A federal judge has blocked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from moving forward with planned layoffs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), citing violations of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act. The injunction has reinstated hundreds of workers and ordered the immediate restoration of health programs essential to coal miners and other at-risk employees.
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The Court’s Injunction and Legal Basis
On May 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Irene Berger issued a preliminary injunction halting all reduction-in-force notices sent to NIOSH staff. The judge concluded that the layoffs directly undermined legally mandated health programs designed to protect coal workers from occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis, commonly known as black lung. Her ruling stated that the Department lacked the legal authority to dismantle or interrupt operations required under federal law.
Judge Berger’s decision emphasized the binding nature of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1969, which mandates continuous operation of the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP). The program allows miners like the plaintiff, Harry Wiley, to access chest X-rays and, if necessary, request job transfers to less dusty areas without any loss in wages. Wiley’s lawsuit argued that the layoffs violated his statutory rights and left miners without access to critical health surveillance tools.
Political Pressure and Public Response
The federal restructuring plan that led to the layoffs drew bipartisan criticism from lawmakers representing coal country. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Representative Chris Deluzio (D-PA) were vocal in their opposition, urging HHS to reverse the decision. Both legislators stressed that eliminating NIOSH jobs would not only harm public health but also ignore the long-term commitment to occupational safety that has protected miners for decades.
Public outcry also played a role. Labor organizations, miner advocacy groups, and local officials rallied outside NIOSH facilities in Morgantown, West Virginia, demanding a reversal. Many saw the court’s decision as a win not just for miners but for the broader principle of government accountability and the legal protections granted to federal health and safety programs.
Scope of Reinstatement and Program Restoration
Following the court’s ruling, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed that 328 employees across NIOSH facilities in Morgantown, Cincinnati, and the World Trade Center Health Program would be reinstated. These employees support key functions such as black lung screenings, respirator certification, and workplace hazard evaluations. The judge ordered an immediate restart of all suspended services.
The reinstated staff will resume duties critical to early detection of respiratory illnesses and enforcement of workplace standards. Health experts warn that even short-term disruptions to surveillance and testing can have lasting impacts in high-risk industries like mining, construction, and manufacturing. With the court’s ruling, the continuity of these programs is expected to stabilize.
Wider Legal and Policy Implications
Legal analysts say this case could set a precedent for future disputes over executive agency authority and statutory compliance. The ruling underscores the limitations federal agencies face when attempting to restructure or reduce operations tied to explicit legislative mandates. Judge Berger’s use of injunctive relief also signals that the judiciary is prepared to intervene quickly when public health protections are threatened.
Additionally, the case raises questions about how deeply courts may scrutinize administrative decisions that affect federally protected rights. As more legal challenges emerge around federal workforce decisions, experts believe the NIOSH case could influence both litigation strategies and policy decisions in coming years.
Looking Ahead
With NIOSH employees reinstated and the CWHSP fully operational, attention now shifts to long-term protections for such programs. Lawmakers have indicated plans to propose bipartisan legislation to strengthen the legal safeguards around occupational health initiatives and prevent similar layoffs in the future. Meanwhile, miners and their advocates view the ruling as a powerful affirmation of their rights—and a warning to federal agencies that essential health protections cannot be unilaterally rolled back.
