As the Coal Industry Fades, Life Expectancies in Coal Country Shift

Blue Heron, Ky., is an abandoned coal mining town in which the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company operated from 1937 to 1962. The decline of the coal mining industry has brought a mix of health benefits and harms to Appalachian communities. Credit: Don Sniegowski/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0