Camp Branch Mine has $165K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 24 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
12
Years on record
2006–2016
Latest incident
May 2016
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
182
citations
82
significant & substantial
$164,579
proposed penalties
$124,381
paid to date
76% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $40,198 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.
182 citations across 1,755 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2010-12-01.
On record since 2010.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Camp Branch Mine has $165K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 24 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.
$165K
proposed penalties
$130K
current assessed
$124K
paid to date
$5K
outstanding
181 assessments are final orders; 24 contested dockets.
Of $129K in penalties contested before the Commission, $94K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2016-06-09.
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.
85citations taken to the federal commission · 47% of citations on record
Settled
76 · 89%
Stood as issued
9 · 11%
66%
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 85 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
27%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$129K proposed, $94K 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 2014-01-06.
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 Camp Branch Mine shows 100% of 121 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: 2017-01-04, 9 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
121
samples
1.10
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.
71 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 50 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.
Camp Branch Mine 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 West Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.13 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2012
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010
3.80
2.53
0.000
2009
0.93
0.93
0.000
2008
0.84
0.00
0.000
2007
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006
6.21
0.00
0.000
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)
2018
0
2017
1
2016
10
57,561
2015
5
30,870
2014
0
2013
0
2012
48
305,033
2011
86
722,576
2010
66
464,215
2009
83
967,886
2008
71
1,169,120
2007
73
820,967
2006
69
749,162
2005
10
20,094
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Camp Branch Mine sits in Logan County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 6.6% 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.
Logan County, West Virginia · Population 31,826
6.6%
Mining share of county employment
$47,237
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
Member was taking the hook off the cable of an IMT Boom to put inside the cab on a Mack fuel truck to set a new transmission in place. When he pulled the pin out of the hook it fell, hitting his left little finger.
June 28, 2010WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Member had finished fueling a 773 CAT truck and was getting back into his fuel truck. He slipped, causing him to strike his right knee on the step. He continued to work and then went to the emergency room. X-Rays were conducted and he was released back to work. Due to increased pain and swelling he was removed from work by the doctor on 9/2/2010.
June 9, 2010WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Member was climbing a step ladder to gain access to the tilt cylinder jack when he lost his footing and fell landing on his right arm, fracturing his wrist.
Employee was attempting to mount an Ingersol DML drill by using the cab-side steps. While climbing the steps, his foot slipped causing him to fall to the ground landing on his feet. The impact caused pain in his lower back.
2008 · 1 incident
September 9, 2008WV · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE was walking down stairs to give his preshift to someone. His foot slipped and caught himself with his right hand on the step behind him, causing him to inujure his wrist.
2006 · 6 incidents
December 27, 2006WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Member was using a hammer and bolt to remove a pin from the roller frame of a D10R dozer. When the pin came out the roller frame dropped and pinched his left index finger between the roller frame and bolt.