Buffalo Creek Surface Mine has had no fatalities among 1 reportable incident since 2006. MSHA has proposed $5K in penalties since 2007, with $3K outstanding.
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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: 137 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Buffalo Creek Surface Mine has $5K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K 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.
$5K
proposed penalties
$5K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$3K
outstanding
23 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2008-09-15.
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.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Buffalo Creek Surface Mine shows 100% of 17 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: 2008-09-15, 18 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
17
samples
1.02
dust max (mg/m3)
17 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
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.
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.
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
10
16,998
2007
22
128,332
2006
4
15,184
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly; years before 2000 come from MSHA's archived Part 50 employment files.
Buffalo Creek Surface Mine sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.
Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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; earlier incidents are counted but not rate-adjusted, though reported hours reach back to 1983. 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 Q2
0
0
0
2008 Q1
5,368
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
12,952
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
8,200
8
2
975.6
2006 Q4
4,588
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
0
0
0
2006 Q2
0
0
0
2006 Q1
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
1 on file
2006 · 1 incident
November 14, 2006KY · Coalblaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkeyHANDLING OF MATERIALS
The employee was shoveling drill cuttings into a blasthole with a hand shovel on 11/14/06. Employee got out of bed the next morning and felt stiffness in his lower back. Employee went to the doctor and then reported the injury to company personnel on 11/15/06. Doctor advised employee that he had a strained back and that he should remain off-duty until 11/17/06.