Mining Incidents

Fox Farms: 7 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Joseph Aloe
Flushing, Belmont County, OH  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3304610

Fox Farms has $807 in proposed MSHA penalties and $200 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
2009
Latest incident
Jan 2009
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
7
citations
1
significant & substantial
$807
proposed penalties
$607
paid to date
75% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $200 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2008
3
inspections on record
82
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: 82 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Fox Farms has $807 in proposed MSHA penalties and $200 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.
$807
proposed penalties
$807
current assessed
$607
paid to date
$200
outstanding
7 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $200 in penalties contested before the Commission, $200 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-08-26.
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.
14.3%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
14.3%
reasonably likely or greater
14.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 42.9% low, 57.1% 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.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 29% of citations on record
  • Stood as issued 2 · 100%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$200 proposed, $200 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 2009-06-02.
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
LAKE 2009-498 Dismissal Harner 2011 $200 → $200
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Fox Farms shows 83% of 6 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: 2009-08-31, 17 years ago
83%
within 1.5 mg/m3
6
samples
1.52
dust max (mg/m3)
6 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR2
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR1
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER1

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: 2008-08-13, 18 years ago
0%
over PEL
2
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER1
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Quality Aggregates Inc 2008 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)
2009 14 68,690
2008 13 41,181
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Fox Farms sits in Belmont County, Ohio, where the Census mining category is 4.7% 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.
Belmont County, Ohio · Population 65,982
4.7%
Mining share of county employment
$58,411
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
2009 Q3 8,465 2 1 236.3
2009 Q2 7,822 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 9,807 1 0 102.0
2008 Q4 10,401 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 4,878 2 0 410.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2009 · 1 incident

January 22, 2009 OH · Coal coal/ore shovel operator, shoveler, power shoveler MACHINERY
Quality Aggregates Inc · Struck by falling object

While clearing material, the operator pulled the bucket of the excavator too close to the cab and a rock (about the size of a softball) came through the windshield of the excavator striking him in the pelvic area.