Giving Compass' Take:

• Reuters reports on a study that shows a rise in cases of progressive massive fibrosis (or "black lung disease") among Appalachian miners.

• With a political debate centered around the use of coal and its regulation, it's worth looking at not just the economic impact involved, but the health factors as well.

• Here are ways to revive coal country through music, theater and sports.

Since the 1990s, annual numbers of U.S. coal miners with new, confirmed cases of an advanced form of so-called black lung disease known as progressive massive fibrosis have been steadily rising, according to a new study.

The resurgence is particularly strong among central Appalachian miners in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, the study authors note.

“It’s an entirely preventable disease, and every case is an important representation of a failure to prevent this disease,” said lead study author Kirsten Almberg of the University of Illinois at Chicago and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Progressive massive fibrosis is the most severe form of pneumoconiosis, which is also known as black lung disease and is caused by overexposure to coal mine dust. The symptoms are debilitating and can lead to respiratory distress.

“Many people think black lung is a relic of the past,” she told Reuters Health in a phone interview. “But it shouldn’t fade from our attention.”

Read the full article about the resurgence of black lung by Carolyn Crist at reuters.com.