DEEP MINE 46: 26 MSHA citations
Coal
Nora,
Dickenson County,
VA
·
Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4407433
DEEP MINE 46 has $21K in proposed MSHA penalties and $15K outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 1
- Years on record
- 2026
- Latest incident
- May 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2025
11
significant & substantial
$20,590
proposed penalties
26% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $15,199 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2025
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: 679 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘ
A Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
Most recent order: 2025-09-17.
On record since 2025.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
DEEP MINE 46 has $21K in proposed MSHA penalties and $15K outstanding across 2 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.
16 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-22.
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.
47.8%
significant & substantial
21.7%
high negligence or reckless
47.8%
reasonably likely or greater
47.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 8.7% low, 69.6% moderate, 21.7% 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.
2
citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
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 2026-07-23.
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 |
| VA 2026-0004 |
|
|
|
Decision pending |
| VA 2026-0020 |
|
|
|
Decision pending |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at DEEP MINE 46 shows 100% of 305 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: 2026-08-07
42 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 263 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)127
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR72
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)66
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2026-08-11
Most-sampled occupations
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)6
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)5
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR4
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: 2026-07-07
Most-sampled occupations
- REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE6
- BACKHOE OPERATOR4
- 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 |
| 2026 |
100% |
291 |
| 2025 |
100% |
14 |
Noise by year
| Year |
over PEL |
samples |
| 2026 |
0% |
9 |
| 2025 |
0% |
15 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
-
Paramont Contura, LLC
2025 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 |
18 |
37,263 |
| 2025 |
0 |
|
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
DEEP MINE 46 sits in Dickenson County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 9.8% 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.
Dickenson County, Virginia · Population 13,920
9.8%
Mining share of county employment
$43,831
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 |
18,870 |
11 |
6 |
582.9 |
| 2026 Q1 |
4,064 |
6 |
1 |
1476.4 |
| 2025 Q4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
| 2025 Q3 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
|
| 2025 Q2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
1 on file
2026 · 1 incident
May 29, 2026
VA · Coal
continuous miner operator, coal mole operator
MACHINERY
Paramont Contura, LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Employee was cleaning up the left side of cut when rock fell in the cut. Employee was standing at the second row of bolts. When the rock fell in the cut a rock rolled back and struck the employee in the right leg.