Surface coal mining and public health disparities: Evidence from Appalachia

Abstract

Previous research in the public health and epidemiology literatures has highlighted that coal-producing counties in Appalachia exhibit morbidity and mortality rates higher than those in the rest of the United States. However, these studies primarily use cross-sectional data, rely on singular measures of mortality, such as the age-adjusted mortality rate, and solely measure mining activity that occurs within a county’s jurisdictional boundary. To address these limitations, I combine more than three decades of data on coal-mining activity and county-level mortality rates to quantify the association between surface coal production and mortality risk and highlight inequities in this relationship across demographic groups. I find increases in nearby surface coal-mining activity is associated with increased mortality rates from cardiovascular disease among the population over age 65. Results from this study support an expedited transition away from U.S. production of coal, which would mitigate the effects of climate change and would also address concerns about inequitably experienced local pollution exposure from extraction activities.