Mining Incidents

#1: 427 MSHA citations Coal

Stanmark Mining Inc · Underground
Allen, Floyd County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1516801

#1 has $175K in proposed MSHA penalties and $151K outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
10
Years on record
1990–2011
Latest incident
Feb 2011
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
427
citations
172
significant & substantial
$175,355
proposed penalties
$24,432
paid to date
14% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $150,923 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2002
62
inspections on record
2,235
inspection hours
19.1
citations per 100 inspection hours
This rate is recorded citations divided by MSHA inspection hours, per 100 hours. It reflects inspection effort, not mine size or production.
427 citations across 2,235 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

#1 has $175K in proposed MSHA penalties and $151K outstanding across 1 contested dockets.

Penalty disposition
Differences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.
$175K
proposed penalties
$175K
current assessed
$24K
paid to date
$151K
outstanding
407 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-09-17.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.
Violation severity profile
Shares are computed over citations that carry the MSHA gravity and negligence coding; a small share of records are uncoded.
42.3%
significant & substantial
4.9%
high negligence or reckless
42.3%
reasonably likely or greater
11.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 3.7% low, 91.4% moderate, 4.4% high, 0.5% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
When citations were contested
Contesting a citation before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission is a lawful right. These figures state the public outcomes of that process, from MSHA's Contested Violations file.
1 citations taken to the federal commission · 0% of citations on record
  • Stood as issued 1 · 100%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $2K after decisions · industry: 39%
Source: MSHA Contested Violations file (public record), updated weekly. A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record. Latest contest filed 2013-01-22.
Contested penalties
A reduction or dismissal at the Commission is a lawful outcome of contesting a proposed penalty. Figures are the proposed amount and the amount upheld in the docket's decision.
Largest penalties this mine contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
KENT 2013-411 Default Lesnick 2013 $2K → $2K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at #1 shows 93% of 100 respirable coal dust samples met the 1.5 mg/m3 standard.

Health sampling
A sample is a point in time compliance measurement, not an individual exposure history. These figures describe MSHA sampling records and do not establish causation or personal dose.

Respirable coal dust
Respirable coal dust and silica figures cover coal facilities. Dust compliance is measured against the current 1.5 mg/m3 standard; samples predating the 2014 standard are included, so compliance rates are a coarse historical signal.

Last sampled: 2011-06-17, 15 years ago
93%
within 1.5 mg/m3
100
samples
2.70
dust max (mg/m3)
63 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 37 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR41
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR11
  • COAL DRILL OPERATOR10

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2011-06-06, 15 years ago
1.1
silica avg (%)
4
samples
2.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR4

Noise
The share counts noise samples whose measured dose exceeded the 90 dBA permissible exposure limit. It describes the sampled workplace, not what reached the miner's ear: hearing conservation programs and the hearing protection worn during the shift are recorded separately and are not reflected here.

Last sampled: 2011-03-22, 15 years ago
0%
over PEL
16
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR5
  • BELT MAN/CONVEYOR MAN3
  • COAL DRILL OPERATOR2
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Health sampling trend
A sample is a point in time compliance measurement, not an individual exposure history. These figures describe MSHA sampling records and do not establish causation or personal dose.
Respirable coal dust by year
Respirable coal dust and silica figures cover coal facilities. Dust compliance is measured against the current 1.5 mg/m3 standard; samples predating the 2014 standard are included, so compliance rates are a coarse historical signal.
Year within 1.5 mg/m3 samples
2011 94% 16
2010 91% 11
2009 90% 51
2008 100% 22
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2011 0.3 1
2009 1.1 2
2008 2.0 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2011 0% 5
2009 0% 6
2008 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

#1 recorded 4.53 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2009.

Injury rate, 2009
This rate is reportable injury cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers per year, computed as 200,000 times cases divided by MSHA operator-reported employee-hours. Cases are injuries MSHA graded degree 01 through 07; accident-only events that hurt no one are excluded, and so are contractor injuries, whose hours do not attach to a single mine. Rates begin in 2000, when quarterly employment reporting starts, and are withheld below 20,000 hours in a year.
4.53
total case rate
4.53
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.16 and the all-US-mining average was 3.36 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.04 cases per 100 workers that year.
Under 100,000 employee-hours were reported that year, so a single case moves the rate by two or more. Read the figure as approximate.
Source: injury cases from MSHA accident and injury records; employee-hours from MSHA quarterly employment reports. Rate is cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers, operator employees only.
Ownership history
  1. Woodland Hills Mining Company Inc 1990 to 2002
  2. Whitey Enterprises, Inc. 2002 to 2008
  3. C & D Mining Inc 2008 to 2010
  4. Whitnick & P Coal Co., LLC 2010 to 2012
  5. Stanmark Mining Inc 2012 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Coal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.
Year Employees Coal produced (tons)
2013 0
2012 1
2011 13 10,132
2010 5 370
2009 20 47,080
2008 17 24,915
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

#1 sits in Floyd County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.4% of county employment.

Local economic context
County figures come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 5-year pooled estimates, so the 2023 vintage covers 2019 through 2023. The Census category is 'mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction', which is broader than MSHA jurisdiction and includes oil and gas workers no mine employs. These figures describe the surrounding county, not this mine, and are not a factor in any specific incident.
Floyd County, Kentucky · Population 35,342
4.4%
Mining share of county employment
$41,582
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
Quarterly safety rates
Citations per million reported employee-hours. Rates begin in 2000, when MSHA's quarterly employment data starts; earlier incidents are counted but cannot be rate-adjusted. Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2013 Q2 0 0 0
2013 Q1 0 0 0
2012 Q4 0 0 0
2012 Q3 0 11 1
2012 Q2 80 2 0 25000.0
2012 Q1 0 2 0
2011 Q4 120 2 1 16666.7
2011 Q3 5,818 5 0 859.4
Show 12 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2011 Q2 5,537 14 7 2528.4
2011 Q1 2,562 79 45 30835.3
2010 Q4 480 24 9 50000.0
2010 Q3 2,400 3 2 1250.0
2010 Q2 128 1 0 7812.5
2009 Q4 11,532 58 24 5029.5
2009 Q3 7,483 43 15 5746.4
2009 Q2 12,275 25 11 2036.7
2009 Q1 12,873 42 17 3262.6
2008 Q4 17,393 48 15 2759.7
2008 Q3 5,859 25 9 4266.9
2008 Q2 4,060 1 0 246.3
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

10 on file

2011 · 1 incident

February 11, 2011 KY · Coal assayer, geologist, metallurgist, engineer, engineer management OTHER
Whitnick & P Coal Co., LLC · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Mine foreman was found unresponsive at about 2:40 pm by the roof bolter operator. He was then transported to the surface where he was pronounced dead by Floyd Co Ky Coroner. At this time the cause has not been determined by the Ky Medical Examiner.

2009 · 1 incident

March 10, 2009 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
C & D Mining Inc · Struck by falling object

Roof bolting and a draw rock (1 1/2' x 2' round x 1"-3" thick) fell striking employee on neck & lower back.

1991 · 2 incidents

June 28, 1991 KY · Coal cutting machine operator, ripper, universal operator MACHINERY
Woodland Hills Mining Company Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

BACKING UP CUTTER CATCHING FOOT BETWEEN A ROCK THE CUTTER BENDING STEEL TOE BOOT BACK CAUSING SKIN TO BE CUTTER OFF LEAVING BONE.

1990 · 6 incidents

September 18, 1990 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Woodland Hills Mining Company Inc · Struck by falling object

PUTTING LAST ROOF BOLT INPIECE OF DRAW ROCK FELL BETWEEN BOLTS & HITTING LEFT FOOT.

August 27, 1990 KY · Coal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey MACHINERY
Woodland Hills Mining Company Inc · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

POURING AND SPREADING CONCRETE FOR ROADWAY.

August 4, 1990 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Woodland Hills Mining Company Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

A PIECE OF ROCK WAS UNDER ROOF BOLTER HEAD. WHILE GETTING ROCK FROM UNDER HEAD, HE HELD HIS HAND OVER DRILL STEEL AND HE HIT BOOM LIFT LEVER WITH HIS BODY.