Thursday, March 13th, 2008

Hendryx found that the mortality rate in coal mining areas is equal to the nationwide mortality rate 24 years ago:  “mortality rates for coal mining areas in 2004 are about the same as those for counties outside Appalachia from 1980.” After adjusting for a variety of factors (poverty, smoking, level of education, and race-related effects), coal mining areas of Appalachia still showed significantly higher age-adjusted mortality rates as compared to non-coal mining areas: “Appalachian coal mining areas were characterized by 1,607 excess annual deaths over the period 1999-2004.”

Hendryx, M. (2008) “Mortality rates in Appalachian coal mining counties: 24 years behind the nation”. Environmental Justice. 1, 1: 5-11.

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