Mining Incidents

Feds Creek #1: 85 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Fredrick J Murell
Fedscreek, Pike County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4608964

Feds Creek #1 has $20K in proposed MSHA penalties and $60 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
2002–2010
Latest incident
Feb 2010
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2002
85
citations
36
significant & substantial
$20,227
proposed penalties
$20,167
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $60 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2002
53
inspections on record
1,142
inspection hours
7.4
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.
85 citations across 1,142 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Feds Creek #1 has $20K in proposed MSHA penalties and $60 outstanding across 0 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.
$20K
proposed penalties
$20K
current assessed
$20K
paid to date
$60
outstanding
84 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2012-01-12.
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.
42.9%
significant & substantial
4.8%
high negligence or reckless
42.9%
reasonably likely or greater
20.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 13.1% low, 82.1% moderate, 4.8% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Feds Creek #1 shows 100% of 58 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: 2012-01-10, 14 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
58
samples
1.27
dust max (mg/m3)
52 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 6 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • GROUNDMAN17
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER15
  • AUGER OPERATOR13

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2008-07-18, 18 years ago
5.8
silica avg (%)
3
samples
8.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • GROUNDMAN3

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: 2012-01-12, 14 years ago
0%
over PEL
30
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER9
  • AUGER OPERATOR8
  • GROUNDMAN7
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 100% 3
2011 100% 4
2009 100% 9
2008 100% 11
2007 100% 10
2006 100% 8
2005 100% 9
2004 100% 4
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2008 5.3 2
2007 6.9 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2012 0% 3
2009 0% 7
2008 0% 3
2007 0% 3
2006 0% 4
2005 0% 4
2004 0% 6
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Feds Creek #1 recorded 0.00 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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below 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.
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
2008 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2007 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2006 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2005 * 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. Springfield Coal Company 2002 to 2004
  2. Wolf Pen Coal Corporation of Kentucky LLC 2004 to 2011
  3. Wolf Creek Coal Corp LLC 2011 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)
2012 5 15,841
2011 7 36,551
2010 8 10,138
2009 7 28,885
2008 9 145,656
2007 10 119,036
2006 14 165,358
2005 13 122,661
2004 14 58,639
2003 22 69,208
2002 15 67,502
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Feds Creek #1 sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.
Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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
2012 Q2 2,221 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 3,771 3 1 795.5
2011 Q4 3,907 4 1 1023.8
2011 Q3 4,458 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 6,426 1 1 155.6
2011 Q1 4,472 9 6 2012.5
2010 Q4 6,924 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 1,574 0 0 0.0
Show 27 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2010 Q1 3,284 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 4,128 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 3,517 4 1 1137.3
2009 Q2 4,076 3 3 736.0
2009 Q1 6,728 9 3 1337.7
2008 Q4 7,905 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 5,993 3 0 500.6
2008 Q2 7,597 7 2 921.4
2008 Q1 6,578 7 1 1064.2
2007 Q4 6,311 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 5,418 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 6,862 3 2 437.2
2007 Q1 7,851 5 2 636.9
2006 Q4 9,428 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 9,697 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 8,428 3 1 356.0
2006 Q1 5,588 4 2 715.8
2005 Q4 9,221 3 2 325.3
2005 Q3 7,950 3 2 377.4
2005 Q2 8,050 5 4 621.1
2005 Q1 6,990 3 1 429.2
2004 Q4 8,449 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 4,372 1 0 228.7
2003 Q2 5,754 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 8,064 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 8,958 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 5,780 2 0 346.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2010 · 1 incident

February 3, 2010 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Wolf Pen Coal Corporation of Kentucky LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE was binding or securing load on flat bed trailer when prybar slipped striking him on his right wrist.

2004 · 1 incident

September 10, 2004 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman MACHINERY
Wolf Pen Coal Corporation of Kentucky LLC · Contact with hot objects or substances

EMPLOYEE WAS WELDING AND A PIECE OF SLAG GOT IN EE'S RIGHT EYE. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED ON SUNDAY 9/12/04.

2003 · 1 incident

May 28, 2003 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Springfield Coal Company · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EE WAS USING A PRY BAR TO PRY UP LATCH ON PUSH BEAM.

2002 · 1 incident

September 4, 2002 KY · Coal auger operator, auger crew supervisor SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Springfield Coal Company · Fall onto or against objects

FELL AFTER MISSTEPPING ON LAST STAIR ON STAIRWAY STRIKING BACK (IN THE CENTER) ON METAL CONTROL BOX.