P B Dirt Movers, Inc · Struck by flying object
Miner was using a roll back truck chain hoist to lift steel when the winch cable broke, and the hook on the end of the cable flew back, striking the miner, and fracturing left cheek area.
Fedscreek Surface: 44 MSHA citations Coal
P B Dirt Movers, Inc
· Surface
Controlled by
Robin Roy Belcher
Fedscreek,
Pike County,
KY
·
Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1519799
Fedscreek Surface has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $302 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 2
- Years on record
- 2017–2021
- Latest incident
- Jun 2021
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2016
44
citations
11
significant & substantial
$6,590
proposed penalties
$6,228
paid to date
95% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $362 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2016
32
inspections on record
1,118
inspection hours
3.9
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.44 citations across 1,118 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Fedscreek Surface has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $302 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.$7K
proposed penalties
$7K
current assessed
$6K
paid to date
$302
outstanding
44 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $336 in penalties contested before the Commission, $276 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-01-29.
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.25.0%
significant & substantial
4.5%
high negligence or reckless
25.0%
reasonably likely or greater
11.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 36.4% low, 59.1% moderate, 4.5% 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.
2
citations taken to the federal commission · 5% of citations on record
- Settled 2 · 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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
18%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$336 proposed, $276 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 2017-11-09.
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 2018-0035 | Settlement | Simonton | 2018 | $336 → $276 |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Fedscreek Surface shows 100% of 131 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: 2026-06-22
ⓘ
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.100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
131
samples
1.22
dust max (mg/m3)
0
over MSHA ECV
ⓘ
The excessive concentration value (ECV) is MSHA's own per-sample enforcement threshold, which builds in measurement uncertainty; a sample over its ECV can trigger a citation. The count covers only samples MSHA assigned an ECV.80 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 51 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR47
- HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR31
- REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE26
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2026-02-059.1
silica avg (%)
10
samples
20.8
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR5
- HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR5
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: 2026-01-21
ⓘ
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.0%
over PEL
43
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE16
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER7
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 100% | 9 |
| 2025 | 100% | 16 |
| 2024 | 100% | 14 |
| 2023 | 100% | 2 |
| 2022 | 100% | 8 |
| 2021 | 100% | 19 |
| 2020 | 100% | 20 |
| 2019 | 100% | 15 |
| 2018 | 100% | 12 |
| 2017 | 100% | 9 |
| 2016 | 100% | 7 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year | silica avg (%) | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2.4 | 3 |
| 2024 | 3.2 | 1 |
| 2022 | 15.7 | 1 |
| 2021 | 20.8 | 1 |
| 2020 | 17.0 | 1 |
| 2019 | 13.0 | 1 |
| 2016 | 5.8 | 1 |
Noise by year
| Year | over PEL | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0% | 5 |
| 2025 | 0% | 4 |
| 2024 | 0% | 4 |
| 2022 | 0% | 4 |
| 2021 | 0% | 6 |
| 2020 | 0% | 6 |
| 2019 | 0% | 3 |
| 2018 | 0% | 6 |
| 2016 | 0% | 5 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
- P B Dirt Movers, Inc 2016 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 22,957 |
| 2025 | 6 | 33,435 |
| 2024 | 7 | 40,489 |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 13,082 |
| 2021 | 5 | 36,474 |
| 2020 | 6 | 62,880 |
| 2019 | 5 | 54,440 |
| 2018 | 5 | 39,655 |
| 2017 | 5 | 34,509 |
| 2016 | 5 | 24,152 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Fedscreek Surface 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q2 | 3,900 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2026 Q1 | 3,350 | 1 | 0 | 298.5 |
| 2025 Q4 | 4,200 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2025 Q3 | 4,410 | 1 | 0 | 226.8 |
| 2025 Q2 | 2,680 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2025 Q1 | 3,100 | 3 | 1 | 967.7 |
| 2024 Q4 | 4,780 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2024 Q3 | 4,410 | 3 | 1 | 680.3 |
Show 31 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Q2 | 4,550 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2024 Q1 | 5,600 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2023 Q4 | 2,100 | 2 | 0 | 952.4 |
| 2023 Q3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 Q2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 Q3 | 800 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2022 Q2 | 2,176 | 2 | 0 | 919.1 |
| 2022 Q1 | 2,120 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 Q4 | 420 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 Q3 | 3,920 | 3 | 0 | 765.3 |
| 2021 Q2 | 3,250 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 Q1 | 3,250 | 2 | 0 | 615.4 |
| 2020 Q4 | 3,250 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2020 Q3 | 4,550 | 2 | 0 | 439.6 |
| 2020 Q2 | 3,900 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2020 Q1 | 3,250 | 2 | 0 | 615.4 |
| 2019 Q4 | 3,050 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 Q3 | 3,250 | 3 | 0 | 923.1 |
| 2019 Q2 | 3,250 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 Q1 | 2,600 | 1 | 1 | 384.6 |
| 2018 Q4 | 3,050 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2018 Q3 | 3,000 | 2 | 0 | 666.7 |
| 2018 Q2 | 3,250 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2018 Q1 | 3,250 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2017 Q4 | 3,100 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2017 Q3 | 3,000 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2017 Q2 | 3,250 | 11 | 6 | 3384.6 |
| 2017 Q1 | 3,250 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2016 Q4 | 3,250 | 4 | 0 | 1230.8 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file2021 · 1 incident
2017 · 1 incident
P B Dirt Movers, Inc · Struck by flying object
Miner cut a small diameter tree, which fell & bounced, causing the butt of the tree trunk to spring up, striking the miner in the chest. At the hospital it was determined, the miner suffered a fractured sternum, and that a laceration of the liver occurred, but had ceased bleeding. Miner admitted to Pikeville Medical Center.