Chapter 21 Quiz: Black Lung, Cave-Ins, and Sago — The Human Cost of Coal
Multiple Choice
1. Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly known as black lung, is caused by:
a) Exposure to radioactive materials in underground mines b) The inhalation of coal dust over extended periods, which causes scarring and progressive destruction of lung tissue c) A bacterial infection spread through underground water systems d) Genetic factors unrelated to mining
2. The coal industry's primary strategy for denying black lung disease was to:
a) Claim that coal dust was "inert" and harmless, attributing miners' respiratory problems to smoking, aging, or other causes b) Fund massive treatment programs that cured the disease before it could be documented c) Relocate sick miners to areas where the disease could not be diagnosed d) Refuse to allow any medical examinations of miners
3. The Monongah Mine disaster of 1907 was significant because:
a) It was the first mine explosion in West Virginia b) It killed 362 miners, making it the deadliest mine disaster in American history c) It led immediately to the passage of federal mine safety legislation d) It was caused by the failure of new mechanical mining equipment
4. Dr. I.E. Buff and Dr. Donald Rasmussen were important to the Black Lung movement because:
a) They invented the cure for black lung disease b) They provided the medical evidence and public advocacy that challenged the industry's denial of coal dust disease c) They were coal company physicians who sided with the industry d) They served as legal counsel for the coal companies
5. The 1969 wildcat strike in West Virginia involved approximately how many miners?
a) 5,000 b) 15,000 c) 40,000 d) 100,000
6. The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 was prompted most directly by:
a) A presidential commission report on Appalachian poverty b) The 1968 Farmington Mine disaster (which was televised nationally) and the 1969 wildcat strike in West Virginia c) A Supreme Court ruling requiring mine safety standards d) International pressure from the United Nations
7. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) was established to:
a) Promote coal production in the Appalachian region b) Enforce federal mine safety and health standards c) Provide financial support to coal companies for safety improvements d) Recruit miners for the coal industry
8. The Upper Big Branch Mine disaster of 2010 killed twenty-nine miners and was caused primarily by:
a) An earthquake that collapsed the mine structure b) A flood that trapped miners underground c) Systematic safety violations by Massey Energy, including inadequate ventilation, excessive methane and coal dust accumulations, and a corporate culture that prioritized production over safety d) The failure of a new experimental mining technology
9. Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy, was convicted of conspiracy to willfully violate mine safety standards and sentenced to:
a) Life in prison b) Twenty years in prison c) Five years in prison d) One year in prison (the maximum for the misdemeanor charge)
10. The resurgence of black lung disease in the twenty-first century is primarily attributed to:
a) Miners' refusal to use available safety equipment b) Increased silica dust exposure from thin-seam mining, where miners must cut through silica-rich rock to access thin coal seams c) A new strain of the disease that is resistant to dust controls d) The removal of all mine safety regulations in 2000
Short Answer
11. Explain what "progressive massive fibrosis" (PMF) is and why its reappearance among young miners in the twenty-first century is significant.
12. The chapter describes the Black Lung Association as organizing "from the ground up." What does this mean in practice? Who were the leaders, how did they organize, and what made their approach effective?
13. The chapter uses the term "sacrifice zone" to describe the coalfields of Appalachia. Define this term and explain how it applies to the human costs documented in this chapter.
14. Describe the specific ways that coal companies used company doctors to suppress the diagnosis of black lung disease. Why was the company doctor's position — employed by the coal company while serving miners as patients — a conflict of interest?
Essay
15. The chapter asks a central question: "Who pays for cheap energy?" Write a well-organized essay (500-750 words) that answers this question, drawing on the evidence presented in the chapter. Your essay should:
- Identify the specific costs of coal production documented in the chapter (deaths, disease, disability, family disruption)
- Identify who bears these costs (miners, families, communities, taxpayers through government benefits)
- Identify who benefits from cheap coal (coal companies, utility companies, energy consumers)
- Evaluate whether the distribution of costs and benefits is just, and what a more just distribution would look like
16. Compare the Monongah disaster (1907), the Farmington disaster (1968), and the Upper Big Branch disaster (2010). In a brief essay (400-600 words), address:
- What caused each disaster?
- What was the state of mine safety regulation at the time of each disaster?
- What was the consequence (legal, regulatory, political) of each disaster?
- What does the comparison across more than a century tell us about the effectiveness of mine safety regulation in the United States?
Document Analysis
17. Read the following excerpt from the Governor's Independent Investigation Panel report on Upper Big Branch (2011):
"A company that was a chronic habitual violator of safety laws and regulations was left free to determine the safety conditions under which its miners worked. Massey had the resources to challenge MSHA on each and every citation and order, and it did so routinely... The result was a system in which a company with the will and the resources to fight the agency could effectively nullify the agency's enforcement power."
a) According to this passage, what was the fundamental flaw in the mine safety regulatory system?
b) The passage says Massey could "effectively nullify the agency's enforcement power." What specific mechanisms allowed the company to do this?
c) What reforms would be needed to prevent a company from nullifying enforcement in this way? Consider changes to fines, penalties, appeals processes, and enforcement authority.