Mining Incidents

Connor Coal Company Inc. Mine # 2: 568 MSHA citations Coal

Connor Coal Company Inc. · Underground
Controlled by Jeremy C Bryant
Turkey Creek, Pike County, KY  ·  Temporarily Idled
MSHA Mine ID: 1518316

Connor Coal Company Inc. Mine # 2 has $149K in proposed MSHA penalties and $126K outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
2004–2010
Latest incident
Sep 2010
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
568
citations
225
significant & substantial
$149,229
proposed penalties
$23,686
paid to date
16% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $125,543 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
98
inspections on record
3,247
inspection hours
17.5
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.
568 citations across 3,247 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Connor Coal Company Inc. Mine # 2 has $149K in proposed MSHA penalties and $126K outstanding across 6 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.
$149K
proposed penalties
$149K
current assessed
$24K
paid to date
$126K
outstanding
514 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $19K in penalties contested before the Commission, $11K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-02-05.
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.
43.7%
significant & substantial
6.2%
high negligence or reckless
43.7%
reasonably likely or greater
24.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.2% none, 9.1% low, 84.5% moderate, 6.0% high, 0.2% 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.
26 citations taken to the federal commission · 5% of citations on record
  • Stood as issued 15 · 58%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 11 · 42%
59%
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 22 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
40%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$19K proposed, $11K 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 2010-10-28.
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.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
KENT 2010-1166 Default Lesnick 2012 $6K → $6K
KENT 2011-157 Withdrawal McCarthy 2014 $4K → $0
KENT 2011-158 Withdrawal McCarthy 2014 $4K → $0
KENT 2009-980 Default Lesnick 2011 $3K → $3K
KENT 2009-978 Default Lesnick 2011 $2K → $2K
KENT 2010-1167 Default Lesnick 2012 $828 → $828
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Connor Coal Company Inc. Mine # 2 shows 89% of 180 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: 2010-10-26, 15 years ago
89%
within 1.5 mg/m3
180
samples
10.58
dust max (mg/m3)
91 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 89 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR79
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)15
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR7

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2010-05-18, 16 years ago
7.3
silica avg (%)
15
samples
9.2
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR9

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: 2010-08-18, 16 years ago
3%
over PEL
38
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR7
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)5
  • UTILITY MAN4
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
2010 89% 36
2009 72% 43
2008 97% 29
2007 100% 19
2005 90% 10
2004 100% 26
2001 88% 17
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2010 5.0 1
2009 7.3 4
2008 6.7 2
2007 8.0 1
2005 7.8 2
2004 7.2 3
2001 8.2 2
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2010 0% 7
2009 0% 7
2008 0% 8
2007 0% 7
2005 0% 5
2004 25% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Saul Enterprises Inc 2001 to 2004
  2. Taylor Mining, LTD 2004 to 2005
  3. James H. Taylor Mining, Inc. 2005 to 2006
  4. Braxton Coal Inc 2006 to 2007
  5. General Mining LLC 2007 to 2008
  6. White Star Mining 2008 to 2014
  7. KRD Coal Inc 2014 to 2015
  8. Connor Coal Company Inc. 2015 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)
2010 10 33,760
2009 6 26,643
2008 6
2007 7 5,384
2006 24
2001 5
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Connor Coal Company Inc. Mine # 2 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
2010 Q3 4,738 41 12 8653.4
2010 Q2 4,659 36 6 7727.0
2010 Q1 4,079 56 19 13728.9
2009 Q4 5,304 42 24 7918.6
2009 Q3 3,469 17 10 4900.5
2009 Q2 0 2 0
2009 Q1 2,027 30 17 14800.2
2008 Q1 3,150 9 4 2857.1
Show 7 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2007 Q4 787 7 5 8894.5
2007 Q3 2,324 19 10 8175.6
2007 Q2 2,618 13 4 4965.6
2007 Q1 1,336 2 0 1497.0
2006 Q2 2,781 18 12 6472.5
2001 Q2 2,600 9 7 3461.5
2001 Q1 320 9 5 28125.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2010 · 1 incident

September 21, 2010 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
White Star Mining · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Upon investigation, other ee said he told them (did not report this to foreman). EE said he slipped coming across section, he told another ee he fell in a mud hole, about 2pm, told another ee he bruised his arm, that ee said go to MET, another ee asked to check his arm out he refused. 9/23 told another ee he fell in a mud hole.

2009 · 1 incident

January 26, 2009 KY · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider POWERED HAULAGE
White Star Mining · Fall onto or against objects

Cleaning belt tailpiece, fell on belt, went down belt & hit head on roller.

2005 · 1 incident

March 24, 2005 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Taylor Mining, LTD · Struck by flying object

EE WAS BOLTING PLACE ON THE SECTION, EE WAS BENDING BOLT FOR INSERTION INTO MINE ROOF, WHEN BOLT SPRANG BACK AND HIT EE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF CHIN, CAUSING A CUT ABOUT ONE INCH LONG

2004 · 1 incident

November 18, 2004 KY · Coal electrician, lineman ELECTRICAL
Taylor Mining, LTD · Contact with electrical current

EE was troubleshooting a high voltage circuit when he came in contact with energized parts in an electrical junction box. He had chest pains and burns on both hands.