Colley Fork Surface Mine has $32K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Colley Fork Surface Mine.
Fatalities
0
Total incidents
8
Years on record
2006–2010
Latest incident
Dec 2010
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
85
citations
47
significant & substantial
$32,072
proposed penalties
$31,829
paid to date
99% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $243 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.
85 citations across 1,130 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Colley Fork Surface Mine has $32K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$32K
proposed penalties
$32K
current assessed
$32K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
84 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $3K in penalties contested before the Commission, $3K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2015-10-15.
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.
5citations taken to the federal commission · 6% of citations on record
Settled
2 · 40%
Stood as issued
3 · 60%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 3 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
8%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$3K proposed, $3K 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 2011-01-28.
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 Colley Fork Surface Mine shows 100% of 87 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: 2015-10-23, 10 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
87
samples
1.15
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.
79 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 8 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.
Colley Fork Surface Mine 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 Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.28 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 *
6.44
4.29
0.000
2009 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2007
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006
8.93
8.93
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)
2017
0
2016
5
414
2015
0
2014
0
2013
0
2012
3
393
2011
32
144,534
2010
33
197,560
2009
27
119,399
2008
27
155,437
2007
40
294,258
2006
40
412,422
2005
13
19,129
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Colley Fork Surface Mine sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.
Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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
2017 Q2
0
0
0
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q3
0
0
0
2016 Q2
2,780
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
2,850
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
0
4
1
2015 Q3
0
0
0
Show 35 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2015 Q2
0
0
0
2015 Q1
0
0
0
2014 Q4
0
0
0
2013 Q3
0
0
0
2013 Q2
0
1
0
2013 Q1
0
0
0
2012 Q4
0
0
0
2012 Q3
8
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
105
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
6,004
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
20,745
3
1
144.6
2011 Q3
22,485
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
20,004
10
6
499.9
2011 Q1
20,641
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
30,821
3
2
97.3
2010 Q3
24,688
4
2
162.0
2010 Q2
18,024
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
19,668
1
0
50.8
2009 Q4
17,443
3
1
172.0
2009 Q3
18,527
1
1
54.0
2009 Q2
15,839
2
1
126.3
2009 Q1
20,807
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
17,061
1
1
58.6
2008 Q3
17,742
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
14,084
8
4
568.0
2008 Q1
17,840
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
16,115
3
1
186.2
2007 Q3
24,311
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
27,409
9
7
328.4
2007 Q1
36,215
3
2
82.8
2006 Q4
34,292
2
0
58.3
2006 Q3
35,694
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
16,407
7
5
426.6
2006 Q1
25,601
1
1
39.1
2005 Q4
8,514
10
5
1174.5
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
8 on file
2010 · 3 incidents
December 21, 2010KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
Employee was cleaning the loading area with front end loader when he ran into a low place in the pit floor that caused the machine to twist him in the seat causing pain in back.
November 10, 2010KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
EE was operating front end loader in coal pit when the seat bottomed out causing pain between his shoulders. EE did not tell foreman he had a work related accident until he was at the doctor's office on 11/19/10.
September 8, 2010KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Apex Energy Inc · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)
EE was installing tire chains on Caterpillar 992 Loader. Left hand was caught between links in chain, causing laceration to left hand.
Dozer opr. was standing near dozer while welder was welding on blade. He called me approx. 5:50 am the next morning to say welding glare had burned his eyes.
May 4, 2006KY · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON