for Disease Control has reinstated close to 200 employees who were involved in screening coal miners for black lung disease, which is a serious and progressive condition caused by prolonged exposure to coal dust. This decision came after a federal judge’s ruling on Tuesday.
US District Judge Eileen Berger granted a temporary injunction halting cuts to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.
Judge Berger mandated a “full recovery” of services under this program, which is required by the Federal Coal Mines Safety and Health Act of 1969. The program aims to conduct health screenings for miners and facilitate research into disease patterns nationwide.
Miners diagnosed with black lung have the option to transfer to different areas of the mine without experiencing pay reductions, thanks to a provision known as the Part 90 exemption.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed the rehiring of the workers on Wednesday. “I have brought back 328 employees at NIOSH,” Kennedy stated during a House Budget Committee meeting. “Around a third of them are located in Morgantown, another third in Cincinnati, and some in the World Trade Center Group, so I’m back at it.”
The program’s staffing changes occurred on June 2 as part of HHS’s restructuring plans, leading to many federal health workers being placed on administrative leave since April 1.
Judge Berger noted that there was “no controversy” regarding the lack of currently provided mandatory services.
This case was initiated as a class action lawsuit by a veteran miner, Henry Wyley, who claimed that the cuts jeopardized the safety of miners.
Judge Berger expressed concern that if the program’s suspension continued, “thousands of miners would miss out on essential black lung screenings, and individuals suffering from black lung would lose access to the Part 90 transfer option.”
She further highlighted that discontinuing research crucial for implementing effective safety measures would harm public health, increasing both the prevalence of black lung disease and related treatment costs.
