#1: 172 MSHA citations Coal
Viper Coal, LLC
· Underground
Controlled by
Jody Dale Puckett
Kite,
Knott County,
KY
·
Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1519042
#1 has $254K in proposed MSHA penalties and $250K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 0
- Years on record
- —
- Latest incident
- —
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
172
citations
75
significant & substantial
$254,016
proposed penalties
$3,927
paid to date
2% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $250,089 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2006
15
inspections on record
894
inspection hours
n/a
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.Rate withheld: 894 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
#1 has $254K in proposed MSHA penalties and $250K outstanding across 0 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.$254K
proposed penalties
$254K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$250K
outstanding
167 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2008-05-08.
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.44.9%
significant & substantial
9.0%
high negligence or reckless
44.9%
reasonably likely or greater
15.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 3.6% low, 87.4% moderate, 9.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at #1 shows 90% of 71 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: 2008-04-04, 18 years ago
ⓘ
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.90%
within 1.5 mg/m3
71
samples
7.14
dust max (mg/m3)
39 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 32 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR29
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)9
- SCOOP CAR OPERATOR5
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2008-04-04, 18 years ago5.0
silica avg (%)
4
samples
7.8
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR2
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: 2007-11-07, 18 years ago
ⓘ
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.6%
over PEL
18
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)4
- SCOOP CAR OPERATOR3
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER2
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 91% | 22 |
| 2007 | 87% | 38 |
| 2006 | 100% | 11 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year | silica avg (%) | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 4.8 | 1 |
| 2007 | 5.8 | 2 |
| 2006 | 3.7 | 1 |
Noise by year
| Year | over PEL | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 8% | 12 |
| 2006 | 0% | 6 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
- Pride Mining Inc 2006 to 2007
- Viper Coal, LLC 2007 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 13 | 12,690 |
| 2007 | 11 | 18,662 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
#1 sits in Knott County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.8% 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.Knott County, Kentucky · Population 14,046
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$37,736
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Q1 | 6,240 | 36 | 15 | 5769.2 |
| 2007 Q4 | 5,200 | 16 | 6 | 3076.9 |
| 2007 Q3 | 2,200 | 25 | 8 | 11363.6 |
No reportable incidents on file.
MSHA has no recorded reportable accidents for this mine in the current dataset. New reports appear here within a week of being filed.