Mining Incidents

BRC Chinook LLC: 31 MSHA citations Coal

BRC Chinook LLC · Surface
Controlled by Steve Rickmeier
Riley, Clay County, IN  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1202397

BRC Chinook LLC has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $6K 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 BRC Chinook LLC.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
2007–2011
Latest incident
Apr 2011
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2007
31
citations
8
significant & substantial
$11,278
proposed penalties
$4,882
paid to date
43% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $6,396 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2007
34
inspections on record
708
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: 708 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

BRC Chinook LLC has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $6K 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.
$11K
proposed penalties
$11K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$6K
outstanding
31 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2016-09-20.
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.
25.8%
significant & substantial
6.5%
high negligence or reckless
25.8%
reasonably likely or greater
19.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 9.7% low, 83.9% moderate, 6.5% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at BRC Chinook LLC shows 100% of 49 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: 2017-07-12, 9 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
49
samples
0.50
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.
46 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 3 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR10
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER7
  • UTILITY MAN7

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: 2016-11-21, 9 years ago
16%
over PEL
25
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR4
  • CLEANING PLANT OPERATOR3
  • FINE COAL PLANT OPERATOR3
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
2017 100% 2
2016 100% 5
2015 100% 4
2012 100% 3
2011 100% 10
2010 100% 4
2009 100% 13
2008 100% 8
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2016 0% 4
2015 0% 2
2011 33% 6
2009 9% 11
2008 50% 2
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

BRC Chinook LLC recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2012.

Injury rate, 2012
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
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.74 and the all-US-mining average was 2.96 cases per 100 workers.
In Indiana, coal mining averaged 2.68 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
2012 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2011 * 5.24 0.00 0.000
2010 * 12.26 6.13 0.000
2009 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2008 * 4.75 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
  1. Covol Engineered Fuels 2007 to 2012
  2. Covol Fuels Chinook, LLC 2012 to 2013
  3. BRC Chinook LLC 2013 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)
2018 0
2017 3
2016 3
2015 3
2014 3
2013 8
2012 9
2011 16 118,564
2010 14 78,226
2009 19 143,356
2008 18 146,501
2007 7
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

BRC Chinook LLC sits in Clay County, Indiana, where the Census mining category is 0.5% 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.
Clay County, Indiana · Population 26,431
0.5%
Mining share of county employment
$67,676
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
2018 Q3 0 0 0
2018 Q2 0 0 0
2018 Q1 0 0 0
2017 Q4 1,440 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 1,440 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 1,440 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 480 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 1,200 0 0 0.0
Show 36 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2016 Q3 1,120 2 0 1785.7
2016 Q2 1,300 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 540 5 2 9259.3
2015 Q4 1,300 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 980 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 1,029 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 1,024 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 1,120 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 1,058 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 1,029 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 1,474 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 3,978 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 4,828 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 4,885 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 4,824 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 5,300 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 5,023 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 4,974 1 0 201.0
2012 Q1 5,768 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 9,691 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 10,605 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 8,868 1 1 112.8
2011 Q1 9,006 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 10,478 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 7,280 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 7,288 1 1 137.2
2010 Q1 7,578 1 0 132.0
2009 Q4 9,126 3 0 328.7
2009 Q3 8,551 1 0 116.9
2009 Q2 10,480 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 11,435 1 1 87.5
2008 Q4 11,826 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 12,268 4 0 326.1
2008 Q2 13,200 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 4,793 6 0 1251.8
2007 Q4 4,312 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

6 on file

2011 · 1 incident

April 28, 2011 IN · Coal outside foreman, leadman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Covol Engineered Fuels · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Heavy rain and deep mud, the employee was going up and down on the track hoe, when he slipped on the steps of the track hoe and caught himself with right hand and straining his right shoulder.

2010 · 2 incidents

October 12, 2010 IN · Coal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Covol Engineered Fuels · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

employee was tightening the bolts on the pipe line for the dredge and pulled his shoulder and bicep of his left arm.

February 19, 2010 IN · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman DISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA)
Covol Engineered Fuels · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

10dB STS on right ear from annual evaluation on 9/16/09 and a 25dB reportable loss since baseline evaluation on 12/10/07.

2008 · 1 incident

July 15, 2008 IN · Coal electrician, lineman MACHINERY
Covol Engineered Fuels · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Drilling 4.5" hole in siding @ plant overhead. Once drill went thru it grabbed and turned bit into 3rd & 4th finger on left hand.

2007 · 2 incidents

December 11, 2007 IN · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Covol Engineered Fuels · Over-exertion in lifting objects

Employee was bending down to pick up plastic pipe. Employee stated that he was not doing anything out of his routine duties. Nothing strenuous or unsafe. He said he felt the pain when he bent over.

August 9, 2007 IN · Coal welder (shop) MACHINERY
Covol Engineered Fuels · Struck by flying object

Employee was grinding steel with a hand held grinder throughout the day. Wearing a faceshield and glasses, when he got home he felt an irritation in his right eye.