WASHINGTON, D.C. – Early this week, federal regulators quietly delayed the implementation of the Silica Rule indefinitely. The Silica Rule was created to protect workers from high levels of silica dust—a significant contributor to black lung disease and silicosis, both incurable respiratory illnesses caused by breathing in toxic dust. The delay of this rule will result in workers continuing to be exposed to high levels of this dangerous substance.

The delay comes on the heels of the release of President Trump’s budget proposal which cuts funding for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. This includes cuts to the budget for mine inspections and hazard protections, further divesting in the department, which had already been diminished by the Trump administration firing federal workers.

Following the announcement, the BlueGreen Alliance released a statement from Executive Director Jason Walsh:

“The administration’s silent rollout of this decision shows that they know they are acting against the best interests of working people. Workers are being harmed every day that this rule is delayed. The lives of coal miners are on the line, and the Trump administration couldn’t care less.”