Mining Incidents

Equality Coal

Controlled by ACNR Holdings, Inc
Centertown, Ohio County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1519344

Equality has $158K in proposed MSHA penalties and $791 outstanding across 46 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
2
Total incidents
19
Years on record
2011–2017
Latest incident
Oct 2017
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2009
213
citations
62
significant & substantial
$158,260
proposed penalties
$111,469
paid to date
70% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $46,791 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2008
58
inspections on record
3,968
inspection hours
5.4
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.
213 citations across 3,968 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Equality has $158K in proposed MSHA penalties and $791 outstanding across 46 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.
$158K
proposed penalties
$112K
current assessed
$111K
paid to date
$791
outstanding
210 assessments are final orders; 46 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2024-04-02.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Equality shows respirable coal dust averaging 0.12 mg/m3 (99% compliant) across 248 samples.

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.
0.12
dust avg (mg/m3)
1.84
dust max (mg/m3)
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
248
samples
Most recent sample: 2024-04-11.
Silica (quartz)
4.7
silica avg (%)
9.4
silica max (%)
9
samples
Most recent sample: 2017-12-04.
Noise
8%
over PEL
95
samples
Most recent sample: 2019-02-25.
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
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
2024 Q2 1,997 2 0 1001.5
2024 Q1 1,407 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 50 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 80 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 103 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 75 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 65 1 0 15384.6
2022 Q3 1,636 4 0 2445.0
Show 54 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2022 Q2 172 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 249 1 0 4016.1
2021 Q4 1,285 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 837 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 584 2 0 3424.7
2021 Q1 97 2 0 20618.6
2020 Q4 60 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 94 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 90 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 15 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 13 7 0 538461.5
2019 Q2 36 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 0 0 0
2018 Q4 0 0 0
2018 Q3 0 1 0
2018 Q2 0 1 0
2018 Q1 0 1 0
2017 Q4 24,705 4 1 161.9
2017 Q3 39,338 12 2 305.0
2017 Q2 43,574 16 3 367.2
2017 Q1 51,023 8 1 156.8
2016 Q4 51,782 4 0 77.2
2016 Q3 54,002 2 0 37.0
2016 Q2 41,203 7 0 169.9
2016 Q1 65,568 6 3 91.5
2015 Q4 60,621 9 5 148.5
2015 Q3 68,696 2 0 29.1
2015 Q2 66,748 10 4 149.8
2015 Q1 70,137 6 1 85.5
2014 Q4 90,596 12 8 132.5
2014 Q3 94,074 5 1 53.1
2014 Q2 94,324 9 4 95.4
2014 Q1 92,685 11 3 118.7
2013 Q4 84,530 4 1 47.3
2013 Q3 103,396 7 0 67.7
2013 Q2 99,006 2 0 20.2
2013 Q1 94,224 10 4 106.1
2012 Q4 93,150 1 0 10.7
2012 Q3 95,198 1 1 10.5
2012 Q2 88,001 14 10 159.1
2012 Q1 98,454 5 3 50.8
2011 Q4 87,560 4 0 45.7
2011 Q3 89,471 4 2 44.7
2011 Q2 76,872 3 2 39.0
2011 Q1 75,061 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 65,973 5 0 75.8
2010 Q3 20,688 3 1 145.0
2010 Q2 0 1 0
2010 Q1 0 2 2
2009 Q4 0 0 0
2009 Q3 0 0 0
2009 Q2 0 0 0
2009 Q1 0 2 0
2008 Q4 0 0 0

Fatalities at this mine

2 recorded
October 28, 2011 KY · Coal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey Fatality · FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Struck by falling object

Two employees were in route to begin shift loading holes in #11 Pit. As they traveled into the West end of this pit and attempted to drive up ramp onto work area the highwall collapsed resulting in death to both employees.

October 28, 2011 KY · Coal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey Fatality · FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Struck by falling object

Two employees were in route to begin shift loading holes in #11 Pit. As they traveled into the West end of this pit and attempted to drive up ramp onto work area the highwall collapsed resulting in death to both employees.

Reportable incidents

17 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2017 · 3 incidents

October 30, 2017 KY · Coal outside foreman, leadman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was in the process of removing an impeller when the ratchet the employee was using slipped mashing finger causing a laceration requiring three stitches

October 14, 2017 KY · Coal utility man, shift tech, service/dump truck operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Fall onto or against objects

Employee was cleaning outside widows on unit #107 777F Cat end dump, lost their footing causing them to pivot around while holding the handrail striking the handrail with their left rib area.

April 11, 2017 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Over-exertion in lifting objects

The employee strained employee's back while replacing the ripper shank guard on a D-11 dozer.

2015 · 3 incidents

June 8, 2015 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Struck by flying object

The employee was assisting a contract mechanic install a track on a dozer, the contract mechanic hit the alligator link on the track with a sledge hammer and a piece of the hammer splintered off and hit the employee in the arm.

2014 · 7 incidents

December 15, 2014 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Fall from ladders

using a ladder to change oil filter - while reaching for filter the ladder tipped over sprained right ankle

December 9, 2014 KY · Coal coal/ore shovel operator, shoveler, power shoveler SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was traveling from the parking area to the PC800 Track hoe that he was going to operate, when he reached his destination he stepped out of the F-350 man trip van and stepped into a hole or on a rock and turned his right ankle.

July 29, 2014 KY · Coal electrician, lineman DISORDERS (PHYSICAL AGENTS)
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Contact with heat

EE was removing grease in the tub of Unit #347 dragline when he started feeling light headed, ee and another ee exited the tub of the dragline to get some water upon getting the water ee collapsed and struck his chin on the floor of the dragline causing a laceration. he was transported by ambulance to O.C.H. where he received eleven stitches

June 7, 2014 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was in the process of replacing the drag ropes on Dragline, he was removing the u-bolts that attach the new cable to a wooden spool. As he pried the u-bolt out, the cable spun on the spool and the end of the cable hit him on left shoulder resulting in a fractured shoulder blade. As he fell he sprained his left wrist also.

April 22, 2014 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman POWERED HAULAGE
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Struck against a moving object

Employee was operating a 773F haul truck and stated the bed was bouncing up and down when empty, causing him to injure his lower back. Employee did not Communicate to anyone that he was injured until 04/29/2014.

February 14, 2014 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Struck against a moving object

Employee was operating a 777F Haul Truck, and sometime during the shift employee injured his back, employee did not report the incident until 3/1/14. Employee stated the incident actually occurred on 2/14/14.

2013 · 1 incident

February 11, 2013 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee's truck was in the maint. area, his truck had just been in for repair. He proceeded to do his pre-op check on the truck when he lost his footing and sprained his knee.

2012 · 2 incidents

February 23, 2012 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Struck against a moving object

truck traveling up ramp front end came up turning over on its side

2011 · 1 incident

September 7, 2011 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

A mechanic was installing brakes on a piece of equipment using a pry bar to hold tension on brake shoes while he inserted the rollers when the bar slipped catching his finger causing a small cut on it.

For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants

The full compliance file on Equality

A dated report covering the 26-year penalty trail, line-item violation pattern, contest and docket posture, rate-normalized peer benchmark, and full fatality history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.