Coal Mountain Loadout has $45K in proposed MSHA penalties and $9K outstanding across 7 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
17
Years on record
2006–2026
Latest incident
Mar 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
254
citations
63
significant & substantial
$44,704
proposed penalties
$34,946
paid to date
78% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $9,758 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.
254 citations across 2,169 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: 2017-01-09.
On record since 2017.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Coal Mountain Loadout has $45K in proposed MSHA penalties and $9K outstanding across 7 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.
$45K
proposed penalties
$44K
current assessed
$35K
paid to date
$9K
outstanding
227 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $7K in penalties contested before the Commission, $7K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-30.
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.
35citations taken to the federal commission · 14% of citations on record
Settled
34 · 97%
Stood as issued
1 · 3%
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 14 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
9%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$7K proposed, $7K 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 2018-11-14.
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 Coal Mountain Loadout shows 100% of 176 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: 2026-08-04
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
176
samples
1.39
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.
140 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 36 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.
Coal Mountain Loadout recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ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 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.89 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
2025 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
7.88
7.88
0.000
2012 *
22.86
15.24
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
Year
Employees
2026
21
2025
22
2024
28
2023
29
2022
21
2021
11
2020
12
2019
0
2018
0
2017
0
2016
8
2014
6
2013
9
2012
11
2011
10
2010
7
2009
9
2008
11
2007
10
2006
5
2005
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Coal Mountain Loadout sits in Wyoming County, West 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.
Wyoming County, West Virginia · Population 20,948
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$48,038
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
On 3-25-26 the employee was helping remove a bell housing. The employee was standing on a cheater bar attempting to free when EE slipped. The employee reached up to grab a channel to prevent EE from falling and felt a sharp pain in EE's left shoulder. The employee continued to work when the pain didn't subside, EE sought medical attention on 4-16-26.
2018 · 2 incidents
November 7, 2018WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was climbing ladder that leads to mix tank platform. Foot slipped and employee tried to keep from falling by grabbing fencing - Hand was cut on fencing.
Employee was exiting plant and walking to control room when fencing broke loose from corner of feed belt and material fell striking employee on nose and above eye. Employee was wearing all required PPE.
2013 · 1 incident
July 10, 2013WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee stated: I was upset after a co-worker was injured. I let out my frustration by striking the outside wall of the office trailer. This is a self inflicted injury and will not be a lost time.
EE states while using an End Loader and chain to set grizzly (sizer) in place over Coal Feeder injured unhooked the chain motioned the End Loader operator to back up, when the loader operator engaged in reverse the E.L. rolled forward pinning EE's left foot between the bucket and the Grizzly.
May 6, 2012WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE stated, while attempting to take a measurement to replace a section of pipe, injured placed his hand on the pipe causing the pipe to fall striking the EE in the back and rt ankle. (This will be a lost time)
2011 · 2 incidents
June 7, 2011WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE stated, I pulled a muscle in lower back, picking up 55 gal. drum. Emptying into a Bob-Cat bucket. Used hands to almost empty barrel. Some scrap metal left in barrel , lifted barrel and heard popping noise in lower back.
2010 · 1 incident
December 8, 2010WV · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE states he stepped off a skid steer onto uneven ground, twisting his right ankle and causing muscle strain. EE was placed on modified duty 12/9/10 and released to full duty on 12/16/10. There is no lost time associated with this injury.
2009 · 1 incident
February 13, 2009WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON