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The Hawks Nest Tunnel, built from 1930 to 1932 in Fayette County, was a major project to provide power for a Union Carbide plant at nearby Alloy. Nearly 5,000 men, mostly Black migrant workers, helped dig the three-mile tunnel through rock filled with dangerous silica dust. Poor safety conditions caused hundreds of workers to die from silicosis, a deadly lung disease. Even though the companies knew the risks, little was done to protect workers. Around 1,000 may have died. Lawsuits led to small settlements, and the tragedy became one of the worst industrial disasters in U.S. history. The tunnel still provides power today.