4TH GEN FUELS, LLC. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Pulling anchor pin out on the highwall and the pin twisted and mashed finger against the frame of the miner requiring 7 stitches
Hances Ridge Split #1: 60 MSHA citations Coal
4TH GEN FUELS, LLC.
· Surface
Controlled by
Thomas J Loving; Joseph T Bennett Jr; Andrew T Loving
Pineville,
Bell County,
KY
·
Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1519891
Hances Ridge Split #1 has $16K in proposed MSHA penalties and $302 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Hances Ridge Split #1.
- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 4
- Years on record
- 2023–2026
- Latest incident
- Jan 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2021
60
citations
6
significant & substantial
$16,418
proposed penalties
$16,116
paid to date
98% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $302 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2020
42
inspections on record
1,304
inspection hours
4.6
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.60 citations across 1,304 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Hances Ridge Split #1 has $16K 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.$16K
proposed penalties
$16K
current assessed
$16K
paid to date
$302
outstanding
55 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $421 in penalties contested before the Commission, $421 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-27.
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.10.3%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
10.3%
reasonably likely or greater
10.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 1.7% none, 6.9% low, 91.4% 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.
1
citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
- Stood as issued 1 · 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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$421 proposed, $421 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 2024-11-05.
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 2025-0013 | Dismissal | Young | 2025 | $421 → $421 |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Hances Ridge Split #1 shows 100% of 127 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: 2026-07-09
ⓘ
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
127
samples
0.95
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.65 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 62 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR56
- HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR29
- ROAD GRADER OPERATOR17
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2026-07-204.0
silica avg (%)
17
samples
15.2
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR9
- HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR7
- ROAD GRADER OPERATOR1
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: 2026-07-09
ⓘ
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
65
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR22
- REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE11
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER10
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% | 17 |
| 2025 | 100% | 27 |
| 2024 | 100% | 26 |
| 2023 | 100% | 31 |
| 2022 | 100% | 7 |
| 2021 | 100% | 19 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year | silica avg (%) | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5.1 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1.1 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2.2 | 5 |
| 2023 | 8.3 | 4 |
| 2022 | 3.0 | 2 |
| 2021 | 4.8 | 1 |
Noise by year
| Year | over PEL | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0% | 8 |
| 2025 | 0% | 7 |
| 2024 | 0% | 11 |
| 2023 | 0% | 18 |
| 2022 | 0% | 4 |
| 2021 | 0% | 17 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Hances Ridge Split #1 recorded 3.58 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.3.58
total case rate
3.58
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.08 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 * | 3.58 | 3.58 | 0.000 |
| 2024 * | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.000 |
| 2023 * | 10.24 | 5.12 | 0.000 |
| 2021 * | 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
- Alden Resources LLC 2020 to 2022
- 4TH GEN FUELS, LLC. 2022 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 | 20 | 103,319 |
| 2025 | 20 | 176,962 |
| 2024 | 14 | 76,857 |
| 2023 | 15 | 56,500 |
| 2022 | 9 | 16,609 |
| 2021 | 11 | 28,878 |
| 2020 | 15 | 2,338 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Hances Ridge Split #1 sits in Bell County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.6% 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.Bell County, Kentucky · Population 23,878
3.6%
Mining share of county employment
$32,403
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 | 14,804 | 3 | 0 | 202.6 |
| 2026 Q1 | 14,318 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2025 Q4 | 13,105 | 7 | 0 | 534.1 |
| 2025 Q3 | 14,987 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2025 Q2 | 13,886 | 2 | 0 | 144.0 |
| 2025 Q1 | 13,864 | 1 | 0 | 72.1 |
| 2024 Q4 | 11,256 | 7 | 0 | 621.9 |
| 2024 Q3 | 10,088 | 2 | 1 | 198.3 |
Show 13 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Q2 | 10,709 | 1 | 0 | 93.4 |
| 2024 Q1 | 9,726 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2023 Q4 | 10,094 | 9 | 3 | 891.6 |
| 2023 Q3 | 9,495 | 8 | 1 | 842.5 |
| 2023 Q2 | 10,403 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2023 Q1 | 9,079 | 2 | 1 | 220.3 |
| 2022 Q4 | 8,580 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2022 Q3 | 4,062 | 5 | 0 | 1230.9 |
| 2021 Q4 | 3,986 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 Q3 | 7,737 | 2 | 0 | 258.5 |
| 2021 Q2 | 9,120 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 Q1 | 7,709 | 5 | 0 | 648.6 |
| 2020 Q4 | 8,433 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
4 on file2026 · 1 incident
2025 · 1 incident
4TH GEN FUELS, LLC. · Over-exertion in lifting objects
working on discharge line for a diesel pump and hurt lower back while trying to get ice out of the discharge line
2023 · 2 incidents
November 30, 2023
KY · Coal
maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
4TH GEN FUELS, LLC. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
While raising/lowering a D10R belly pan, the belly pan got onto EE's chest.
January 14, 2023
KY · Coal
maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech
DISORDERS (PHYSICAL AGENTS)
4TH GEN FUELS, LLC. · Contact with heat
While changing a hydraulic hose, EE stated EE felt bad. A co-worker evaluated EE and suspected dehydration. EE agreed to go get checked out at the local ER. The ER stated EE appeared to be dehydrated. The ER administered fluids and released EE to return to work.