Mining Incidents

Cheylan Dock: 58 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Douglas M Epling
Cheylan, Kanawha County, WV  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4606956

Cheylan Dock has $25K 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
5
Years on record
1989–2011
Latest incident
Jun 2011
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
58
citations
34
significant & substantial
$24,916
proposed penalties
$19,782
paid to date
79% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,134 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
56
inspections on record
828
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: 828 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Cheylan Dock has $25K 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.
$25K
proposed penalties
$20K
current assessed
$20K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
57 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $11K in penalties contested before the Commission, $6K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2013-06-27.
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.
59.6%
significant & substantial
1.8%
high negligence or reckless
59.6%
reasonably likely or greater
43.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 14.0% low, 84.2% moderate, 1.8% 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.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
  • Settled 2 · 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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
45%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$11K proposed, $6K 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 2012-02-21.
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 2012-734 Settlement Steele 2013 $11K → $6K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Cheylan Dock shows 100% of 70 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: 2013-12-03, 12 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
70
samples
0.46
dust max (mg/m3)
70 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER32
  • TIPPLE OPERATOR12
  • COAL SAMPLER7

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: 2013-12-03, 12 years ago
3%
over PEL
37
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER16
  • TIPPLE OPERATOR8
  • COAL SAMPLER3
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
2013 100% 9
2012 100% 2
2011 100% 7
2010 100% 2
2009 100% 4
2008 100% 8
2007 100% 6
2006 100% 4
2005 100% 4
2004 100% 4
2003 100% 4
2002 100% 4
2001 100% 8
2000 100% 4
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2013 0% 6
2011 20% 5
2009 0% 3
2008 0% 7
2005 0% 4
2003 0% 3
2001 0% 4
2000 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Cheylan Dock recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2007.

Injury rate, 2007
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
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 4.71 and the all-US-mining average was 3.77 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.00 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
2007 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2005 * 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. Nu East Mining Corp 1985 to 1987
  2. Mountain View Coal Company 1987 to 1996
  3. Little Creek Dock Company Inc 1996 to 1999
  4. Little Creek Dock Company Inc 1999 to 1999
  5. Mountain Edge Mining Inc 1999 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2015 0
2014 2
2013 4
2012 3
2011 2
2010 2
2009 4
2008 6
2007 11
2006 12
2005 12
2004 8
2003 6
2002 7
2001 7
2000 5
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Cheylan Dock sits in Kanawha County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 1.9% 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.
Kanawha County, West Virginia · Population 178,198
1.9%
Mining share of county employment
$58,887
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
2015 Q1 0 0 0
2014 Q4 0 0 0
2014 Q3 0 0 0
2014 Q2 674 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 1,327 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 1,296 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 1,974 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 1,589 1 0 629.3
Show 53 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2013 Q1 2,100 1 0 476.2
2012 Q4 1,731 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 1,708 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 1,854 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 1,895 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 1,492 1 1 670.2
2011 Q3 1,056 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 1,005 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 996 1 1 1004.0
2010 Q4 940 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 928 1 0 1077.6
2010 Q2 893 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 926 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 972 1 1 1028.8
2009 Q3 1,524 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 1,766 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 2,380 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 1,982 1 0 504.5
2008 Q3 1,699 1 0 588.6
2008 Q2 1,515 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 2,787 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 5,339 4 0 749.2
2007 Q3 5,343 8 4 1497.3
2007 Q2 4,758 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 5,299 1 0 188.7
2006 Q4 2,130 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 1,773 1 0 564.0
2006 Q2 7,314 11 10 1504.0
2006 Q1 2,809 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 6,968 2 1 287.0
2005 Q3 7,250 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 7,134 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 6,578 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 4,550 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 4,547 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 4,643 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 4,297 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 3,957 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 3,866 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 3,897 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 3,566 1 0 280.4
2002 Q4 3,412 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 3,755 2 2 532.6
2002 Q2 3,705 4 4 1079.6
2002 Q1 3,919 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 3,984 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 4,500 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 3,367 1 0 297.0
2001 Q1 3,508 3 2 855.2
2000 Q4 2,912 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 2,825 1 1 354.0
2000 Q2 2,861 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 3,559 3 2 842.9
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

5 on file

2011 · 1 incident

June 2, 2011 WV · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Mountain Edge Mining Inc · Fall from machine

Employee was walking on barge while it was being loaded for unknown reason. He claims his knee locked up causing him to fall into the water.

2001 · 1 incident

March 8, 2001 WV · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Mountain Edge Mining Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

SPRAINED ANKLE WHILE DISMOUNTING ENDLOADER.

1990 · 2 incidents

January 18, 1990 WV · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator DUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Mountain View Coal Company · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

UNKNOWN/ALLEGED LUNG IMPAIRMENT.

January 18, 1990 WV · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator DISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA)
Mountain View Coal Company · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

UNKNOWN/ALLEGED HEARING IMPAIRMENT.

1989 · 1 incident

March 28, 1989 WV · Coal barge/boat/dredge/towbarge/towboat/leach operator, riverman, deck hand DUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Mountain View Coal Company · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

UNKNOWN/ALLEGED LUNG IMPAIRMENT.