Alden Resources, LLC #6: 454 MSHA citations Coal
Alden Resources, LLC #6 has $163K in proposed MSHA penalties and $83K outstanding across 14 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 2010
454
citations
141
significant & substantial
$163,278
proposed penalties
$36,093
paid to date
22% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $127,185 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2010
62
inspections on record
4,838
inspection hours
9.4
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.454 citations across 4,838 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Alden Resources, LLC #6 has $163K in proposed MSHA penalties and $83K outstanding across 14 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.$163K
proposed penalties
$119K
current assessed
$36K
paid to date
$83K
outstanding
450 assessments are final orders; 14 contested dockets.
Of $97K in penalties contested before the Commission, $52K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2017-02-01.
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.31.3%
significant & substantial
6.4%
high negligence or reckless
31.3%
reasonably likely or greater
6.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.4% none, 4.2% low, 88.9% moderate, 6.0% high, 0.4% reckless.
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.
63
citations taken to the federal commission · 14% of citations on record
- Settled 52 · 83%
- Stood as issued 10 · 16%
- Vacated or withdrawn 1 · 2%
98%
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 45 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
47%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$99K proposed, $53K 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 2016-10-12.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENT 2013-805 | Settlement | Lewis | 2014 | $38K → $12K |
| KENT 2014-0369 | Settlement | Lewis | 2014 | $26K → $18K |
| KENT 2013-806 | Settlement | Lewis | 2014 | $14K → $7K |
| KENT 2014-0371 | Settlement | Lewis | 2014 | $3K → $3K |
| KENT 2015-0045 | Settlement | Simonton | 2015 | $3K → $2K |
| KENT 2014-0293 | Settlement | Lewis | 2014 | $2K → $2K |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Alden Resources, LLC #6 shows 93% of 427 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: 2016-11-22, 9 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.93%
within 1.5 mg/m3
427
samples
20.30
dust max (mg/m3)
2
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.195 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 232 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR198
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)75
- SCOOP CAR OPERATOR24
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2016-11-09, 9 years ago5.1
silica avg (%)
28
samples
7.9
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR12
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)6
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: 2016-11-02, 9 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.12%
over PEL
105
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- MOBILE BRIDGE OPERATOR19
- SCOOP CAR OPERATOR12
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR11
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 98% | 131 |
| 2015 | 92% | 63 |
| 2014 | 98% | 54 |
| 2013 | 92% | 75 |
| 2012 | 94% | 35 |
| 2010 | 83% | 69 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year | silica avg (%) | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 4.8 | 6 |
| 2015 | 4.5 | 8 |
| 2014 | 6.1 | 4 |
| 2013 | 6.2 | 3 |
| 2012 | 5.2 | 1 |
| 2010 | 5.2 | 6 |
Noise by year
| Year | over PEL | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 5% | 19 |
| 2015 | 0% | 19 |
| 2014 | 20% | 25 |
| 2013 | 20% | 15 |
| 2012 | 20% | 15 |
| 2010 | 8% | 12 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
- True Energy, LLC 2010 to 2011
- Alden Resources LLC 2011 to 2012
- Davex Energy, LLC 2012 to 2017
- Alden Resources, LLC 2017 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 12 | 11,089 |
| 2014 | 8 | 8,545 |
| 2013 | 8 | 18,064 |
| 2012 | 8 | 6,942 |
| 2011 | 5 | |
| 2010 | 24 | 23,724 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Alden Resources, LLC #6 sits in Knox 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.Knox County, Kentucky · Population 30,034
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$33,153
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Q3 | 4,320 | 24 | 10 | 5555.6 |
| 2016 Q2 | 4,320 | 13 | 3 | 3009.3 |
| 2016 Q1 | 3,960 | 8 | 0 | 2020.2 |
| 2014 Q2 | 3,365 | 39 | 8 | 11589.9 |
| 2014 Q1 | 3,981 | 37 | 10 | 9294.1 |
| 2013 Q4 | 3,685 | 45 | 15 | 12211.7 |
| 2013 Q3 | 2,980 | 28 | 13 | 9396.0 |
| 2013 Q2 | 2,980 | 8 | 2 | 2684.6 |
Show 11 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Q1 | 3,116 | 15 | 3 | 4813.9 |
| 2012 Q4 | 3,850 | 53 | 18 | 13766.2 |
| 2012 Q2 | 2,317 | 1 | 0 | 431.6 |
| 2012 Q1 | 10,016 | 13 | 4 | 1297.9 |
| 2011 Q4 | 5,299 | 7 | 2 | 1321.0 |
| 2011 Q3 | 170 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2011 Q2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2011 Q1 | 1,560 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2010 Q4 | 14,057 | 22 | 12 | 1565.1 |
| 2010 Q3 | 16,520 | 26 | 12 | 1573.8 |
| 2010 Q2 | 6,651 | 23 | 12 | 3458.1 |
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.