Dollar Branch Mine has $104K in proposed MSHA penalties and $7K outstanding across 16 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
2007–2009
Latest incident
Jul 2009
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2007
294
citations
96
significant & substantial
$103,509
proposed penalties
$85,548
paid to date
83% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $17,961 gap.
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.
294 citations across 1,530 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Dollar Branch Mine has $104K in proposed MSHA penalties and $7K outstanding across 16 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.
$104K
proposed penalties
$93K
current assessed
$86K
paid to date
$7K
outstanding
289 assessments are final orders; 16 contested dockets.
Of $97K in penalties contested before the Commission, $79K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-06-23.
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.
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.
188citations taken to the federal commission · 64% of citations on record
Settled
156 · 83%
Stood as issued
32 · 17%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 57 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
18%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$97K proposed, $79K 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 2009-06-08.
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.
MSHA sampling at Dollar Branch Mine shows 92% of 151 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: 2009-06-05, 17 years ago
92%
within 1.5 mg/m3
151
samples
5.22
dust max (mg/m3)
77 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 74 by the operator.
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.
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.
Dollar Branch Mine recorded 7.93 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2008.
Injury rate, 2008
ⓘ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.
7.93
total case rate
1.32
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.41 and the all-US-mining average was 3.61 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.87 cases per 100 workers that year.
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.
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)
2009
38
126,931
2008
51
342,781
2007
40
87,636
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Dollar Branch Mine sits in Leslie County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 10.6% 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.
Leslie County, Kentucky · Population 10,261
10.6%
Mining share of county employment
$40,176
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
2009 Q3
500
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
30,731
25
10
813.5
2009 Q1
41,288
46
13
1114.1
2008 Q4
34,321
20
6
582.7
2008 Q3
36,038
50
17
1387.4
2008 Q2
36,670
57
10
1554.4
2008 Q1
44,211
32
9
723.8
2007 Q4
36,093
26
11
720.4
Show 1 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2007 Q3
10,944
22
10
2010.2
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
11 on file
2009 · 3 incidents
July 9, 2009KY · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Joy Continious Miner was pillaring in the belt entry, a fall occurred in #2 heading extending thru #4 heading covering the Joy Continous Miner, no ventilation was effected, the size of the fall was approx. 90' long, 20' thick, and 12' high.
2008 · 7 incidents
September 30, 2008KY · Coalcontinuous miner operator, coal mole operatorMACHINERY
Employee was pulling stuck roof bolter with miner when chain broke hitting employee on left side of forehead. 8 sutures required, employee has returned to regular duty.
September 5, 2008KY · Coaldiscontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee had came in 2 hrs. early, using his utility knife to cut a piece of belt, the knife slipped cutting his right upper leg, sutures were required, safety talk was conducted with employee on cutting away from self when using knife, employee has returned to reg. duty.
February 15, 2008KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Employee was putting glue in bolt hole that was drilled when a piece of draw rock fell out from top hitting back of his head, 7 sutures were required. Employee has returned to regular duty with no restriction.
February 14, 2008KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Employee was tramming roof bolter up, when a piece of drawrock fell from top, hitting employee left shoulder. Employee was placed on light duty until 2-20-08. Employee has returned to his reg. duty.
February 14, 2008KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Employee was 2 breaks outby the face in #5 entry plastering a brattice, while plastering brattice, some plaster went into left eye causing irritation, employee has returned to work 1-21-08 with no restrictions.