Mining Incidents

Diablo 2A: 473 MSHA citations Coal

Licking River Mining, LLC · Underground
Controlled by U S Coal Corporation
Duco, Magoffin County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1519256

Diablo 2A has $164K in proposed MSHA penalties and $152K outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
14
Years on record
2008–2013
Latest incident
Aug 2013
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
473
citations
137
significant & substantial
$164,115
proposed penalties
$12,346
paid to date
8% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $151,769 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2008
54
inspections on record
3,605
inspection hours
13.1
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.
473 citations across 3,605 inspection hours.
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.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2013-06-20.
On record since 2013.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Diablo 2A has $164K in proposed MSHA penalties and $152K 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.
$164K
proposed penalties
$164K
current assessed
$12K
paid to date
$152K
outstanding
456 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $22K in penalties contested before the Commission, $22K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2013-08-05.
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.
30.0%
significant & substantial
4.2%
high negligence or reckless
30.0%
reasonably likely or greater
16.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 2.6% low, 93.2% moderate, 4.2% 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.
24 citations taken to the federal commission · 5% of citations on record
  • Stood as issued 24 · 100%
100%
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 12 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$22K proposed, $22K 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 2013-06-20.
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 2012-230 Default Lesnick 2012 $11K → $11K
KENT 2012-1160 Default Lesnick 2013 $8K → $8K
KENT 2013-875 Default Lesnick 2013 $2K → $2K
KENT 2012-231 Default Lesnick 2012 $1K → $1K
KENT 2011-653 Default Lesnick 2011 $200 → $200
KENT 2013-876 Default Lesnick 2013 $100 → $100
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Diablo 2A shows 89% of 208 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: 2012-07-30, 14 years ago
89%
within 1.5 mg/m3
208
samples
4.90
dust max (mg/m3)
111 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 97 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR102
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR31
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)16

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2012-07-18, 14 years ago
9.2
silica avg (%)
13
samples
19.8
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR13

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: 2012-02-23, 14 years ago
0%
over PEL
41
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR12
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR6
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)6
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
2012 86% 44
2011 97% 60
2010 84% 38
2009 89% 45
2008 81% 21
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2012 14.1 2
2011 9.3 4
2010 9.1 3
2009 6.9 3
2008 5.4 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2012 0% 9
2011 0% 5
2010 0% 16
2009 0% 6
2008 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Diablo 2A recorded 4.61 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2012.

Injury rate, 2012
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.
4.61
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.74 and the all-US-mining average was 2.96 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.35 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
2012 * 4.61 0.00 0.000
2011 * 13.25 10.60 0.000
2010 * 18.27 9.13 0.000
2009 * 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. Double C Enterprises Inc 2008 to 2009
  2. Licking River Mining, LLC 2009 to present
  3. Durbin Coal, Inc. 2010 to 2010
  4. Magoffin Co. Coal Corporation 2010 to 2012
  5. Jarisa, Inc. 2012 to 2012
  6. Rod Mining, Inc. 2013 to 2013
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)
2013 5
2012 28 66,558
2011 36 105,213
2010 31 62,802
2009 25 56,446
2008 12 15,724
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Diablo 2A sits in Magoffin County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.7% 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.
Magoffin County, Kentucky · Population 11,495
2.7%
Mining share of county employment
$33,632
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
2013 Q3 1,618 3 1 1854.1
2013 Q2 2,137 11 1 5147.4
2013 Q1 468 7 5 14957.3
2012 Q4 684 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 11,570 48 7 4148.7
2012 Q2 15,249 33 9 2164.1
2012 Q1 15,866 45 13 2836.3
2011 Q4 17,853 22 10 1232.3
Show 13 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2011 Q3 19,035 32 5 1681.1
2011 Q2 20,433 25 5 1223.5
2011 Q1 18,167 20 5 1100.9
2010 Q4 22,542 27 9 1197.8
2010 Q3 15,129 28 9 1850.8
2010 Q2 1,495 11 4 7357.9
2010 Q1 4,629 13 3 2808.4
2009 Q4 9,309 46 8 4941.5
2009 Q3 11,981 26 13 2170.1
2009 Q2 13,250 11 2 830.2
2009 Q1 7,347 36 15 4900.0
2008 Q4 7,431 10 5 1345.7
2008 Q3 2,151 10 3 4649.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

14 on file

2013 · 1 incident

August 1, 2013 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Rod Mining, Inc. · Over-exertion in lifting objects

while moving and loading metal onto pallets he strained lower back

2012 · 1 incident

2011 · 6 incidents

December 12, 2011 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Magoffin Co. Coal Corporation · Struck by falling object

Roof Bolting and pulled lever and canopy did not lower. Employee bumped lever and canopy fell on employee.

August 8, 2011 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Magoffin Co. Coal Corporation · Struck by falling object

Bolting #3 Heading, trying to move gob with head when a pot slipped and fell on his left knee.

January 4, 2011 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Magoffin Co. Coal Corporation · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Bolting top and hand was on arm. When raised, finger got caught between pot and top of roof.

2010 · 5 incidents

October 22, 2010 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech POWERED HAULAGE
Magoffin Co. Coal Corporation · Struck by rolling or sliding object

Repairing ram car wheel. Another employee operating separate ram car struck a 4 wheeler and then it rolled into the ram car EE was repairing striking him in leg.

October 8, 2010 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Magoffin Co. Coal Corporation · Struck by falling object

Bolting top and dropped pot on operator side striking left thigh.

September 20, 2010 KY · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Magoffin Co. Coal Corporation · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Assisting the mechanic on the repair of the miner. Mechanic was prying on the motor and it pinched EE's finger causing laceration.

July 30, 2010 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Magoffin Co. Coal Corporation · Struck by falling object

Bolter steel fell striking employee on 5th finger on left hand.

2008 · 1 incident

December 8, 2008 KY · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Double C Enterprises Inc · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Blocking pan on miner. Pan came down and caught left thumb between pan & crib block. Required stitches.