Please note!

This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Is a federal fund that helps miners suffering from black-lung disease running out of money?

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

By Amy Vong

Copy link

Copy featured image

YES

A government fund designed to assist coal miners suffering from black-lung disease has never been adequately funded by an excise tax on coal production, as intended when it was established. The excise-tax rate fell 55% in 2019, but the previous rate was reinstated for the current year. The decline in domestic coal production is placing additional strain on the fund.

Black-lung disease (caused by breathing fine silica and other dust) affects approximately 10% of U.S. miners. The fund, set up in 1977, currently supports 25,000 disabled miners. Last year it paid $660 a month to an eligible miner with no dependents.

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown has proposed extending the higher tax rates through 2030. Without further changes, the Government Accountability Office in 2018 estimated the fund would need $11.1 billion more funding through 2050, presumably through borrowing more funds from the Treasury.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

US Government Accountability Office: Black lung benefits program

Congressional Research Service: Background and policy options of the black lung program

US Senate: Legislation proposed to secure the Black Lung fund

American Journal of Public Health: Continued increase in prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis in the United States, 1970-2017

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF BY

Latest fact briefs

About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.