Abstract
There has been a deadly resurgence of black lung disease, particularly in central Appalachia. The disease has a long and contentious history in the United States. During the 1960s, coal miners and their supporters successfully mobilized for recognition and treatment of the disease when it was largely eradicated. We draw from literature on environmental health movements and contested environmental illness to analyze black lung advocacy and continued obstruction from the coal industry. Our data come from a case study that includes in‐depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. Results indicate that the black lung movement is now being spearheaded by professionals, such as medical and legal advocates, who partner with retired miners and their supporters. Unlike previous organizing efforts around black lung, active miners are largely absent from current advocacy efforts. Our findings also reveal four major obstruction tactics utilized by the industry, including: (1) industry denial, (2) falsifying records, (3) fear and intimidation, and (4) contestation of new regulations.