Delays in processing and adjudicating black lung claims. Hearing before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session, June 24, 1985

Book · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6270247

Representatives of coal miners and black lung claimants testified about the failure of government agencies to process claims in a fair and timely manner at a field hearing in Charleston, West Virginia before a joint congressional delegation. At issue were bureaucratic delays of up to seven years in administering the compensation promised to affected workers. Lawyers who handle black lung cases also have trouble receiving the guaranteed reimbursement. At the time of the hearing, West Virginia alone had over 3200 cases awaiting hearings and only 200 scheduled for hearings. Officials of the Department of Labor discussed the level of funding and staffing of the review board as they relate to the size of the backlog. Administrators complained that regulatory interpretations and attitudes work against the miners' interests. Letters, statements, and additional material submitted for the record follow the testimony of 12 witnesses.

• OSTI ID: 6270247
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
016000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
294003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Natural Gas
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
ATTITUDES
COAL MINING
DISEASES
DOCUMENT TYPES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HEARINGS
LEGAL ASPECTS
MINING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
PNEUMOCONIOSES
REGULATIONS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
US DOL
US ORGANIZATIONS
VICTIMS COMPENSATION