Mining Incidents

D-1A Garmeada: 236 MSHA citations Coal

Bell Energy Partners LLC. · Underground
Controlled by Darrell Wagner
Middlesboro, Bell County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1519791

D-1A Garmeada has $40K in proposed MSHA penalties and $32K outstanding across 12 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
2016–2017
Latest incident
Aug 2017
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2016
236
citations
43
significant & substantial
$39,744
proposed penalties
$6,245
paid to date
16% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $33,499 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2016
63
inspections on record
2,684
inspection hours
8.8
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.
236 citations across 2,684 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

D-1A Garmeada has $40K in proposed MSHA penalties and $32K outstanding across 12 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.
$40K
proposed penalties
$38K
current assessed
$6K
paid to date
$32K
outstanding
207 assessments are final orders; 12 contested dockets.
Of $22K in penalties contested before the Commission, $21K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2022-08-22.
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.
19.1%
significant & substantial
2.2%
high negligence or reckless
19.1%
reasonably likely or greater
4.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 5.8% low, 92.0% moderate, 2.2% 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.
115 citations taken to the federal commission · 49% of citations on record
  • Settled 92 · 80%
  • Stood as issued 23 · 20%
96%
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 24 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
8%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$22K proposed, $21K 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 2018-01-03.
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 2017-0221 Settlement Lewis 2017 $4K → $3K
KENT 2018-0056 Default Lesnick 2018 $3K → $3K
KENT 2018-0073 Settlement Miller 2018 $3K → $3K
KENT 2017-0083 Settlement Gill 2017 $3K → $2K
KENT 2017-0315 Settlement Bulluck 2017 $2K → $2K
KENT 2017-0149 Settlement Gill 2017 $2K → $2K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at D-1A Garmeada shows 100% of 234 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: 2017-10-12, 8 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
234
samples
1.07
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.
59 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 175 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)85
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR83
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)10

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2017-10-24, 8 years ago
5.5
silica avg (%)
14
samples
9.6
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR6
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)2

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: 2017-10-12, 8 years ago
15%
over PEL
40
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)9
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)8
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR7
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
2017 100% 135
2016 100% 99
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2017 5.7 9
2016 5.1 5
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2017 20% 20
2016 10% 20
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

D-1A Garmeada recorded 8.55 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2017.

Injury rate, 2017
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.
8.55
total case rate
4.28
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.79 and the all-US-mining average was 2.48 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.33 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.
Ownership history
  1. Revelation Energy, LLC 2016 to 2020
  2. Bell Energy Partners LLC. 2020 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)
2019 0
2018 1
2017 18 52,990
2016 18 35,530
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

D-1A Garmeada sits in Bell County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.6% 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.
Bell County, Kentucky · Population 23,878
3.6%
Mining share of county employment
$32,403
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
2019 Q1 0 0 0
2018 Q3 0 0 0
2018 Q2 0 0 0
2018 Q1 1,560 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 1,560 30 3 19230.8
2017 Q3 12,862 34 9 2643.4
2017 Q2 12,862 21 5 1632.7
2017 Q1 19,496 33 5 1692.7
Show 2 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2016 Q4 16,518 51 8 3087.5
2016 Q3 10 40 7 4000000.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2017 · 3 incidents

August 18, 2017 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Revelation Energy, LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was handling belt structure when employee felt pain in back. Employee went to ER has muscle spasm and pain, was released and told to follow up with family physician. Employee went to doctor and has been taken off work until MRI and doctor releases. This is loss time injury.

July 24, 2017 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Revelation Energy, LLC · Struck by flying object

EE was using a hammer on belt splice when a piece of metal came off hammer & went into their hand at the knuckle between the index and middle finger. The metal was removed & they received 3 stitches. EE has no loss time, EE returned to work.

March 19, 2017 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Revelation Energy, LLC · Accident type, without injuries

A ROOF FALL AT THE AREA OF THE HIGH WALL WAS DISCOVERED IN THE FAN ENTRY. THE ROOF FALL WAS APX. 18 FEET WIDE X 5 FEET LONG X 12 FEET HIGH. THE FALL DID NOT AFFECT PERSONS NOR EQUIPMENT BUT DID RESTRICT THE AIR FLOW. AN ACTION PLAN WAS SUBMITTED, ACKNOWLEDGED AND THE FALL CLEANED UP. ARCHES WERE INSTALLED FOR ROOF SUPPORT THROUGH THE AREA. VENTILATION WAS RESTORED.

2016 · 1 incident

September 10, 2016 KY · Coal electrician, lineman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Revelation Energy, LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE was tightening wheel lugs on shuttle car, bar slipped putting EE's weight on right ankle, EE went down in pain.