Coal miners in central Appalachia are increasingly exposed to silica, a rock dust that lodges deep in the lungs.

For decades, labor advocates have called for the federal government to take action on silica dust exposure.

And now, new research has directly linked the dust as a driver of the black lung epidemic.

Katie Myers with the Ohio Valley Resource reports.

Black lung patients, advocates urge mine safety officials to update silica dust standards

Being a region in transition, it is inevitable that we will not always agree on what is the best way to move forward.  At times, we have seen that we aren’t at odds with outsiders, elusive government officials, or big corporations, but we are at odds with ourselves.  As residents invested in the future of the region, we each have a right to have our voice heard and our opinions considered when addressing the future economy and current need to make ends meet.  How much is too much?  How far is too far?  When do we end up shooting ourselves in the foot?  For the first story in this exploration, WMMT’s Benny Becker interviews the key players in the recent addition of the Russell Fork River to the American Rivers 10 Most Endangered listing by the group Appalachian Voices.  It seems some citizens in Elkorn City, a town we recently featured on Mountain News & World Report, believe that the move could be detrimental to their efforts to maintain the current tourism boom they are seeing around the river and their hopes to increase it.  When both partners at the table have a similar goal, but a different idea on how to get there, who is right?  Does it matter?

Recently, Kentucky state politicians put forth two bills in the legislature that received support from the governor and the Kentucky Coal Association, that would have rolled back some of the safety regulations that had been put into place to protect miners after years of public push for such measures.  In our second segment, Kelli Haywood seeks to find out if such cut backs will actually be of any benefit the jobs miners, the financial integrity of struggling coal companies, and the state budget, or will it put miners’ lives at undue risk.

And finally, from Appalshop Archive and the late Buck Maggard, we present an interview with “The Grandfather of Bluegrass” – Wade Mainer, who would have celebrated his 109th birthday on April 21st.  From Buncombe County, North Carolina, Mainer’s innovative 2-finger banjo picking style is considered the precursor to the 3-finger playing style used in today’s bluegrass music.  Mainer plays a few tunes with his wife Julia, discusses his favorite song, and his take on environmental stewardship.

Are We Shooting Ourselves in the Foot?

Blue Ridge tacos, kimchi with soup beans and cornbread, family stories hiding in cookbook margins, African American mountain gardens—these are a few of the stories readers find in a new anthology from Ohio University Press.  “The Food We Eat, The Stories We Tell: Contemporary Appalachian tables” includes writings from diverse contributors, showing us that contemporary Appalachian tables and the stories they hold offer new ways into understanding past, present, and future American food practices. 

The book was edited by Elizabeth Engelhardt and Lora Smith, who joined me by phone to talk about the project’s history and scope.  Plus, we’ll hear contributors Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, Courtney Balestier, Emily Hilliard, and Robert Gipe reading excerpts from their chapters.

The Food We Eat, The Stories We Tell

Weekly conversations about what matters to the people of Central Appalachia. Broadcast from WMMT— the 24-hour voice of mountain people’s music, culture, and social issues. WMMT provides broadcast space for creative expression, community involvement, and discussion of public policy to benefit coalfield communities and the Appalachian region as a whole. Find us online at http://wmmt.org!

The Food We Eat, The Stories We Tell

Mountain Talk

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