#3 Slope Buck Mtn: 11 MSHA citations
Coal
#3 Slope Buck Mtn has $5K in proposed MSHA penalties and $698 outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 1
- Years on record
- 2001
- Latest incident
- May 2001
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
4
significant & substantial
$4,775
proposed penalties
84% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $763 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
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: 460 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
#3 Slope Buck Mtn has $5K in proposed MSHA penalties and $698 outstanding across 5 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.
7 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2002-04-02.
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.
44.4%
significant & substantial
28.6%
high negligence or reckless
28.6%
reasonably likely or greater
14.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 57.1% low, 14.3% moderate, 28.6% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
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 |
| PENN20020075 |
Default |
Barbour |
2002 |
$2K → $2K |
| PENN20000140 |
Default |
Barbour |
2000 |
$159 → $159 |
| PENN20000157 |
Settlement |
Barbour |
2000 |
$55 → $35 |
| PENN20020074 |
Settlement |
Barbour |
2002 |
$55 → $35 |
| PENN20030065 |
Settlement |
Barbour |
2003 |
$55 → $30 |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at #3 Slope Buck Mtn shows 100% of 26 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: 2001-08-29, 25 years ago
13 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 13 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- HAND LOADERS18
- HOIST ENGINEER/OPERATOR2
- LABORER1
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: 2001-07-31, 25 years ago
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 |
| 2001 |
100% |
8 |
| 2000 |
100% |
18 |
Noise by year
| Year |
over PEL |
samples |
| 2001 |
0% |
1 |
| 2000 |
50% |
2 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
-
Little Buck Coal Company
1996 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) |
| 2001 |
2 |
1,212 |
| 2000 |
2 |
2,647 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
#3 Slope Buck Mtn sits in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 1.1% 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.
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania · Population 143,259
1.1%
Mining share of county employment
$66,901
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 |
| 2001 Q4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2001 Q3 |
420 |
2 |
0 |
4761.9 |
| 2001 Q2 |
600 |
6 |
4 |
10000.0 |
| 2001 Q1 |
900 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
| 2000 Q4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2000 Q3 |
120 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
| 2000 Q2 |
1,190 |
1 |
0 |
840.3 |
| 2000 Q1 |
720 |
1 |
0 |
1388.9 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
1 on file
2001 · 1 incident
Little Buck Coal Company · Struck by falling object
EE SET THREE PCS TIMBE IN CHUTE. THEN FIRED COAL SET IN GANGWAY FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THEN WENT UP CHUTE TO PUSH COAL DOWN CHUT. WHEN A ROCK ABOUT 3' X 2' FELL AT TOP OF CHUTE ONTO SHEET IRON AND CAME DOWN TO BOTTOM OF CHUTE AND HIT EE ON LEGS. SUFFERED TWO BROKEN LEGS.