Blue Bear Mine #1: 27 MSHA citations
Coal
Bradshaw,
Mcdowell County,
WV
·
NonProducing
MSHA Mine ID: 4602227
Blue Bear Mine #1 has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $10K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Blue Bear Mine #1.
- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 3
- Years on record
- 1989–2000
- Latest incident
- Sep 2000
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2022
3
significant & substantial
$10,193
proposed penalties
0% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $10,193 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
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: 341 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Blue Bear Mine #1 has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $10K 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.
23 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-03-10.
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.
13.0%
significant & substantial
17.4%
high negligence or reckless
13.0%
reasonably likely or greater
47.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 8.7% low, 73.9% moderate, 17.4% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Blue Bear Mine #1 shows 100% of 10 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: 2023-02-15, 3 years ago
10 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER6
- COAL SAMPLER2
- ROTARY BUCKET EXCAVATOR OPERATOR2
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: 2023-02-15, 3 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER4
- CAR DROPPER1
- ROTARY BUCKET EXCAVATOR OPERATOR1
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 |
| 2023 |
100% |
2 |
| 2022 |
100% |
4 |
| 2000 |
100% |
4 |
Noise by year
| Year |
over PEL |
samples |
| 2023 |
0% |
2 |
| 2022 |
0% |
2 |
| 2000 |
0% |
2 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
| Year |
Employees |
| 2022 |
2 |
| 2001 |
0 |
| 2000 |
1 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Blue Bear Mine #1 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 |
| 2022 Q2 |
1,561 |
3 |
1 |
1921.8 |
| 2022 Q1 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
|
| 2001 Q2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2001 Q1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2000 Q4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2000 Q3 |
593 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
| 2000 Q2 |
618 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
| 2000 Q1 |
609 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
3 on file
2000 · 1 incident
September 16, 2000
WV · Coal
front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator
SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE WAS WASHING DOWN AN ENDLOADER WHILE STANDING ON THE SURFACE OF THE EQUIPMENT. THE SURFACE WASSLICK CAUSING HIM TO FALL ABOUT 6 FT. ONTO HIS LEFT SIDE RESULTING IN 3 BROKEN RIBS.
1989 · 1 incident
April 27, 1989
WV · Coal
front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Alpine Development Company · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects
HE STRAINED HIS RIGHT KNEE WHILE TRYING TO PUSH A ROCK OUT FROM UNDER A BELT LINE WITH HIS LEGS.