Mining Incidents

Cardinal Mine: 52 MSHA citations Coal

Spurgeon IN, Pike County, IN  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1202446

Cardinal Mine has $20K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2012–2014
Latest incident
Jul 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2012
52
citations
18
significant & substantial
$19,899
proposed penalties
$19,899
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2011
24
inspections on record
728
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: 728 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Cardinal Mine has $20K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.
$20K
proposed penalties
$20K
current assessed
$20K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
52 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2018-03-07.
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.
34.6%
significant & substantial
1.9%
high negligence or reckless
34.6%
reasonably likely or greater
11.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 3.8% low, 94.2% moderate, 1.9% high, 0.0% reckless.
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.
1 citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
  • Settled 1 · 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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $2K 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 2012-06-25.
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.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
LAKE 2012-711 Settlement Lewis 2014 $2K → $2K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Cardinal Mine shows 100% of 105 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: 2019-02-19, 7 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
105
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.
69 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 36 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR41
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR27
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE13

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2017-03-16, 9 years ago
8.7
silica avg (%)
6
samples
10.4
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR4
  • HIGHWALL DRILL 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: 2018-11-20, 7 years ago
3%
over PEL
32
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE7
  • STRIPPING SHOVEL OPERATOR5
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
2019 100% 1
2018 100% 10
2017 100% 15
2016 100% 18
2015 100% 28
2014 100% 11
2013 100% 12
2012 100% 10
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2017 8.5 1
2016 8.7 1
2015 8.7 4
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2018 0% 5
2016 0% 7
2015 17% 6
2014 0% 4
2013 0% 5
2012 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Cardinal Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2017.

Injury rate, 2017
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 3.79 and the all-US-mining average was 2.48 cases per 100 workers.
In Indiana, coal mining averaged 3.07 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
2017 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2016 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2015 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2014 * 4.02 2.01 0.000
2013 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2012 * 3.09 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. United Minerals Company LLC 2011 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)
2019 1
2018 3
2017 8 221,296
2016 7 186,539
2015 35 601,832
2014 34 859,869
2013 30 888,785
2012 23 510,800
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Cardinal Mine sits in Pike County, Indiana, where the Census mining category is 2.5% 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.
Pike County, Indiana · Population 12,187
2.5%
Mining share of county employment
$66,250
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
2019 Q3 0 0 0
2019 Q2 0 0 0
2019 Q1 980 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 3,525 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 1,691 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 190 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 86 1 0 11627.9
2017 Q4 1,542 0 0 0.0
Show 23 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2017 Q3 7,579 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 9,473 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 11,947 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 7,961 2 1 251.2
2016 Q3 10,931 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 2,596 1 0 385.2
2016 Q1 5,669 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 16,865 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 28,384 5 2 176.2
2015 Q2 20,485 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 20,368 6 1 294.6
2014 Q4 27,309 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 24,034 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 26,776 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 21,297 10 1 469.5
2013 Q4 23,239 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 25,451 9 2 353.6
2013 Q2 21,843 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 16,786 2 1 119.1
2012 Q4 19,173 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 16,597 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 17,460 6 3 343.6
2012 Q1 11,576 6 3 518.3
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2014 · 2 incidents

July 25, 2014 IN · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman POWERED HAULAGE
United Minerals Company LLC · Struck against a moving object

The miner was traveling on a downhill slope and lost control of tractor and collided into berm at the bottom of the slope resulting in his head striking the air conditioner vent inside the cab.

February 28, 2014 IN · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
United Minerals Company LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

While installing equalizer bar pin in dozer with a hydraulic porta-power the victim hit pin with sledge hammer dislodging porta-power which struck victim in face.

2012 · 1 incident

September 20, 2012 IN · Coal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey HANDLING OF MATERIALS
United Minerals Company LLC · Struck by falling object

Preparing to unload drill steels from truck when peg came out causing one side of drill steel to fall off truck onto steel toe of boot and roll back onto foot causing broken tip of big toe and laceration on bottom of foot due to pressure of steel on foot.