摘要：Over the last several years, a body of the scholarly literature has emerged analysing the effects of proximity to coal mines and various human health indicators in the United States. These studies have found evidence of an increased poor health status associated with the production of coal and with close proximity to coal mines. The present study contributes to this literature by analysing the spatial effects of coal production on neighbouring counties within the entire 420-county, 13-state Appalachian Region in terms of increased rates of death attributable to respiratory diseases.
