Appalachia’s black lung rates highest in nearly 50 years as miners’ protections stall0

• Beauty / Wellness, Biotech & Health, CoECI News, Energy & Environment Newsletter, Gaming News Roundup, Gear / Gear News and Events, Global, Global Precipitation, global warming, globalstar, HEALTH, Health Care, health-freelancer, HealthTech, healthtech startups, Home, House, Human Health and Performance, News, newsletter, Newsletters, Nexstar Media Wire News, People News, Photovogue / Editorial / News, Politics / Politics News, Property / News, Reviews, reviews-rit-ads, Science / Health, Security / Security News, shop, Shop Beauty, Shopping, starlink, Surface Water, trending-uk, WORLD, World / Middle East, World Health Organization
• August 5, 2026

Like many miners with advanced black lung disease, Tim Balthis looks healthy, sitting with his wife Fran Balthis on their porch in Pound, Va. But a scan of his lungs shows so much fibrotic tissue a doctor told Balthis he was surprised he was still alive. Roger May for NPR hide caption toggle caption Roger