Big Four Surface Mine: 35 MSHA citations Coal
Superior Processing, Inc.
· Surface
Controlled by
Edward A Asbury
Welch,
Mcdowell County,
WV
·
Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4609124
Big Four Surface Mine has $5K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 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 2006
35
citations
14
significant & substantial
$4,814
proposed penalties
$4,814
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
17
inspections on record
469
inspection hours
n/a
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.Rate withheld: 469 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Big Four Surface Mine has $5K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 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.$5K
proposed penalties
$5K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
35 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2012-01-20.
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.40.0%
significant & substantial
5.7%
high negligence or reckless
40.0%
reasonably likely or greater
34.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 34.3% low, 60.0% moderate, 5.7% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Big Four Surface Mine shows 97% of 30 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: 2011-08-30, 14 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.97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
30
samples
2.80
dust max (mg/m3)
26 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 4 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR11
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER6
- HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR5
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2007-12-12, 18 years ago20.1
silica avg (%)
2
samples
34.2
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
- REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1
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: 2011-03-22, 15 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.6%
over PEL
18
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR6
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER4
- REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE4
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 100% | 6 |
| 2010 | 100% | 5 |
| 2009 | 100% | 1 |
| 2008 | 100% | 3 |
| 2007 | 67% | 3 |
| 2006 | 100% | 12 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year | silica avg (%) | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 6.1 | 1 |
| 2006 | 34.2 | 1 |
Noise by year
| Year | over PEL | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 0% | 4 |
| 2010 | 0% | 5 |
| 2008 | 0% | 2 |
| 2007 | 50% | 2 |
| 2006 | 0% | 5 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Big Four Surface Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2010.
Injury rate, 2010
ⓘ
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
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 3.20 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 * | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.000 |
| 2006 * | 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.
Ownership history
- Three Rivers Coal Co., LLC 2005 to 2007
- Superior Processing, Inc. 2007 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 11 | 34,369 |
| 2010 | 8 | 38,657 |
| 2009 | 2 | 8,314 |
| 2008 | 3 | 17,736 |
| 2007 | 4 | 5,841 |
| 2006 | 15 | 113,453 |
| 2005 | 9 | 2,238 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Big Four Surface Mine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Q3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 Q2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 Q1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 Q4 | 1,984 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2011 Q3 | 2,507 | 2 | 0 | 797.8 |
| 2011 Q2 | 2,140 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2011 Q1 | 6,852 | 1 | 0 | 145.9 |
| 2010 Q4 | 7,678 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Show 18 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Q3 | 6,574 | 2 | 0 | 304.2 |
| 2010 Q2 | 6,948 | 1 | 0 | 143.9 |
| 2010 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 Q3 | 207 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2009 Q2 | 1,238 | 3 | 0 | 2423.3 |
| 2009 Q1 | 1,065 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2008 Q4 | 1,344 | 1 | 0 | 744.0 |
| 2008 Q3 | 947 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2008 Q2 | 1,141 | 1 | 1 | 876.4 |
| 2008 Q1 | 1,110 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2007 Q4 | 1,293 | 4 | 3 | 3093.6 |
| 2007 Q1 | 1,912 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q4 | 8,452 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q3 | 10,504 | 4 | 4 | 380.8 |
| 2006 Q2 | 9,461 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q1 | 5,819 | 4 | 0 | 687.4 |
| 2005 Q4 | 2,383 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
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.