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.
