Mining Incidents

Carico Ridge Strip: 124 MSHA citations Coal

Nora, Dickenson County, VA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4407019

Carico Ridge Strip has $27K in proposed MSHA penalties and $12K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
9
Years on record
2002–2005
Latest incident
Jan 2005
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
124
citations
60
significant & substantial
$26,648
proposed penalties
$14,961
paid to date
56% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $11,687 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
37
inspections on record
1,029
inspection hours
12.1
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.
124 citations across 1,029 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Carico Ridge Strip has $27K in proposed MSHA penalties and $12K 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.
$27K
proposed penalties
$27K
current assessed
$15K
paid to date
$12K
outstanding
122 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-01-20.
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.
49.2%
significant & substantial
4.1%
high negligence or reckless
49.2%
reasonably likely or greater
46.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 3.3% low, 92.6% moderate, 4.1% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Carico Ridge Strip shows 100% of 101 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: 2026-06-25
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
101
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.
67 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 34 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR30
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR17
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER15

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2023-12-22
6.6
silica avg (%)
5
samples
10.4
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR4
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR1

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: 2025-07-09
3%
over PEL
38
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER9
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR7
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE6
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
2026 100% 5
2025 100% 8
2024 100% 8
2023 100% 22
2022 100% 10
2021 100% 12
2005 100% 4
2004 100% 10
2003 100% 8
2002 100% 10
2001 100% 4
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2023 8.4 2
2022 4.0 1
2021 1.8 1
2004 10.4 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2025 0% 3
2023 0% 9
2022 0% 2
2021 0% 8
2004 0% 5
2003 0% 3
2002 0% 4
2001 25% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Carico Ridge Strip recorded 6.97 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2005.

Injury rate, 2005
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.
6.97
total case rate
6.97
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 5.11 and the all-US-mining average was 4.21 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.71 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
2005 * 6.97 6.97 0.000
2004 * 9.90 9.90 0.000
2003 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. Highwall Energy Company 2001 to 2003
  2. Hokie Mining Company 2003 to 2008
  3. Mountain Excavating Company LLC 2008 to 2011
  4. The Banner Company 2011 to 2020
  5. Big D Enterprises, Inc. 2020 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)
2026 3 689
2025 4 8,435
2024 5 9,410
2023 4 9,060
2022 4 11,319
2021 4 10,642
2006 6
2005 11 16,326
2004 27 73,530
2003 18 47,890
2002 10 39,956
2001 6 45,604
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Carico Ridge Strip sits in Dickenson County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 9.8% 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.
Dickenson County, Virginia · Population 13,920
9.8%
Mining share of county employment
$43,831
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
2026 Q2 960 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 336 1 0 2976.2
2025 Q4 2,350 17 11 7234.0
2025 Q3 2,600 4 1 1538.5
2025 Q2 1,440 1 0 694.4
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 2,005 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 1,930 6 3 3108.8
Show 34 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 1,832 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 1,920 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 2,520 2 1 793.7
2023 Q3 1,124 2 0 1779.4
2023 Q2 708 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 1,434 5 3 3486.8
2022 Q4 1,108 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 1,444 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 1,982 6 0 3027.2
2022 Q1 1,957 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 2,477 1 1 403.7
2021 Q3 880 3 0 3409.1
2021 Q2 551 3 0 5444.6
2006 Q1 2,389 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 4,656 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 5,762 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 9,917 3 2 302.5
2005 Q1 8,363 9 7 1076.2
2004 Q4 14,199 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 16,737 19 11 1135.2
2004 Q2 13,256 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 16,389 18 11 1098.3
2003 Q4 12,328 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 12,670 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 7,766 6 2 772.6
2003 Q1 9,375 4 3 426.7
2002 Q4 1,798 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 7,812 3 1 384.0
2002 Q2 4,833 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 4,987 2 1 401.0
2001 Q4 4,174 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 3,301 1 0 302.9
2001 Q2 2,538 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 1,326 2 0 1508.3
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

9 on file

2005 · 1 incident

January 15, 2005 VA · Coal greaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oiler SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Hokie Mining Company · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was standing on a trailer (approximatelt 18 inches high) that a 6 inch water pump was mounted on. He went to exit the trailer and his right foot got caught on a metal bracket.

2004 · 4 incidents

October 4, 2004 VA · Coal assayer, geologist, metallurgist, engineer, engineer management SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Hokie Mining Company · Fall from machine

Employee was stepping off of a launch pad to the ground when he stepped on a sump cylinder and slipped and fell approximately 5 feet to the ground and in doing so he straddled a 4x8 inch piece of tubeing.

July 21, 2004 VA · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Hokie Mining Company · Over-exertion in lifting objects

Employee and co-worker carried a bottle of oxygen approximately 25 feet and loaded it into a service truck, a lift of approximately 3 feet. During the lift he felt a burning in the lower right side of his back.

March 6, 2004 VA · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Hokie Mining Company · Fall from ladders

EE CLIMBED ON TO HIS LOADER & CHECKED THE ANTI FREEZE BEFORE THE START OF HIS SHIFT. AS HE WAS COMING OFF THEL LOADER HIS FOOT SLIPPED ON THE STEP AND HE FELL APPROX. 3 FT TO THE GROUND

March 1, 2004 VA · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Hokie Mining Company · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS STANDING ON A SET OF FORKS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO INSTALL ON A FORK LIFT WHEN THE FORKS TILTED AND THREW HIM OFF.

2002 · 4 incidents

September 12, 2002 VA · Coal welder (shop) MACHINERY
Highwall Energy Company · Flash burns (welding)

TWO EMPLOYEES WERE WELDING AT THE SAME TIME ON METAL BOXES. SOMETIME DURING THIS PERIOD ONE EMPLOYEE BURNT HIS EYES.

June 11, 2002 VA · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Highwall Energy Company · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS INSTALLING A GENERATOR ONTOP THE HIGHWALL MINER. THE GENERATOR WAS HUNG FROM A TRUCK HOIST. AS IT WAS BEING LOWERED THE GENERATOR STARTED SPINNING. WHEN THE EE WAS TRYING TO STOP THE RO TATION HE STEPPED INTO THE HOLE WHERE THE GENERATOR WAS TO SET.

May 7, 2002 VA · Coal driller, highwall operator, highwall drill operator MACHINERY
Highwall Energy Company · Contact with hot objects or substances

EE WAS CUTTING ON A PIECE OF METAL WITH A SET OFTORCHES AND THE METAL POPPED AND A PIECE WENT UNDER HIS SAFETY GLASSES AND INTO HIS LT. EYE.

February 23, 2002 VA · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Highwall Energy Company · Fall from machine

EMPLOYEE WAS EXITING A LOADER AND AS HE WAS COMING DOWN THE LADDER HE MISSED A STEP AND TWISTED HIS BACK.