Caretta #3 Mine has $107K in proposed MSHA penalties and $18K outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
8
Years on record
2011–2026
Latest incident
Mar 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2010
498
citations
88
significant & substantial
$106,691
proposed penalties
$85,540
paid to date
80% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $21,151 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.
498 citations across 5,871 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Caretta #3 Mine has $107K in proposed MSHA penalties and $18K outstanding across 4 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.
$107K
proposed penalties
$104K
current assessed
$86K
paid to date
$18K
outstanding
481 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $8K in penalties contested before the Commission, $5K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-07-22.
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.
16citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
Settled
15 · 94%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 6%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 4 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
37%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$8K proposed, $5K 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 2026-04-22.
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 Caretta #3 Mine shows 98% of 1,383 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: 2026-07-09
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
1,383
samples
5.28
dust max (mg/m3)
2
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.
369 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 1,014 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.
Caretta #3 Mine recorded 9.35 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024.
Injury rate, 2024
ⓘ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.
9.35
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.16 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.51 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
2024 *
9.35
0.00
0.000
2023 *
4.52
0.00
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020 *
9.03
9.03
0.000
2019 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
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)
2026
23
16,286
2025
20
21,897
2024
23
62,792
2023
23
75,365
2022
23
72,698
2021
23
92,436
2020
23
81,794
2019
21
94,940
2018
19
91,071
2017
15
66,483
2016
12
13,833
2014
13
43,357
2013
13
91,825
2012
12
84,730
2011
6
90,314
2010
1
8,269
2009
0
2008
0
2007
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Caretta #3 Mine 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
Assisting continuous miner operator cleaning rock and coal material from the top of the miner. A small piece of roof rock fell striking EE on shoulder. The injury sustained was bruising and a small tear in flesh. Mine roof was fully supported in this area. Rock size was about the size of a football.
2024 · 2 incidents
November 22, 2024WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorEXPLODING VESSELS UNDER PRESSURE
EE was in the process of assisting other workers build a concrete block stopping. While dumping buckets of plaster into the spray machine vat the spray hose ruptured knocking EE's mining hat & safety glasses off & plaster material entered EE's left eye impairing vision in eye. Eye has been flushed & vision is improving.
April 15, 2024WV · Coalbeltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor riderHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Stinger mantrip was located under the #2 beltline in a jack knife position with rock duster attached. EE was attempting to release duster hitch at which time the tongue came loose and struck EE on the right hand.
EE was in the process of repairing a water hose on the miner. The metal lid covering the area of access had been removed and laid aside. EE, while standing alongside the machine lost footing causing them to fall and while falling, they grasped for a hand hold to break their fall, pulled the metal lid down with them, thus striking their right hand against the falling lid.
2020 · 2 incidents
October 22, 2020WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Employee was in the process of positioning the roof bolting machine to install roof bolts in the first cut taken for the number four (4) to number five (5) crosscut when a small scale of roof rock dislodged from between installed roof bolts, striking Employee on top of head resulting in a neck injury.
May 12, 2020WV · Coalexaminer, fire boss, pre-shift examiner, mine examinerPOWERED HAULAGE
Employee stopped personnel carrier along the #3 belt line to mark a bad belt roller to be removed, got off the ride and during checking the roller the ride drifted backwards and struck the employee. It was found that the employee failed to set the park brake on the machine. Employee received fracture in the pelvic area and was sent home for recovery.
2017 · 1 incident
May 24, 2017WV · Coalutility man, errand boy, service truck operatorMACHINERY
RS Mining Inc · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances
EE was in the process of spraying plaster coating onto a stopping located outby spad 422 in the intake on 1st right panel section of the mine. The spray nozzle became clogged and EE attempted to dislodge material from tip at which time plaster material was released from the nozzle striking EE in the eyes.
2011 · 1 incident
March 14, 2011WV · Coalbull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift bossHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
During beltmove EE was installing hanger chain to belt rail. Chain hoist was attached a link in the chain broke causing the chain hoist to fall onto the EE's right hand resulting in a broken thumb.