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Black Thunder Mine No. 2: 39 MSHA citations Coal

Coastal Coal Company, LLC · Underground
Controlled by El Paso Energy Corp
Linefork, Letcher County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1517955

Black Thunder Mine No. 2 has $3K 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
16
Years on record
1997–2000
Latest incident
Jun 2000
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
39
citations
25
significant & substantial
$3,136
proposed penalties
$3,136
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Coastal Coal Company, LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
15
inspections on record
376
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: 376 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Black Thunder Mine No. 2 has $3K 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.
$3K
proposed penalties
$3K
current assessed
$3K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
39 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2000-08-28.
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.
64.1%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
64.1%
reasonably likely or greater
7.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 0.0% low, 100.0% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Black Thunder Mine No. 2 shows 65% of 77 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: 2000-08-21, 26 years ago
65%
within 1.5 mg/m3
77
samples
5.29
dust max (mg/m3)
43 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 34 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR37
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)8
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (OFF STANDARD)7

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2000-08-28, 25 years ago
5.9
silica avg (%)
10
samples
9.4
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR8
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2000-01-25, 26 years ago
20%
over PEL
5
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BELT MAN/CONVEYOR MAN1
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR1
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (INTAKE SIDE)1
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Black Thunder Mine No. 2 recorded 14.35 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2000.

Injury rate, 2000
ⓘ 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.
14.35
total case rate
11.48
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 7.74 and the all-US-mining average was 5.64 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 8.83 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.
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
  1. Adena Fuels Inc 1997 to 1998
  2. Coastal Coal Company, LLC 1998 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)
2000 33 167,582
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Black Thunder Mine No. 2 sits in Letcher County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.5% 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.
Letcher County, Kentucky · Population 21,146
3.5%
Mining share of county employment
$40,501
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
2000 Q4 0 0 0
2000 Q3 21,845 8 6 366.2
2000 Q2 20,811 11 7 528.6
2000 Q1 27,022 12 7 444.1
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

16 on file

2000 · 5 incidents

June 26, 2000 KY · Coal supply man, nipper SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Coastal Coal Company, LLC · Fall onto or against objects

EMPLOYEE WAS LOADINGROCK DUST ONTO A SCOOP. HE TRIPPEDOVER THE PLASTIC COVERS. EMPLOYEE INJURED HIS LEFT HAND ON THE SCOOP BUCKET.

June 16, 2000 KY · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Coastal Coal Company, LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS REMOVING SCRAP BELT FROM THE BELTLINE USING CHANNEL LOCKS TO PULL. THE CHANNEL LOCKS SLIPPED, AND STRUCK EE OVER LEFT EYE. DR. USED 4 SUTURES TO CLOSE WOUND.

May 15, 2000 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Coastal Coal Company, LLC · Struck by falling object

EMPLOYEE PUSHED UP A BOLT AND A PIECE OF ROCK FELL OUT ONTO HIS LEFT HAND. X-RAY WAS NEGATIVE.

February 2, 2000 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Coastal Coal Company, LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE STRAINED A CHEST MUSCLE PULLING ON RATCHET. EE WAS ON HIS BACK REACHING UNDER A SPEED REDUCER. THE BOLT WAS STRUCK AND EE PULLED HARDEN.

January 10, 2000 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Coastal Coal Company, LLC · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

CANOPY OF BOLTER WAS BLOCKED UP TO REPLACE CANOPY JACK. EMPLOYEE WAS REMOVING BLOCKS WHILE CANOPY BEINH HELD UP. THE JACK FELL AND MASHED THE RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER OF EMPLOYEE.

1998 · 8 incidents

August 3, 1998 KY · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Adena Fuels Inc · Struck by falling object

WHLE COMING AROUND CORNER, A PIECE OF DRAW ROCK FELL IN DECK OF CAR STRIKING THE EE'S FACE AND HANDS.

July 7, 1998 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Adena Fuels Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

WHILE HELPING TO GET THE PINNER UNSTUCK, THE EE CAUGHT HIS LEG BETWEEN THE BOOM OF THE PINNER AND A PIECE OF ROCK LAYING AGAINST RIB.

June 3, 1998 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Adena Fuels Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE TAKING BOLTER CABLE DOWN, THE REEL WAS TURNED ON AND THE CABLE STRUCK THE EE IN THE FACE.

May 28, 1998 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Adena Fuels Inc · Struck by falling object

WHILE BOLTING TOP, A PIECE OF ROCK OR COAL GOT IN HIS RIGHT EYE.

April 13, 1998 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Adena Fuels Inc · Struck by falling object

WHILE BOLTING TOP A THIN LAYER OF DRAW ROCK FELL HITTING HIM ON THE ANKLE.

April 7, 1998 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Adena Fuels Inc · Struck by falling object

WHILE PUTTING BOLT UP INTO TOP A PIECE OF DRAW ROCK FELL STRIKING THE EE'S LEFT HAND.

February 17, 1998 KY · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Adena Fuels Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE SHOVLEING BELT, THE EE STRAINED HIS BACK.

January 12, 1998 KY · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Adena Fuels Inc · Struck by falling object

WHILE BUILDING BRATTICES A PIECE OF DRAW ROCK FLEW AND HIT THE EMPLOYEE'S RIGHT SHOULDER.

1997 · 3 incidents

December 19, 1997 KY · Coal section foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift boss HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Adena Fuels Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

WHILE CLEANING ROCK OFF MINER, THE EMPLOYEE STRAINED HIS LEFT WRIST.

December 19, 1997 KY · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Adena Fuels Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE GETTING OFF SHUTTLE CAR, HE STRAINED HIS GROIN.

October 10, 1997 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Adena Fuels Inc · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE HAD HIS HAND LAYING ON THE DRILL BOOM. HIS HAND GOT CAUGHT AGAINST THE TOP.