Fork Creek Prep Plant has $202K in proposed MSHA penalties and $123K outstanding across 9 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
24
Years on record
1999–2019
Latest incident
Sep 2019
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
455
citations
183
significant & substantial
$201,693
proposed penalties
$73,899
paid to date
37% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $127,794 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.
455 citations across 5,966 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
2
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2022-08-08.
On record since 2011.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Fork Creek Prep Plant has $202K in proposed MSHA penalties and $123K outstanding across 9 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.
$202K
proposed penalties
$197K
current assessed
$74K
paid to date
$123K
outstanding
439 assessments are final orders; 9 contested dockets.
Of $28K in penalties contested before the Commission, $23K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-22.
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.
81citations taken to the federal commission · 18% of citations on record
Settled
78 · 96%
Stood as issued
2 · 2%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 1%
86%
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 35 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
18%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$28K proposed, $23K 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 2026-01-12.
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.
MSHA sampling at Fork Creek Prep Plant shows 100% of 224 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: 2025-11-13
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
224
samples
1.43
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.
184 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 40 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.
Fork Creek Prep Plant recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ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 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.89 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
2025 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
4
2025
10
2024
10
2023
10
2022
10
2021
13
2020
9
2019
9
2018
5
2016
0
2015
9
2014
28
2013
37
2012
38
2011
38
2010
32
2009
34
2008
31
2007
37
2006
34
2005
31
2004
15
2003
5
2002
4
2001
20
2000
8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Fork Creek Prep Plant sits in Lincoln County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 5.3% 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.
Lincoln County, West Virginia · Population 20,170
5.3%
Mining share of county employment
$48,593
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
0
3
0
2026 Q1
3,313
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
6,278
48
9
7645.7
2025 Q3
7,290
14
6
1920.4
2025 Q2
6,094
4
1
656.4
2025 Q1
6,545
8
1
1222.3
2024 Q4
7,807
14
6
1793.3
2024 Q3
5,857
0
0
0.0
Show 91 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
6,789
12
5
1767.6
2024 Q1
5,135
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
5,113
3
0
586.7
2023 Q3
4,553
5
2
1098.2
2023 Q2
6,737
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
6,418
13
6
2025.6
2022 Q4
5,315
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
7,666
31
17
4043.8
2022 Q2
8,251
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
7,570
3
1
396.3
2021 Q4
7,302
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
5,585
4
1
716.2
2021 Q2
6,526
0
0
0.0
2021 Q1
7,649
4
2
522.9
2020 Q4
6,322
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
5,194
1
1
192.5
2020 Q2
4,694
2
2
426.1
2020 Q1
5,159
6
2
1163.0
2019 Q4
5,523
2
0
362.1
2019 Q3
3,972
7
3
1762.3
2019 Q2
3,477
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
3,977
3
0
754.3
2018 Q4
3,805
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
3,134
3
0
957.2
2018 Q2
937
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
0
1
0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
2,854
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
4,710
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
7,714
4
1
518.5
2014 Q4
7,610
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
15,473
3
0
193.9
2014 Q2
21,357
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
24,184
8
4
330.8
2013 Q4
21,825
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
20,638
3
2
145.4
2013 Q2
22,245
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
23,479
10
5
425.9
2012 Q4
20,782
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
22,828
1
1
43.8
2012 Q2
24,458
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
23,593
5
1
211.9
2011 Q4
26,572
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
30,930
2
1
64.7
2011 Q2
22,982
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
21,545
4
0
185.7
2010 Q4
25,085
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
23,081
2
1
86.7
2010 Q2
18,022
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
23,308
1
0
42.9
2009 Q4
23,377
1
0
42.8
2009 Q3
21,449
8
4
373.0
2009 Q2
16,036
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
21,928
6
3
273.6
2008 Q4
21,814
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
20,783
4
3
192.5
2008 Q2
21,727
3
1
138.1
2008 Q1
17,478
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
26,234
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
20,167
1
0
49.6
2007 Q2
25,115
3
0
119.5
2007 Q1
20,605
1
0
48.5
2006 Q4
25,489
5
2
196.2
2006 Q3
22,663
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
22,329
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
19,162
7
5
365.3
2005 Q4
24,051
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
21,255
1
1
47.0
2005 Q2
15,732
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
12,911
7
6
542.2
2004 Q4
11,817
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
10,763
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
6,889
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
6,890
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
5,278
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
4,258
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
0
0
0
2003 Q1
0
0
0
2002 Q4
0
0
0
2002 Q3
390
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
390
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
6,225
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
10,901
1
0
91.7
2001 Q3
11,867
10
5
842.7
2001 Q2
11,669
2
1
171.4
2001 Q1
12,586
2
0
158.9
2000 Q4
12,403
3
0
241.9
2000 Q3
4,764
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
0
0
0
2000 Q1
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
24 on file
2019 · 1 incident
September 21, 2019WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EE was assisting in the removal of a pump skid from the pump building. EE was behind the pump operating the ratchet hoist when the pump moved and the suction pipe kicked backward striking their left knee. EE was seen at the ER, referred to ortho who released EE back to work. On 10-21-2019 Dr. took EE off work after an MRI reveled a meniscus tear in EE left knee.
2013 · 1 incident
April 11, 2013WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE was unhooking a beam from the crane when he slipped and fell about 8-9 feet hitting his arm on a beam that was on the ground. EE was transported to the hospital for treatment and x-rays were done showing no broken bones and a dislocated elbow was placed on light duty.
2012 · 1 incident
June 29, 2012WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was trying to unplug a pipe with a hammer while standing on the raw coal pump motor base. Employee slipped off twisting ankle and hurting elbow. Employee did not miss any days until 9/4/2012 and management was notified on 9/5/2012.
Injured was lifting crescent wrench up to employee working above him. Crescent wrench slipped and as injured tried to catch it his middle finger came into contact with a conduit bracket.
April 22, 2008WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EE was coming through the red light toward the prep plant. He turned his windshield wipers on and the lights from the plant blinded him, causing him to strike the rock beside the pond.
2006 · 2 incidents
November 10, 2006WV · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
After loading a unit train employee was leaving stockpile area using a Cat dozer. While coming along side #7E#8 feeders the coal gave way & the dozer went into the void & ended up on its top. Some clean coal had doors fouled from opening.
Worker was changing discharge lip on #1 raw coal screen. He was pushing on a 6"x3/4 carriage bolt while another worker was using an impact wrench to tighten bolt. The bolt had a sharp edge. As they were tightening the bolt, it spun cutting through worker's glove causing a cut to the right index finger. Six stitches to close wound.
CHARGING HOPPER FOR MAGNETITE BIN FEED SCREW HAD PLUGGED EE HAD REMOVED INSPECTION COVER SO AS TO WATCH FOR MATERIAL TO FEED. AFTER HOPPER HAD BEEN UNPLUGGED EE WAS USING DUCT TAPE TO COVER IN SPECTION HOLE WHILE SCREW WAS RUNNING HIS LEFT INDEX FINGER WAS CUT WHEN IT CAME IN.
July 17, 2001WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
EE WAS USING A PERMANENCT INSTALLED 240 VOLT CUTOFF SAW TO CUT 1" COLD ROLL ROUND BAR. AS HE WAS CUTTING FINAL PIECE AS THE BLADE OF THE SAW MAD FINAL PENETRATION OF THE METAL THE ROD KICKED B ACK AND THE SHARP EDGE STRUCK #4 AND #5 FINGERS ON LEFT HAND. (11 TOTAL STITCHES)
2000 · 9 incidents
October 23, 2000WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
EMPLOYEE GOT DOWN ON HIS KNEES TO CUT A PIECE OF METAL SHEETING TO PUT IN THE END OF A HEADER.WHEN HE STOOD BACK UP FROM HIS KNEELING POSITION, HE FELT A SHARP PAIN IN THE BACK OF HIS LEFT K NEE.
EMPLOYEE WAS HELPING LIFT BELT SCALES AND FELT SOMETHING POP IN HIS LOWER BACK. HE WAS LIFTING CORNER OF SCALE AT THE TIME SO ANOTHER EMPLOYEE COULD PUT A CHOKER UNDER IT TO LIFT THE SCALES INTO POSITION WITH A BOOM TRUCK.
WHILE ASSISTING WITH INSTALLATION OF DOOR CHANNEL, ANOTHER WORKER STRUCK THE CHANNEL WITH A 416 SLEDGE HAMMER TO REALIGN IT. VICTIM'S HEAD WAS CLOSE TO CHANNEL, AND HE SUFFERED SOUND CONCUSSI ON AND PARTIAL HEARING LOSS. REPORTED AT LATER DATE.
1999 · 1 incident
July 14, 1999WV · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverHANDLING OF MATERIALS