Mining Incidents

Affinity Preparation Plant Coal

Controlled by Metinvest B V
SOPHIA, Raleigh County, WV  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4608879

Affinity Preparation Plant has $29K in proposed MSHA penalties and $878 outstanding across 7 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
2010–2024
Latest incident
Dec 2024
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
140
citations
15
significant & substantial
$29,398
proposed penalties
$25,804
paid to date
88% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,594 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
227
inspections on record
4,752
inspection hours
2.9
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.
140 citations across 4,752 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Affinity Preparation Plant has $29K in proposed MSHA penalties and $878 outstanding across 7 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.
$29K
proposed penalties
$27K
current assessed
$26K
paid to date
$878
outstanding
136 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-23.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Affinity Preparation Plant shows respirable coal dust averaging 0.19 mg/m3 (99% compliant) across 268 samples.

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.
0.19
dust avg (mg/m3)
1.73
dust max (mg/m3)
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
268
samples
Most recent sample: 2026-06-16.
Silica (quartz)
2.1
silica avg (%)
4.3
silica max (%)
15
samples
Most recent sample: 2025-10-15.
Noise
10%
over PEL
80
samples
Most recent sample: 2025-12-09.
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
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
2025 Q4 15,823 4 0 252.8
2025 Q3 16,811 1 1 59.5
2025 Q2 16,278 6 0 368.6
2025 Q1 15,405 2 2 129.8
2024 Q4 14,582 4 0 274.3
2024 Q3 16,005 0 0 0.0
2024 Q2 16,616 8 1 481.5
2024 Q1 15,788 0 0 0.0
Show 75 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2023 Q4 13,472 7 1 519.6
2023 Q3 13,144 1 0 76.1
2023 Q2 13,451 7 1 520.4
2023 Q1 13,028 3 0 230.3
2022 Q4 11,990 6 0 500.4
2022 Q3 12,399 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 12,738 1 0 78.5
2022 Q1 12,488 6 3 480.5
2021 Q4 11,150 1 0 89.7
2021 Q3 12,518 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 12,263 4 0 326.2
2021 Q1 12,134 3 1 247.2
2020 Q4 12,143 2 0 164.7
2020 Q3 13,267 1 0 75.4
2020 Q2 13,746 1 0 72.7
2020 Q1 17,136 6 0 350.1
2019 Q4 16,236 2 0 123.2
2019 Q3 17,642 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 19,327 6 0 310.4
2019 Q1 19,008 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 17,151 4 0 233.2
2018 Q3 16,463 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 19,110 3 0 157.0
2018 Q1 18,884 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 16,078 3 1 186.6
2017 Q3 17,395 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 20,261 11 1 542.9
2017 Q1 20,841 8 0 383.9
2016 Q4 15,923 6 1 376.8
2016 Q3 17,987 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 17,227 3 0 174.1
2016 Q1 14,387 2 0 139.0
2015 Q4 16,752 1 0 59.7
2015 Q3 14,947 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 17,272 4 0 231.6
2015 Q1 17,291 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 16,713 2 1 119.7
2014 Q3 18,219 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 17,419 1 0 57.4
2014 Q1 11,931 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 5,978 2 0 334.6
2013 Q3 12,871 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 11,905 1 1 84.0
2013 Q1 10,765 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 10,605 1 0 94.3
2012 Q3 10,054 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 7,827 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 6,490 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 7,492 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 2,182 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 3,000 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 0 0 0
2010 Q4 0 0 0
2010 Q3 0 0 0
2010 Q2 0 0 0
2010 Q1 0 1 0
2009 Q4 0 0 0
2005 Q3 0 0 0
2005 Q2 0 0 0
2005 Q1 0 0 0
2004 Q4 0 0 0
2004 Q3 0 0 0
2004 Q2 0 0 0
2004 Q1 0 0 0
2003 Q4 0 0 0
2003 Q3 0 0 0
2003 Q2 0 0 0
2003 Q1 0 0 0
2002 Q4 0 0 0
2002 Q3 0 0 0
2002 Q2 0 0 0
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q3 0 0 0
2001 Q2 0 1 0
2001 Q1 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

11 on file

2024 · 1 incident

December 10, 2024 WV · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver DUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

Employee was awarded 10% op claim

2023 · 1 incident

November 3, 2023 WV · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Struck against a moving object

Employee was dumping on the upper raw coal pile and truck tipped over. Employee received stitches from an injury.

2022 · 1 incident

May 5, 2022 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman DUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

Former Employee was awarded 10% OP

2021 · 1 incident

October 9, 2021 WV · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The Employee was attempting to change a spring on the De-Slime Screen when the slate bar the employee was using slipped and struck employee in the nose.

2019 · 1 incident

April 6, 2019 WV · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Struck against stationary object

Employee was cleaning loose coal from the wear plate in the feeder when the sharp edge of the wear plate cut EE's left index finger. The employee was taken to the hospital where EE received 5 sutures.

2016 · 2 incidents

June 24, 2016 WV · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Contact with hot objects or substances

Driver observed an overheating condition in the cab of the truck, shut the truck off, and opened the hood from the side and not from the front of the vehicle. The OEM radiator plastic surge tank ruptured spilling hot antifreeze on the driver's left hand and lower arm inside.

March 10, 2016 WV · Coal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Fall from machine

Employee was climbing the steps on an endloader when the bottom step broke causing the employee to slide down the ladder landing on EE's feet jarring EE's back. Note: Employee came back to work and worked until 3-17-16 at which EE was placed off of work due to a medical evaluation.

2015 · 2 incidents

June 4, 2015 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee (mechanic) was repairing floor jack and while trying to dislodge a small chisel (approximately 6" length) he was struck in the mouth with the chisel. Received 7 stitches to his lip.

April 30, 2015 WV · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Fall from machine

Employee was entering D8T dozer, as he turned his footing slipped and fell on his right wrist. Right wrist was fractured.

2013 · 1 incident

June 20, 2013 WV · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

Employee was pulling a water hose and felt a pain in his belly button area. Doctor placed employee on restrictive duty on 06/21/13 and is on restrictive duty until his surgery is scheduled.

2010 · 1 incident

October 27, 2010 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pocahontas Coal Company LLC · Struck by falling object

Concrete form was lowered onto the injured party's lower back, resulting in a compression fracture of a vertebrae. The injury was not immediately known. The injured later saw a doctor.

For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants

The full compliance file on Affinity Preparation Plant

A dated report covering the 26-year penalty trail, line-item violation pattern, contest and docket posture, rate-normalized peer benchmark, and full fatality history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.