Discovering A Hidden Epidemic of Severe Black Lung Disease | "Coal's Deadly Dust" | FRONTLINE

Two years ago, a radiologist in Kentucky began seeing an overwhelming number of coal miners with the most severe form of black lung disease. It would lead to the biggest disease clusters ever documented.

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In “Coal’s Deadly Dust,” FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the rise of severe black lung disease among coal miners, and how it could have been prevented. In the above excerpt from a documentary that airs Jan. 22, NPR Correspondent Howard Berkes retraces how Brandon Crum, a radiologist working in Kentucky, alerted federal researchers to a surge in cases of coal miners with severe black lung disease, which is incurable and fatal.

The documentary reveals just how large the epidemic has become, and investigates the mining industry and government’s failure to protect coal miners.

Watch “Coal's Deadly Dust,” starting Tues., Jan. 22 at 10/9c

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