Buck Creek No. 1 has $43K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1K outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
28
Years on record
1990–2007
Latest incident
Oct 2007
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
235
citations
88
significant & substantial
$43,146
proposed penalties
$39,740
paid to date
92% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,406 gap.
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.
235 citations across 1,765 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Buck Creek No. 1 has $43K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1K outstanding across 5 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.
$43K
proposed penalties
$41K
current assessed
$40K
paid to date
$1K
outstanding
231 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $10K in penalties contested before the Commission, $8K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2010-06-04.
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.
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.
10citations taken to the federal commission · 4% of citations on record
Settled
10 · 100%
100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 9 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
20%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$10K proposed, $8K 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 2010-03-09.
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.
MSHA sampling at Buck Creek No. 1 shows 98% of 146 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: 2010-05-18, 16 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
146
samples
2.90
dust max (mg/m3)
120 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 26 by the operator.
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.
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.
Buck Creek No. 1 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
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 3.20 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.85 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
2009 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2007 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2005 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2004 *
8.70
8.70
0.000
2001 *
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.
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)
2011
0
2010
13
73,281
2009
21
146,215
2008
24
188,935
2007
23
204,379
2006
26
194,720
2005
21
167,482
2004
30
147,316
2003
2
2002
4
2001
10
41,381
2000
30
166,467
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Buck Creek No. 1 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
ROCK TRUCK WAS LOADED AND BACKING TOWARD DUMP. WHEN TRUCK STOPPED AND STARTED RAISING BED THE DUMP BROKE AND TRUCK OVERTURNED. AFTER REMAINING UPSIDE DOWN FOR 3 HOURS TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE AND BUR NED. EMPLOYEE JUMPED FROM TRUCK AND NO INJURIES OCCURRED.
May 1, 1995KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
WHILE RECLAIMING SLOPE SLID ACROSS PROTRUDING ROCK CAUSING UNBALANCE OF DOZER DOZER ROLLED DOWN SLOPE OPERATOR RECEIVED GASH ON BACK OF HEAD & GASH ABOVE FOREHEAD
April 22, 1995KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
WHILE OPERATING CAT HAULER WITH RIGHT HAND, CHECKED BEHIND OPERATOR'S SEAT TO SEE IF COOL AIR WAS COMMING THROUGH FAN. FAN COVER HAD FALLEN OFF. RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER/1ST JOINT LACERATED, FINGER NAIL REMOVED AND CUT INTO BONE.
January 18, 1995KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
WHILE REGRADING SLOPE RECLANATION DOZER BECAME LODGED ON ROCKS AND TREES. ATTEMPTING TO DISLODGE DOZER TURNED OVER AND ROLLED DOWN SLOPE LACERATION TO HEAD 2ND HANDS. BROKEN RIGHT WRIST AND LI TTLE FINGER.
1993 · 1 incident
October 13, 1993KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
SERVICING DOZER USED PRY BAR TO REMOVE COVER FOR FILTER PRY BAR SLIPPED LEFT HAND HIT DOZER J HOOK CAUGHT MIDDLE FINGER KNUCKLE ON LEFT HAND EMBEDDED J HOOK
January 15, 1992KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON