Alpheus Coal Refuse Disposal Facility has $493K in proposed MSHA penalties and $35K outstanding across 8 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
1997–2025
Latest incident
Oct 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
330
citations
108
significant & substantial
$493,113
proposed penalties
$359,293
paid to date
73% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $133,820 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.
330 citations across 2,311 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2023-09-15.
On record since 2023.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Alpheus Coal Refuse Disposal Facility has $493K in proposed MSHA penalties and $35K outstanding across 8 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.
$493K
proposed penalties
$394K
current assessed
$359K
paid to date
$35K
outstanding
304 assessments are final orders; 8 contested dockets.
Of $248K in penalties contested before the Commission, $148K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-08.
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.
92citations taken to the federal commission · 28% of citations on record
Settled
89 · 97%
Stood as issued
3 · 3%
100%
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 43 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
40%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$248K proposed, $148K 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 2024-11-03.
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 Alpheus Coal Refuse Disposal Facility shows 100% of 58 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: 2026-05-27
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
58
samples
0.70
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.
54 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 4 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.
Alpheus Coal Refuse Disposal Facility recorded 7.91 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.
7.91
total case rate
7.91
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.89 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 *
7.91
7.91
0.000
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
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
24
12,177
2025
11
55,371
2024
37
229,271
2023
39
2022
45
2021
53
51,972
2019
0
2018
0
2017
0
2015
7
2014
4
2013
8
2012
9
2011
13
2010
8
2002
1
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Alpheus Coal Refuse Disposal Facility sits in McDowell County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 13.0% 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.
McDowell County, West Virginia · Population 18,413
13.0%
Mining share of county employment
$29,980
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
16,974
17
5
1001.5
2026 Q1
11,544
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
17,760
16
2
900.9
2025 Q3
531
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
1,069
0
0
0.0
2025 Q1
5,927
4
3
674.9
2024 Q4
14,940
6
2
401.6
2024 Q3
18,510
1
0
54.0
Show 35 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
14,868
18
5
1210.7
2024 Q1
17,526
3
0
171.2
2023 Q4
18,382
34
10
1849.6
2023 Q3
18,056
52
23
2879.9
2023 Q2
17,302
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
28,064
5
1
178.2
2022 Q2
25,656
4
0
155.9
2022 Q1
23,026
12
4
521.2
2021 Q4
744
3
0
4032.3
2019 Q2
0
0
0
2019 Q1
0
0
0
2018 Q4
0
0
0
2018 Q3
0
0
0
2018 Q2
0
0
0
2018 Q1
0
0
0
2017 Q4
0
0
0
2017 Q3
0
0
0
2017 Q2
0
0
0
2015 Q3
1,560
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
2,450
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
3,023
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
5,581
2
0
358.4
2014 Q3
3,085
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
0
0
0
2013 Q4
0
1
1
2013 Q3
2,880
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
5,075
3
0
591.1
2013 Q1
2,440
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
4,054
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
3,120
10
3
3205.1
2012 Q2
6,250
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
10,842
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
4,846
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
4,072
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
10
8
8
800000.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
6 on file
2025 · 1 incident
October 20, 2025WV · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was walking to hang up fuel nozzle after refueling the dozer and slipped in the mud and tried catching themselves and hurt their left shoulder.
2022 · 1 incident
April 29, 2022WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
Taishan Coal, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee stated they was dropping plates on #3 clean coal press when hoodie jacket pocket got caught on the dog slide. They reached to pull pocket free, when middle left finger became pinched between the dogs. The pinch caused a laceration requiring 5 stitches. Employee did not miss any work and returned to normal work duties.
2012 · 1 incident
February 22, 2012WV · Coalcrane operator, mobile equipment operator (meo), dragline operator, dropball operator, riggerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Welding a plug on the outside of a chute. The weld broke and a piece of metal came loose and struck the top right of his head causing a laceration. Employee failed to correctly use personal protective equipment he removed his hard hat to weld. Sought medical treatment at Beckley Arh ER received 6 staples in top right of head.
ELECTRICIAN WAS ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL A RELAY. THEY HAD KILLED MAIN BREAKER. MAIN WAS A BOTTOM FEED BREAKER. ELECTRICIAN REACHED DOWN IN LINE SIDE OF THE BREAKER AND SHORTED IT OUT.