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Caymus Mine: 263 MSHA citations Coal

Award Development, LLC · Underground
Controlled by Ashley N Ward
Orgas, Boone County, WV  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4605315

Caymus Mine has $461K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 15 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
23
Years on record
1983–2014
Latest incident
Jan 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2011
263
citations
92
significant & substantial
$461,437
proposed penalties
$339,784
paid to date
74% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $121,653 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Award Development, LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2009
57
inspections on record
4,261
inspection hours
6.2
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.
263 citations across 4,261 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: 2012-04-12.
On record since 2012.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Caymus Mine has $461K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 15 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.
$461K
proposed penalties
$343K
current assessed
$340K
paid to date
$3K
outstanding
242 assessments are final orders; 15 contested dockets.
Of $367K in penalties contested before the Commission, $249K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2018-11-26.
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.
36.5%
significant & substantial
13.1%
high negligence or reckless
36.5%
reasonably likely or greater
57.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.7% low, 76.2% moderate, 11.1% high, 2.0% 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.
52 citations taken to the federal commission · 20% of citations on record
  • Settled 52 · 100%
83%
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 40 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
32%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$367K proposed, $249K 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 2014-10-02.
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
WEVA 2012-1598 Settlement Feldman 2015 $110K → $77K
WEVA 2015-0010 Settlement Simonton 2015 $71K → $44K
WEVA 2014-0764 Settlement Simonton 2015 $51K → $36K
WEVA 2014-355 Settlement Simonton 2015 $41K → $28K
WEVA 2014-1146 Settlement Simonton 2015 $32K → $28K
WEVA 2013-486 Settlement Feldman 2014 $16K → $3K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Caymus Mine shows 95% of 173 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: 2014-05-03, 12 years ago
95%
within 1.5 mg/m3
173
samples
2.71
dust max (mg/m3)
72 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 101 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR102
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)16
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)12

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2014-03-06, 12 years ago
3.3
silica avg (%)
5
samples
6.5
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR3
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2014-01-27, 12 years ago
0%
over PEL
38
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)9
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR6
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)6
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
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
2014 89% 38
2013 96% 112
2012 100% 23
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2014 1.0 2
2013 4.7 1
2012 4.9 2
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2014 0% 15
2013 0% 12
2012 0% 11
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Caymus Mine recorded 2.87 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2014.

Injury rate, 2014
ⓘ 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.
2.87
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 2.93 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.02 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
2014 * 2.87 0.00 0.000
2013 2.50 2.50 0.000
2012 * 3.10 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. Cedar Coal Company 1976 to 1984
  2. Nu East Mining Corp 1984 to 2009
  3. RWMV,LLC 2009 to 2009
  4. Hanover Resources, LLC 2009 to 2014
  5. Thoroughbred Highwall Mining, LLC 2014 to 2016
  6. Award Development, LLC 2016 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)
2016 1
2015 2
2014 29 93,359
2013 69 398,400
2012 33 150,377
2011 7
2010 2
2009 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Caymus Mine sits in Boone County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 10.1% 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.
Boone County, West Virginia · Population 21,312
10.1%
Mining share of county employment
$56,152
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
2016 Q4 1,040 1 0 961.5
2016 Q3 1,000 1 0 1000.0
2016 Q1 0 2 2
2015 Q4 520 1 1 1923.1
2015 Q3 520 2 0 3846.2
2015 Q2 1,560 1 0 641.0
2015 Q1 1,560 2 0 1282.1
2014 Q4 1,560 1 0 641.0
Show 21 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2014 Q3 2,270 2 0 881.1
2014 Q2 19,931 19 8 953.3
2014 Q1 46,023 32 11 695.3
2013 Q4 41,457 40 11 964.9
2013 Q3 44,341 19 12 428.5
2013 Q2 41,335 19 1 459.7
2013 Q1 33,190 20 7 602.6
2012 Q4 19,304 16 4 828.8
2012 Q3 28,213 16 3 567.1
2012 Q2 9,403 18 8 1914.3
2012 Q1 7,506 14 6 1865.2
2011 Q4 5,081 30 16 5904.3
2011 Q3 7,022 4 1 569.6
2011 Q2 2,381 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 2,613 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,808 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 2,016 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 1,650 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 0 0 0
2009 Q4 0 0 0
2009 Q3 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

23 on file

2014 · 1 incident

2013 · 2 incidents

August 16, 2013 WV · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
Hanover Resources, LLC · Struck by falling object

Employee was retrieving nails from roof bolter when a piece of rib material, 6'L x 3'W x 12" thick, fell, striking him from behind, injuring his left knee.

May 30, 2013 WV · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator POWERED HAULAGE
Hanover Resources, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was moving section when the scoop tire got on his Left foot.

2012 · 1 incident

January 9, 2012 WV · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Hanover Resources, LLC · Struck by falling object

Employee was operating scoop when a rock fell from the roof and struck him in the head.

2011 · 2 incidents

November 28, 2011 WV · Coal electrician, lineman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Hanover Resources, LLC · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

Employee was trying to loosen fitting on water block when he pulled a muscle in his left arm.

August 27, 2011 WV · Coal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Hanover Resources, LLC · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

Employee was pulling and pushing on 3" solid water line when he felt a pain in his right calf muscle.

1984 · 6 incidents

May 17, 1984 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Cedar Coal Company · Struck by falling object

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS BOLTING, THE CANOPY OF THE OVER SIDE OF THE ROOF BOLTER BROKE AND HIT HIM ON THE HEAD, CAUSING INJURY.

February 21, 1984 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Cedar Coal Company · Over-exertion in lifting objects

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE WAS LIFTING ROOF BOLTS OUT OF THE UN-A-TRAC AND PUTTING THEM ON THE ROOF BOLTED WHEN HE PULLED SOMETHING IN HIS LOWER ABDOMEN-GROIN AREA, CAUSING INJURY.

February 14, 1984 WV · Coal electrician, lineman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Cedar Coal Company · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE WAS AT #3 ENTRY PULLING ON ROOF BOLTER CABLE WHEN HE STRAINED HIS GROIN, CAUSING INJURY.

February 6, 1984 WV · Coal electrician, lineman MACHINERY
Cedar Coal Company · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMP STATED HE WAS WELDING ON A PIPE THAT WAS LEANING AGAINST A SPOOL OF CABLE IN THE SHOP THE PIPE SLID DOWN AND CAUGHT HIS FINGER BETWEEN THE PIPE AND A HAMMER LYING ON THE FLOOR CAUSING INJ

January 29, 1984 WV · Coal examiner, fire boss, pre-shift examiner, mine examiner SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Cedar Coal Company · Fall to the walkway or working surface

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE WAS WALKING BELT ENTRY DURING HIS FIRE BOSS RUN WHEN HE SLIPPED IN SOME MUD AT 88 STOPPING AND FELL INJURING HIS HAND AND WRIST

January 3, 1984 WV · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator MACHINERY
Cedar Coal Company · Struck by powered moving object

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE WAS STANDING BEHIND BOLTER WHATCHING CABLE AND GETTING READY TO MOVE BOLTER. BOLTER OPERATOR MOVED THE BOLTER BEFORE HE KNEW IT AND RAN UPON HIS FOOT WITH THE BUMPER OF THE MACHINE, CAUSING INJURY.

1983 · 11 incidents

October 21, 1983 WV · Coal trackman, track worker, track gang STRIKING OR BUMPING
Cedar Coal Company · Struck against stationary object

WALKING ON BELT LINE AND RAN INTO HANGING BOLT,CAUSING INJURY.

October 14, 1983 WV · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator MACHINERY
Cedar Coal Company · Struck by falling object

OPERATING C.M. AND CANOPY DROPPED DOWN CAUSING INJURY TO HIS BACK.

October 4, 1983 WV · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Cedar Coal Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE STGATED THAT HE WAS OPENING ROCKDUST BAG WITH HIS KNIFE AND LACERATED THE TOP OF HIS RT INDEX FINGVER

September 9, 1983 WV · Coal electrician, lineman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Cedar Coal Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE WAS CUTTING WATER LINE IN TWO WITH AN AX AND HAMMER WHEN HE STRUCK THE BLADE OF THE AX AND A PIECE OF STEEL STRUCK HIM IN THE LEFT HAND, CAUSING INJURY.

September 2, 1983 WV · Coal electrician, lineman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Cedar Coal Company · Contact with hot objects or substances

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE WAS REPAIRING BATTERY PLUG WHEN A PIECE OF HOT METAL WENT INTO HIS BOOT, CAUSING INJURY.

May 31, 1983 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) POWERED HAULAGE
Cedar Coal Company · Struck against stationary object

EE STATED THAT THE ROOF BOLTER WAS SITTING AT THE BACK UP FLYS IN #7 ENTRY & THE STANDARD S/C CAME THRU FLYS & HIT BACK OF BOLTER. HE WAS AT BACK OF BOLTER & HE JUMPED UPON TOP OF ROOF BOLTE R & HIT THE TOP OF H IS FOOT.

February 14, 1983 WV · Coal supply man, supply worker, nipper POWERED HAULAGE
Cedar Coal Company · Struck against stationary object

EMPLOYEE STATES HE WAS OPERATING MANTRIP AND CABLE WAS HANGING LOW ON THE MAIN TRACK LINE CABLE CAUGHT HIS HEAD JERKED HIM DOWN INTO THE MANTRIP AND INTO THE ROOF CAUSING INJURY

February 2, 1983 WV · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator POWERED HAULAGE
Cedar Coal Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE HIT A BUMP IN THE ROADWAY, THE BOOM ON THE SHUTTLE CAR HIT THE TOP, AND HIS FINGER GOT PINCHED ON THE TOP CANOPY.

January 6, 1983 WV · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Cedar Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE WAS CROSSING THE CATWALK WHICH IS NARROW AND GRABBED A POST TO GET DOWN HIS RIGHT FOOT CAUGHT ON SOMETHING AND WHEN IT CAME LOOSE IT THREW HIM MAKING HIM TWIST HIS RIGHT KNEE AND LANDING ON HIS RIGHT LEG

January 5, 1983 WV · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider POWERED HAULAGE
Cedar Coal Company · Struck by powered moving object

HELPING HANG CURTAIN.EMPL THOUGHT SHUTTLE CAR WAS GOING TO GO DOWN 3 ENTRY BUT IT MADE A LEFT TURN AND LOAD END OF SHUTTLE CAR STRUCK EMPL ON LEFT SIDE LOWER BACK AND LEG. EMPL ON LEFT SIDE OF LOWER BACK AND LEG.

January 5, 1983 WV · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss POWERED HAULAGE
Cedar Coal Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

HELPING HANG CURTAIN AT 2ND X-CUT OUTBY FACE OF 3 ENTRY.OFF STANDARD SHUTTLE CAR WAS TRAVELING 3 ENTRY.EMPL THOUGHT SHUTTLE CAR WAS GOING TO GO DOWN 3 BUT INSTEAD,SHUTTLE CAR MADE LEFT TURN AN D LOAD END OF SHUTTLE CAR PINNED EMPL AGAINST RIB.