Aces Branch Mine #9 has $46K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
15
Years on record
2011–2026
Latest incident
Jun 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2009
262
citations
56
significant & substantial
$46,242
proposed penalties
$39,301
paid to date
85% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $6,942 gap.
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.
262 citations across 3,184 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Aces Branch Mine #9 has $46K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 3 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.
$46K
proposed penalties
$44K
current assessed
$39K
paid to date
$5K
outstanding
255 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $7K in penalties contested before the Commission, $5K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-12.
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.
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.
10citations taken to the federal commission · 4% of citations on record
Settled
10 · 100%
50%
S&S designation survived the contest
ⓘCounts a Significant & Substantial citation as surviving when a settlement or judge's decision kept the designation, or the contest was dismissed or defaulted so the citation stands as issued. Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.
of 8 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
26%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$7K proposed, $5K 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 2024-03-06.
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.
MSHA sampling at Aces Branch Mine #9 shows 100% of 341 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: 2026-05-13
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
341
samples
1.11
dust max (mg/m3)
0
over MSHA ECV
ⓘThe excessive concentration value (ECV) is MSHA's own per-sample enforcement threshold, which builds in measurement uncertainty; a sample over its ECV can trigger a citation. The count covers only samples MSHA assigned an ECV.
183 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 158 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.
Aces Branch Mine #9 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.08 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.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024 *
5.69
2.84
0.000
2023 *
3.04
0.00
0.000
2020 *
5.06
0.00
0.000
2019 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2017 *
12.78
8.52
0.000
2016 *
15.07
7.53
0.000
* Fewer than 100,000 employee-hours that year; the rate is less stable.
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.
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)
2026
25
87,664
2025
20
172,110
2024
30
217,403
2023
27
217,706
2022
2
2020
17
83,591
2019
28
276,726
2018
21
156,328
2017
20
154,984
2016
13
94,678
2015
15
172,675
2014
13
159,940
2013
10
104,220
2012
17
122,691
2011
28
281,371
2010
12
52,292
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Aces Branch Mine #9 sits in Leslie County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 10.6% 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.
Leslie County, Kentucky · Population 10,261
10.6%
Mining share of county employment
$40,176
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
2026 Q2
18,181
6
1
330.0
2026 Q1
13,003
4
0
307.6
2025 Q4
13,268
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
14,097
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
12,231
3
0
245.3
2025 Q1
11,944
5
0
418.6
2024 Q4
12,650
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
18,701
1
0
53.5
Show 50 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
19,948
4
0
200.5
2024 Q1
19,043
1
0
52.5
2023 Q4
20,833
9
3
432.0
2023 Q3
19,788
0
0
0.0
2023 Q2
18,043
8
0
443.4
2023 Q1
7,100
6
0
845.1
2022 Q4
420
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
1,925
1
0
519.5
2020 Q3
6,038
2
0
331.2
2020 Q2
15,496
3
0
193.6
2020 Q1
16,080
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
11,635
7
0
601.6
2019 Q3
15,856
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
20,361
3
0
147.3
2019 Q1
19,296
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
13,811
4
1
289.6
2018 Q3
13,384
5
0
373.6
2018 Q2
13,203
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
12,042
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
11,659
3
0
257.3
2017 Q3
11,126
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
12,877
3
1
233.0
2017 Q1
11,289
1
0
88.6
2016 Q4
9,811
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
7,285
4
0
549.1
2016 Q2
3,950
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
5,500
2
0
363.6
2015 Q4
7,776
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
8,495
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
7,423
9
3
1212.4
2015 Q1
9,301
2
0
215.0
2014 Q4
9,868
6
1
608.0
2014 Q3
9,032
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
6,673
2
0
299.7
2014 Q1
3,939
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
6,896
10
1
1450.1
2013 Q3
5,661
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
4,710
8
2
1698.5
2013 Q1
8,232
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
8,531
8
1
937.8
2012 Q3
2,852
10
0
3506.3
2012 Q2
10,335
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
14,473
7
3
483.7
2011 Q4
20,066
2
0
99.7
2011 Q3
20,147
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
16,544
5
0
302.2
2011 Q1
15,091
12
6
795.2
2010 Q4
15,655
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
7,930
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
15 on file
2026 · 1 incident
June 15, 2026KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
B & W Resources Inc · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects
The employee accessed the engine compartment of a Caterpillar D10R dozer to adjust the water valves for the cab heating system. While the engine was running, the employee's hand came into contact with the rotating belt and pulley assembly, resulting in an injury.
The employee was operating a John Deere 700 dozer when the machine over traveled the work area and overturned. The employee was wearing a seatbelt and only sustained bruising. EE was examined immediately after the accident and released for work later that morning.
2023 · 1 incident
September 25, 2023KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
B & W Resources Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
The Employees left ring finger was pinched when the small, oil soaked hydraulic jack EE was holding slipped and fell to the bumper.
A Caterpillar D10R Dozer caught on fire between 3:50pm (the time that the machine was parked) and 5:47pm (the notification of fire to company officials)
2017 · 3 incidents
October 7, 2017KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
There was no accident, the employee was suffering from a bulging disc in which employee had previously had surgery for years ago. The condition was worsening and while working on the job that day employee was operating a 777D rock truck. As the employee stood up to exit the truck employee's back was burning and cramping.
March 6, 2017KY · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanPOWERED HAULAGE
The employee was cleaning loose material away from the highwall in the #8 coal pit when the bucket on the loader hit a rock. This caused the loader to abruptly swivel hard to the right sending a jolt through the employees back.
2016 · 2 incidents
September 19, 2016KY · Coalblaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkeySLIP OR FALL OF PERSON