APNewsBreak: Coal tax cut endangers federal black lung fund
Source: Associated Press
APNewsBreak: Coal tax cut endangers federal black lung fund
By DYLAN LOVAN
March 19, 2019
COEBURN, Va. (AP) — Former coal miner John Robinson’s bills for black lung treatments run $4,000 a month, but the federal fund he depends on to help cover them is being drained of money because of inaction by Congress and the Trump administration.
Amid the turmoil of the government shutdown this winter, a tax on coal that helps pay for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund was cut sharply Jan. 1 and never restored, potentially saving coal operators hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
With cash trickling into the fund at less than half its usual rate, budget officials estimate that by the middle of 2020 there won’t be enough money to fully cover the fund’s benefit payments.
As a surge of black lung disease scars miners’ lungs at younger ages than ever, Robinson worries not only about cuts to his benefits, but that younger miners won’t get any coverage.
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/07c68ddd6a304e7ca6b020c2b9deb052
= new reply since forum marked as read
