Andy Barr Promises To Revive Coal As Black Lung Hits 32.5% Of Veteran Central Appalachian Miners
What Barr says about coal, and what the health record shows.
By Barr Record editorial team · Published August 18, 2026 · Last reviewed August 18, 2026 · 4 min read
What to know
- Barr said coal must be revived for national security and technological competition.
- NIOSH research found a 32.5% black lung rate among veteran central Appalachian miners.
- In 2013 Barr acknowledged coal contributes to climate change.
Barr's case for coal is explicitly tied to competition with China over the data centers that run the economy. He said Kentucky must revive coal for national security, not just for jobs, because the country is in a race for the technologies of the future.
The health record runs alongside that argument. Research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that 32.5% of veteran underground coal miners in central Appalachia have black lung disease, a rate not seen since 1978.
Barr's position on coal and the climate is on the record from early in his congressional career. In 2013 he said plainly that coal does contribute to climate change, while arguing it is better for the world if coal is burned in America rather than exported to countries with weaker environmental records.
Why this matters
Coal policy is also a health policy for the miners who do the work.
The hits, with citations
Each line below is a single documented claim, followed by the quoted source language and the citation.
Barr said Kentucky must revive coal for national security and to compete on the technologies of the future.
“We have to revive coal for national security, not just jobs and prosperity of the people of Eastern Kentucky, but because we're in a race for the technologies of the future.”
[Lexington Herald-Leader, January 7, 2026]
News reportVerified32.5% of veteran underground coal miners in central Appalachia have black lung disease, a rate not seen since 1978.
[West Virginia Public Broadcasting / Louisville Public Media, August 13, 2026]
News reportVerified2013: Barr acknowledged that coal contributes to climate change while arguing for domestic use over exports.
“Coal does contribute to climate change.”
[Louisville Public Media, July 17, 2013]
News reportVerified
Barr’s position and right of reply
Rep. Barr's office is invited to state his position on silica dust rules and black lung benefits.
Responses are published in full on the corrections and responses page.
Sources
- News reportVerified
Barr unveils plan to revive coal by fostering data-center infrastructure
“The Bluegrass State is ripe with resources data centers need to outpace foreign competitors, and coal-fired energy is the backbone of that strategy, Barr told reporters at a press conference in Harlan County Monday morning. “We have to revive coal for national security … we're in a race for the technologies of the future.””
- News reportVerified
UMWA demands silica dust rules be implemented
“New research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, showed that 32.5% of veteran underground coal miners in central Appalachia are suffering from black lung disease, a devastating rate not seen since 1978.”
[West Virginia Public Broadcasting / Louisville Public Media, August 13, 2026]
- News reportVerified
Where do Kentucky's congressmen stand on climate change? Hard to tell
“Andy Barr, in a recent interview with WTVQ in Lexington: “Coal does contribute to climate change,” said Barr. But he says it's better for the world if we use coal in America.”