Mining Incidents

Beth #2: 55 MSHA citations Coal

Beth Mining Co. · Surface
Controlled by Stephen N Peles
Glen Campbell, Indiana County, PA  ·  Temporarily Idled
MSHA Mine ID: 3608376

Beth #2 has $8K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2012
Latest incident
Apr 2012
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
55
citations
31
significant & substantial
$8,392
proposed penalties
$8,106
paid to date
97% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $286 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
72
inspections on record
1,311
inspection hours
4.2
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.
55 citations across 1,311 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Beth #2 has $8K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$8K
proposed penalties
$8K
current assessed
$8K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
55 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $3K in penalties contested before the Commission, $3K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2020-11-16.
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.
56.4%
significant & substantial
3.6%
high negligence or reckless
56.4%
reasonably likely or greater
32.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 1.8% none, 16.4% low, 78.2% moderate, 1.8% high, 1.8% 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.
8 citations taken to the federal commission · 15% of citations on record
  • Settled 8 · 100%
86%
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 7 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
10%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$3K proposed, $3K 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 2009-07-08.
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
PENN 2004-172 Settlement Feldman 2004 $1K → $1K
PENN 2009-536 Settlement Lewis 2011 $1K → $854
PENN 2009-607 Settlement Lewis 2011 $868 → $768
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Beth #2 shows 100% of 86 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: 2021-06-23, 5 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
86
samples
0.81
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.
66 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 20 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR39
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER27
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE16

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2015-08-13, 11 years ago
12.5
silica avg (%)
3
samples
26.8
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE2
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1

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: 2020-11-05, 5 years ago
5%
over PEL
38
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER17
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR11
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE10
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
2021 100% 2
2020 100% 5
2019 100% 3
2018 100% 6
2017 100% 11
2016 100% 8
2015 100% 8
2014 100% 6
2013 100% 3
2012 100% 2
2011 100% 7
2010 100% 2
2009 100% 4
2008 100% 6
2007 100% 2
2006 100% 2
2002 100% 2
2001 100% 4
2000 100% 3
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2015 3.9 1
2013 6.7 1
2002 26.8 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2020 0% 2
2018 0% 3
2017 0% 5
2016 0% 3
2015 0% 3
2014 0% 2
2013 0% 1
2012 0% 2
2011 0% 2
2009 0% 4
2008 0% 4
2007 50% 2
2001 0% 2
2000 33% 3
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Beth Mining Co. 1992 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)
2021 1
2020 1
2019 1
2018 2 2,596
2017 2 5,059
2016 2 2,054
2015 3 7,350
2014 2 8,100
2013 2 9,242
2012 3 16,618
2011 4 19,585
2010 3 16,451
2009 2 10,409
2008 2 11,120
2007 1 11,654
2006 1 940
2005 1
2004 1 554
2003 0 1,730
2002 1
2001 2 11,702
2000 3 28,203
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Beth #2 sits in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 2.4% 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.
Indiana County, Pennsylvania · Population 83,213
2.4%
Mining share of county employment
$58,739
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
2021 Q3 24 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 31 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 88 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 108 1 0 9259.3
2020 Q3 172 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 124 1 0 8064.5
2020 Q1 0 1 0
2019 Q4 60 0 0 0.0
Show 76 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2019 Q3 192 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 0 2 2
2019 Q1 0 0 0
2018 Q4 0 0 0
2018 Q3 600 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 421 1 1 2375.3
2018 Q1 800 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 980 2 1 2040.8
2017 Q3 1,020 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 1,075 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 1,015 2 0 1970.4
2016 Q4 1,025 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,410 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 1,530 2 1 1307.2
2015 Q2 1,124 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 1,100 1 0 909.1
2014 Q4 1,174 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 1,220 4 3 3278.7
2014 Q2 1,150 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 1,158 1 1 863.6
2013 Q4 1,230 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 1,250 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 1,206 1 0 829.2
2013 Q1 1,206 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 1,810 3 3 1657.5
2012 Q3 2,010 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 1,510 1 0 662.3
2012 Q1 1,440 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 1,920 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,800 2 1 1111.1
2011 Q2 1,120 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 1,690 1 0 591.7
2010 Q4 960 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 1,440 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 385 1 0 2597.4
2010 Q1 980 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 900 1 1 1111.1
2009 Q3 1,050 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 1,110 4 3 3603.6
2009 Q1 1,080 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 1,020 4 3 3921.6
2008 Q3 1,080 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 540 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 1,080 3 1 2777.8
2007 Q4 540 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 540 2 2 3703.7
2007 Q2 180 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 540 1 1 1851.9
2006 Q4 640 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 540 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 480 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 450 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 240 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 35 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 40 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 0 0 0
2004 Q4 692 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 500 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 320 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 160 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 500 1 1 2000.0
2003 Q3 0 0 0
2003 Q2 0 0 0
2003 Q1 0 0 0
2002 Q4 0 1 0
2002 Q3 282 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 518 3 2 5791.5
2002 Q1 80 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 557 1 0 1795.3
2001 Q3 555 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 1,111 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 1,917 1 0 521.6
2000 Q4 1,684 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 1,639 1 0 610.1
2000 Q2 1,971 1 0 507.4
2000 Q1 2,007 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2012 · 1 incident

April 16, 2012 PA · Coal assayer, geologist, metallurgist, engineer, engineer management HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Beth Mining Co. · Struck by flying object

Placed tooth on shank of Cat 992 when a striking the tooth a piece of the tooth came out and struck employee in the right eye