Cedar Branch No 1 has $220K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
13
Years on record
2005–2014
Latest incident
Oct 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2004
221
citations
92
significant & substantial
$219,977
proposed penalties
$120,832
paid to date
55% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $99,145 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.
221 citations across 1,441 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Cedar Branch No 1 has $220K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 3 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.
$220K
proposed penalties
$124K
current assessed
$121K
paid to date
$3K
outstanding
218 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $113K in penalties contested before the Commission, $17K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2011-11-03.
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.
7citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
Settled
7 · 100%
86%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 7 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
85%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$113K proposed, $17K 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 2011-08-03.
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 Cedar Branch No 1 shows 99% of 114 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: 2011-05-31, 15 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
114
samples
1.80
dust max (mg/m3)
74 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 40 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.
Cedar Branch No 1 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2011.
Injury rate, 2011
ⓘ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 3.83 and the all-US-mining average was 3.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.41 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
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
9.64
9.64
0.000
2009 *
4.57
4.57
0.000
2008 *
2.06
0.00
0.000
2007 *
2.44
2.44
0.000
2006 *
4.76
4.76
0.000
2005 *
3.16
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)
2011
12
28,802
2010
16
73,738
2009
33
194,550
2008
33
256,115
2007
29
272,136
2006
29
265,646
2005
24
198,903
2004
4
3,484
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Cedar Branch No 1 sits in Buchanan County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 11.2% 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.
Buchanan County, Virginia · Population 19,857
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$42,216
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
2011 Q4
1,005
3
2
2985.1
2011 Q3
5,563
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
8,832
5
3
566.1
2011 Q1
13,666
11
6
804.9
2010 Q4
13,479
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
11,712
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
9,106
4
4
439.3
2010 Q1
7,204
0
0
0.0
Show 21 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2009 Q4
10,002
11
4
1099.8
2009 Q3
16,601
1
0
60.2
2009 Q2
30,084
30
11
997.2
2009 Q1
30,869
3
3
97.2
2008 Q4
26,464
14
3
529.0
2008 Q3
24,472
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
25,365
33
11
1301.0
2008 Q1
20,924
2
2
95.6
2007 Q4
22,102
20
10
904.9
2007 Q3
20,435
1
0
48.9
2007 Q2
18,014
10
4
555.1
2007 Q1
21,400
1
0
46.7
2006 Q4
21,852
5
1
228.8
2006 Q3
21,842
2
1
91.6
2006 Q2
20,955
12
7
572.7
2006 Q1
19,458
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
18,108
12
6
662.7
2005 Q3
20,255
10
3
493.7
2005 Q2
18,079
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
6,923
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
2,870
2
1
696.9
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
13 on file
2014 · 1 incident
October 8, 2014VA · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerDUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Employee of Ball Service Inc. was working a come-a-long for a guide wire that had been tore out by an excavator. When EE pushed down on the com-a-long, the catch never caught on the com-a-long and flew back and hit him in the right jaw. EE had to have 3 stitches inside of his jaw and 5 stitches on the outside.
While dumping R-85 Eculid rock truck, main hydraulic hose burst, oil caught fire on hot exhaust. Flames were around cab. Operator did not set brake or stop engine. He exited cab started down ladder, jumped from third step, injured right leg.
2009 · 3 incidents
July 30, 2009VA · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Injured was operating a back dump, loader operator was dumping his bucket which had a big rock, when the rock went in the bed, he said that it stood up then fell over, jarring his back.
February 17, 2009VA · Coalgreaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oilerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pulling grease hose off reel through door at rear of service truck, handle got caught on door, depressed lever and grease was injected into left hand between middle and ring finger.
2008 · 2 incidents
December 9, 2008VA · Coalquality control technician, laboratory technician, laboratory assistantHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was helping the mechanic put the track back on the D-10N. He had a slate bar, trying to pry the clamp when the slate bar slipped out of the hole, mashing his finger against the track.