Mining Incidents

Commonwealth No. 2: 84 MSHA citations Coal

Beechwood Coal, LLC · Surface
Lonaconing, Allegany County, MD  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1800730

Commonwealth No. 2 has $12K in proposed MSHA penalties and $176 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2001
Latest incident
Aug 2001
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
84
citations
40
significant & substantial
$11,751
proposed penalties
$11,575
paid to date
99% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $176 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
53
inspections on record
699
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: 699 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Commonwealth No. 2 has $12K in proposed MSHA penalties and $176 outstanding across 0 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.
$12K
proposed penalties
$12K
current assessed
$12K
paid to date
$176
outstanding
83 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2015-07-14.
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.
48.2%
significant & substantial
10.8%
high negligence or reckless
48.2%
reasonably likely or greater
7.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 26.5% low, 62.7% moderate, 10.8% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Commonwealth No. 2 shows 100% of 89 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: 2015-07-13, 11 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
89
samples
1.21
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.
76 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 13 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER34
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE26
  • MECHANIC8

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2014-12-09, 11 years ago
14.2
silica avg (%)
6
samples
51.2
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER3
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR1

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: 2015-07-13, 11 years ago
9%
over PEL
35
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER17
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE6
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR3
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
2015 100% 2
2014 100% 2
2010 100% 6
2009 100% 3
2008 100% 3
2007 100% 4
2006 100% 4
2005 100% 8
2004 100% 7
2003 100% 12
2002 100% 14
2001 100% 13
2000 100% 11
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2014 5.5 2
2010 9.9 1
2003 29.4 2
2001 5.7 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2015 0% 2
2014 0% 2
2010 0% 5
2008 0% 2
2007 0% 7
2005 0% 6
2004 33% 3
2001 0% 4
2000 50% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Jenkins Development Company 1994 to 2014
  2. Beechwood Coal, LLC 2014 to present
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 0
2015 2 15,620
2012 0
2011 0
2010 0
2009 0
2008 0
2007 0
2006 0
2005 0
2004 0
2003 0
2002 0
2001 0
2000 9 32,229
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Commonwealth No. 2 sits in Allegany County, Maryland, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
Allegany County, Maryland · Population 67,762
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$57,393
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 0 0 0
2016 Q1 0 0 0
2015 Q4 268 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 1,882 2 1 1062.7
Show 44 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2015 Q2 1,174 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 1,134 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 0 0 0
2012 Q1 0 3 2
2011 Q4 0 0 0
2011 Q3 0 0 0
2011 Q2 0 0 0
2011 Q1 0 0 0
2010 Q4 0 13 7
2010 Q3 0 0 0
2010 Q2 0 11 6
2010 Q1 0 0 0
2009 Q4 0 0 0
2009 Q3 0 4 2
2009 Q2 0 0 0
2009 Q1 0 5 3
2008 Q4 0 0 0
2008 Q3 0 2 2
2008 Q2 0 5 3
2008 Q1 0 0 0
2007 Q4 0 3 1
2007 Q3 0 0 0
2007 Q2 0 0 0
2006 Q4 0 0 0
2006 Q3 0 0 0
2006 Q2 0 2 0
2006 Q1 0 0 0
2005 Q4 0 5 0
2005 Q2 0 0 0
2005 Q1 0 0 0
2004 Q4 0 1 0
2004 Q3 0 1 1
2004 Q2 0 0 0
2004 Q1 0 0 0
2003 Q4 0 1 1
2003 Q3 0 0 0
2003 Q2 0 0 0
2002 Q4 0 3 2
2002 Q3 0 1 0
2001 Q4 0 0 0
2000 Q4 4,671 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 4,685 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 4,492 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 3,738 1 0 267.5
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2001 · 1 incident

August 14, 2001 MD · Coal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Jenkins Development Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

PROJECTED SMALL PIECE OF PIPE--EE WAS ATTEMPTING TO UNLATCH A SNAP BOOMER. HE MISTAKENLY USED A SMALL PIECE OF PIPE FOR LEVERAGE. CONSEQUENTLY WHEN BOOMER RELEASED PIPE WAS PROJECTED TOWARD EE , STRIKING HIM IN EAR AREA, CAUSING LACERATION.