Mining Incidents

Donaldson Bank Oper. #2: 6 MSHA citations Coal

Devil's Hole Inc · Facility
Controlled by Gene B Gangloff
Donaldson, Schuylkill County, PA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3608610

Donaldson Bank Oper. #2 has $659 in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
1998
Latest incident
Nov 1998
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
6
citations
3
significant & substantial
$659
proposed penalties
$584
paid to date
89% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $75 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
23
inspections on record
243
inspection hours
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: 243 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Donaldson Bank Oper. #2 has $659 in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.
$659
proposed penalties
$584
current assessed
$584
paid to date
$0
outstanding
6 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $180 in penalties contested before the Commission, $105 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-03-23.
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.
50.0%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
50.0%
reasonably likely or greater
50.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 0.0% low, 100.0% moderate, 0.0% 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.
3 citations taken to the federal commission · 50% of citations on record
  • Settled 3 · 100%
42%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$180 proposed, $105 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 2006-09-12.
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
PENN 2006-294 Settlement Lesnick 2006 $180 → $105
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Donaldson Bank Oper. #2 shows 100% of 17 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: 2006-03-23, 20 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
17
samples
0.28
dust max (mg/m3)
17 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
  • SCALPER-SCREEN OPERATOR5
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER3

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: 2006-03-23, 20 years ago
60%
over PEL
15
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
  • SCALPER-SCREEN OPERATOR5
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER2
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
2006 100% 3
2005 100% 4
2003 100% 2
2000 100% 8
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2006 67% 3
2005 0% 2
2003 0% 2
2000 88% 8
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Devil's Hole Inc 1997 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)
2006 2
2005 4
2004 2
2003 2
2002 1
2001 1
2000 3 202,852
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Donaldson Bank Oper. #2 sits in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 1.1% 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.
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania · Population 143,259
1.1%
Mining share of county employment
$66,901
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
2006 Q4 0 0 0
2006 Q3 0 0 0
2006 Q2 634 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 2,156 3 0 1391.5
2005 Q4 1,467 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 1,188 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 1,837 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,434 1 1 697.4
Show 19 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2004 Q4 43 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 85 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 76 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 48 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 199 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 830 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 99 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 88 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 0 0 0
2002 Q2 3 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 0 0 0
2001 Q3 200 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 0 0 0
2001 Q1 1,051 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 1,055 1 1 947.9
2000 Q3 1,860 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 1,803 1 1 554.6
2000 Q1 1,830 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

1998 · 1 incident

November 3, 1998 PA · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Devil's Hole Inc · Struck against a moving object

EE DROVE A DOZER OVER A BANK & AND THE DOZER BOTTOMED OUT.