Mining Incidents

Coon Hollow Tunnel Mine: 133 MSHA citations Coal

Panther Creek Mining LLC · Underground
Cabin Creek, Kanawha County, WV  ·  NonProducing
MSHA Mine ID: 4609099

Coon Hollow Tunnel Mine has $27K in proposed MSHA penalties and $300 outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2009–2025
Latest incident
Dec 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
133
citations
17
significant & substantial
$26,850
proposed penalties
$24,453
paid to date
91% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,397 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
100
inspections on record
2,383
inspection hours
5.6
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.
133 citations across 2,383 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Coon Hollow Tunnel Mine has $27K in proposed MSHA penalties and $300 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.
$27K
proposed penalties
$25K
current assessed
$24K
paid to date
$300
outstanding
130 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $7K in penalties contested before the Commission, $5K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-06.
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.
13.0%
significant & substantial
6.1%
high negligence or reckless
13.0%
reasonably likely or greater
28.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 13.0% low, 80.9% moderate, 6.1% high, 0.0% 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.
15 citations taken to the federal commission · 11% of citations on record
  • Settled 15 · 100%
50%
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 6 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$7K proposed, $5K 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 2016-11-07.
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
WEVA 2016-0388 Settlement Paez 2016 $6K → $4K
WEVA 2017-0067 Settlement Lesnick 2017 $666 → $400
WEVA 2015-0034 Settlement Bulluck 2016 $300 → $300
WEVA 2016-298 Settlement Lesnick 2017 $300 → $150
WEVA 2016-299 Settlement Lesnick 2016 $208 → $104
WEVA 2016-297 Settlement Lesnick 2017 $100 → $50
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Coon Hollow Tunnel Mine shows 98% of 42 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: 2025-10-06
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
42
samples
1.58
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.
28 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 14 by the operator.

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2024-01-26
3.2
silica avg (%)
10
samples
5.5
silica max (%)

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: 2008-08-20, 18 years ago
0%
over PEL
1
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BELT MAN/CONVEYOR MAN1
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
2025 100% 2
2024 75% 4
2023 100% 2
2021 100% 2
2020 100% 2
2019 100% 2
2018 100% 2
2016 100% 4
2015 100% 6
2014 100% 5
2013 100% 2
2007 100% 1
2006 100% 8
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2024 3.0 2
2021 1.7 2
2020 3.5 1
2019 5.5 1
2018 2.8 1
2016 4.2 1
2015 3.4 2
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Coon Hollow Tunnel Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2019.

Injury rate, 2019
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
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.39 and the all-US-mining average was 2.32 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.51 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
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2017 * 0.00 0.00 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.
Ownership history
  1. Speed Mining, LLC 2005 to 2015
  2. Panther Creek Mining LLC 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)
2026 3
2025 5
2024 7
2023 5
2022 4
2021 3
2020 8
2019 15
2018 5
2017 14
2016 9
2015 3
2014 3
2013 2
2012 2
2011 2
2010 0
2009 0
2008 0
2007 0
2006 0
2005 15 48,048
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Coon Hollow Tunnel Mine sits in Kanawha County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 1.9% 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.
Kanawha County, West Virginia · Population 178,198
1.9%
Mining share of county employment
$58,887
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
2026 Q2 2,034 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 1,420 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 2,788 6 0 2152.1
2025 Q3 2,985 1 0 335.0
2025 Q2 3,449 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 3,674 4 1 1088.7
2024 Q4 3,455 1 0 289.4
2024 Q3 4,713 1 0 212.2
Show 76 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 4,884 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 4,532 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 4,071 1 0 245.6
2023 Q3 3,703 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 3,128 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 3,077 11 3 3574.9
2022 Q4 2,414 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 2,399 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 2,581 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 2,544 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 1,978 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 2,050 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 2,090 1 0 478.5
2021 Q1 2,072 1 0 482.6
2020 Q4 1,930 1 0 518.1
2020 Q3 1,369 2 0 1460.9
2020 Q2 2,305 2 0 867.7
2020 Q1 9,182 1 0 108.9
2019 Q4 15,121 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 15,807 1 0 63.3
2019 Q2 7,979 1 0 125.3
2019 Q1 3,317 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 1,026 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 720 1 0 1388.9
2018 Q2 5,760 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 821 3 0 3654.1
2017 Q4 9,434 3 0 318.0
2017 Q3 8,820 5 0 566.9
2017 Q2 8,820 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 3,098 3 0 968.4
2016 Q4 0 5 0
2016 Q3 2,880 1 0 347.2
2016 Q2 2,880 3 0 1041.7
2016 Q1 12,000 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,470 6 3 4081.6
2015 Q3 1,200 4 0 3333.3
2015 Q2 1,200 1 0 833.3
2015 Q1 1,200 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 1,200 2 0 1666.7
2014 Q3 1,200 8 0 6666.7
2014 Q2 900 2 0 2222.2
2014 Q1 900 2 0 2222.2
2013 Q4 900 1 0 1111.1
2013 Q3 900 2 0 2222.2
2013 Q2 900 1 0 1111.1
2013 Q1 900 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 900 2 0 2222.2
2012 Q3 900 1 0 1111.1
2012 Q2 900 1 0 1111.1
2012 Q1 900 1 0 1111.1
2011 Q4 900 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 900 2 0 2222.2
2011 Q2 600 2 0 3333.3
2011 Q1 0 1 0
2010 Q4 0 0 0
2010 Q3 0 0 0
2010 Q2 0 0 0
2010 Q1 0 0 0
2009 Q4 10 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 0 1 0
2009 Q2 0 3 1
2009 Q1 0 1 0
2008 Q4 0 1 0
2008 Q3 0 2 0
2008 Q2 0 7 2
2008 Q1 0 1 0
2007 Q4 0 0 0
2007 Q3 0 0 0
2007 Q2 0 0 0
2007 Q1 0 0 0
2006 Q3 0 4 1
2006 Q2 0 2 0
2006 Q1 0 5 0
2005 Q4 4,294 6 5 1397.3
2005 Q3 17,050 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2025 · 1 incident

December 19, 2025 WV · Coal master mechanic, foreman, supervisor DUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Panther Creek Mining LLC · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

EE was evaluated for Pneumoconiosis. They were diagnosed with a 10% pulmonary function impairment on 12/19/2025.

2009 · 1 incident

November 24, 2009 WV · Coal belt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisor HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Speed Mining, LLC · Struck by flying object

EE was leveling belt structure with a jack when his hand slipped off of the jack handle which then flipped up striking him in his right eyebrow causing a laceration which required 9 sutures to close.