Morgantown, West Virginia - In West Virginia's coal country, Marion Tennant said he was destined to work in the mine.

"That was the only thing I did when I graduated from high school," Tennant said.

It was in 1974, when Tennant was National Institute of Occupational Safety and Healthor Nishi.

For decades, it Black lungsThis is a chronic disease caused by long-term exposure to coal. But the screening has stopped due to President Trump's request Cut budget.

Tennant said he was worried about the young workers.

"I'm afraid your young people will have black lungs before they realize what they're doing to their bodies, and they'll have black lungs and the numbers will go up," Tennant said.

Catherine Blackwood is a PhD scientist at the NIOSH facility in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she studied the dangers of mold exposure.

"I'm angry we're just abandoned," Blackwood said.

On April 1, her job was eliminated, as well as more than 200 other people in the facility – from those who oversee mine safety to those who learn Firefighters' chemicals that cause cancer.

"I'm really worried and worried about the impact on the rest of us," Blackwood said.

It's not just Morgan Town.

"Everyone has different dangers in their work every day. Without Nish, I think we are all in danger."

Despite temporarily resuming certain roles in recent days, the Trump administration plans to terminate all employees in the coming months, leaving behind a future for health screening and other programs.

When asked about the cuts of crucial programs, a health and public service spokesperson said to some extent: “The ministry is still focusing on reducing wasteful bureaucracy and eliminating duplicate administrative roles.”

But Blackwood said: "The work done at NIOSH is not a waste. It's not a repetition. It's not redundant. Research done at Niosh is nowhere to go in the world."

West Virginia not only Coal Country - This is Trump's country. He won the state in 2024 with 70% of the vote.

Tennant, now retired, said he did not vote for former Vice President Kamala Harris or Mr. Trump.

"He is looking at a coal-fired power plant, but he also canceled NIOSH, which helps the safety of coal miners," Tennant said.

According to the National Security Council, NIOSH's budget is about $363 million in 2023, with work injuries and illness causing approximately $176 billion in Americans in the same year. Without NIOSH, officials say the number may be higher.

"I don't think it's exaggerating to say that wild Niosh will cause people to die," Blackwood said.