Coalgood Darby 1 has $36K in proposed MSHA penalties and $27K outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
2023–2026
Latest incident
Jul 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2023
155
citations
34
significant & substantial
$36,473
proposed penalties
$9,776
paid to date
27% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $26,697 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.
155 citations across 2,122 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Coalgood Darby 1 has $36K in proposed MSHA penalties and $27K outstanding across 5 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.
$36K
proposed penalties
$36K
current assessed
$10K
paid to date
$27K
outstanding
143 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $13K in penalties contested before the Commission, $13K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-13.
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.
15citations taken to the federal commission · 10% of citations on record
Settled
10 · 67%
Stood as issued
4 · 27%
Still open
1 · 7%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$13K proposed, $13K 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 2025-12-16.
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 Coalgood Darby 1 shows 100% of 279 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: 2026-03-20
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
279
samples
1.42
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.
71 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 208 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.
Coalgood Darby 1 recorded 3.53 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024.
Injury rate, 2024
ⓘ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.
3.53
total case rate
3.53
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.16 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.17 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.
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)
2026
15
7,386
2025
23
9,545
2024
34
75,544
2023
21
10,928
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Coalgood Darby 1 sits in Harlan County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.3% 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.
Harlan County, Kentucky · Population 26,185
4.3%
Mining share of county employment
$37,198
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
We had a non-injury roof fall occurring on the Right Fork Mains, in the 3 Entry, at xcut 22. The fall occurred in the Secondary Escapeway. There were no employees underground at the time. It measured approx. 30'long X 65'wide X 4-5'thick. The area was dangered off, both agencies contacted. An action plan was submitted and approved. EE discovered the fall conducting weekly exam.
Had a highwall failure on the surface area, between #3 & #4 drift mouth entries. The incident occurred from repeated freezing/thawing of the high wall. The rock measured approx. 30' tall X approx. 2' to 20' wide at its widest point X inches to 8' thick at its deepest point. All employees were withdrawn safely. The incident was reported to the 24 Hr. Reporting Hotline.
Had a non-immediately reportable rock fall in an Outby area of the Mine. The fall occurred on the Left Fork Panel, in the intersection's only of the #3 and #4 Entries, in Break #11.
EE was working in an unsafe position while changing out a reducer on a Scoop. While come-a-longing the reducer up, the reducer slid over and hit the side of EE's right foot. ***-- This report was submitted earlier under the wrong Mine ID, 1519945. This is the correct Mine ID and report. Thanks.
Had a non-immediately reportable rock fall in a panel. The fall happened on the Left Fork Panel, in crosscut #12, in #5 entry. Employees thought they heard something. Examiner went and checked and found fall. It was immediately dangered off, timbers set, till such time cribs could be built.
Portion of the highwall above the #3 Portal fell. The rock landed on the canopy and the Stacker Belt Tail Piece. All employees were withdrawn from the mine. The area was dangered off until the proper agencies and company management was notified. No persons or equipment was injured or included in the fall.