Last August, two men died after inhaling a toxic gas in a confined vault inside the plant. The Department of Labor has now fined the two companies responsible for their deaths.
The Interior Secretary was in Bethlehem Township, home to Black Dog Hollow, a 100-foot tall pile of coal waste left by a mine that closed 30 years ago.
These miners' willingness to talk openly about their experiences provides a window into what life is like for the many Appalachian miners still struggling with the disease.
The settlement, filed in Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, pertains to 10 coal-fired power plants around the state that have been operating on expired water pollution permits for years — in one case for 17 years.
President Trump’s Energy Secretary Rick Perry argued the rule could have protected the grid from power shortages during man-made or natural disasters. But critics said it was simply a bail out plan for coal.
