Murray’s companies fought against safety rules meant to prevent the fatal disease. He ran the largest privately-owned underground coal mining company in the US.
An NPR investigation into the regulatory failures — and the human costs, including to Pennsylvania miners — of a disease that has been described as "suffocating while alive."
Former Kentucky miners described being pressured to cover up coal dust monitors meant to protect them. New research shows a resurgence in black lung disease.
These miners' willingness to talk openly about their experiences provides a window into what life is like for the many Appalachian miners still struggling with the disease.
