Distance to coal mines tied to poor health.

People living near coal production facilities are at higher risk for dangerous health conditions, according to an April study in APHA's American Journal of Public Health.

In a 2001 survey of thousands of West Virginia residents ages 19 and older, researchers found that proximity to heavy coal production was tied to poorer health as well as heightened risk for illnesses such as cardiopulmonary disease, hypertension, kidney disease and chronic lung disease. Researchers noted that other variables, such as tobacco use or occupational exposures, may have contributed to such poor health outcomes. They also said that the format of some of the survey's disease questions "likely resulted in an underreporting of disease."

The study noted that the United States is home to 27 percent of known global coal reserves and with concerns about energy supplies rising, increased coal production will only exacerbate related health problems.

"Our study serves as a screening test to examine whether coal mining poses a health risk for adults living near the mining sites," the study stated. "Confirmatory tests should be undertaken to establish mechanisms of action, magnitude and health consequences of an exposure effect." (Page 669)