Opinion ID: 503857
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Black Lung Benefits Act

Text: 6 [C]oal workers' pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease, is a dreadful and insidious disease which interferes with the respiratory functions of its victims, and which slowly and progressively makes the very act of breathing more and more difficult. 124 Cong.Rec. S2,333 (daily ed. Feb. 6, 1978) (statement of Sen. Williams). Black lung disease strikes a very high percentage of coal miners, particularly those who have worked in coal mines for a number of years. 3 It is an as yet incurable and irreversible disease which initially renders a coal miner unable to physically exert himself and ultimately causes the miner's death. 4 7 Despite the pervasiveness of black lung disease among coal miners, this country did not recognize the problem until the 1950s. In 1969, acknowledging the need to implement health and safety measures that would reduce the risk of black lung disease and to provide benefits to coal miners totally disabled by black lung disease, Congress passed the Mine Safety and Health Act, 30 U.S.C. Secs. 801-960 (1982 & Supp. III 1985). 8 Subchapter IV of the Mine Safety and Health Act, 30 U.S.C. Secs. 901-45 (1982 & Supp. III 1985), deals exclusively with black lung benefits. The statute provides that state workers' compensation programs and responsible coal mine operators will ultimately bear the financial burden of paying these benefits. However, Congress apparently concluded that, because the 1969 Act imposed new mine health and safety standards [on coal mine operators] without prior notice, it would be unfair to make operators responsible for benefits until they had a reasonable opportunity to comply with the standards. Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs v. Bethlehem Mines Corp., 669 F.2d 187, 189 (4th Cir.1982) (footnote omitted). Consequently, Congress created two classes of claims. 5 Class B claims, filed before December 31, 1973, were to be paid by the federal government. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)--through the Social Security Administration (SSA) 6 --considered these claims. 30 U.S.C. Secs. 921-25 (1982). Claims filed after December 31, 1973, called class C claims, were evaluated by the Department of Labor. Benefits for class C claimants were to be paid for by state workers' compensation programs or, where no adequate state program existed, by the responsible coal mine operators. 7