Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation (DCMWC)
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About the Black Lung Program
The mission of the Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation, or Federal Black Lung Program, is to administer claims filed under the Black Lung Benefits Act. The Act provides compensation to coal miners who are totally disabled by pneumoconiosis arising out of coal mine employment, and to survivors of coal miners whose deaths are attributable to the disease. The Act also provides eligible miners with medical coverage for the treatment of lung diseases related to pneumoconiosis.
NIOSH has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for public comment regarding digital radiography for the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program. The document may be accessed for reading or comment here.
NIOSH has published its "Guideline: Application of Digital Radiography for the Detection and Classification of Pneumoconiosis." That document may be accessed here.
MSHA's proposed rule on lowering miners' exposure to respirable coal dust may be accessed here.
Benefit rates for 2011 - 2012 remain unchanged.
