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Hawthorne Dock: 216 MSHA citations Coal

Norton, Wise County, VA  ·  Temporarily Idled
MSHA Mine ID: 4405021

Hawthorne Dock has $35K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1K outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
7
Years on record
1986–2006
Latest incident
May 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
216
citations
104
significant & substantial
$35,229
proposed penalties
$34,104
paid to date
97% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,125 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Ambrose Branch Coal Company Inc's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
72
inspections on record
1,080
inspection hours
20.0
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.
216 citations across 1,080 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Hawthorne Dock has $35K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1K 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.
$35K
proposed penalties
$35K
current assessed
$34K
paid to date
$1K
outstanding
208 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $158 in penalties contested before the Commission, $120 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2018-09-17.
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.
50.0%
significant & substantial
1.4%
high negligence or reckless
51.4%
reasonably likely or greater
29.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 3.4% low, 95.2% moderate, 1.4% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
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
VA 2004-10 Settlement Melick 2004 $158 → $120
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Hawthorne Dock shows 100% of 82 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: 2018-11-29, 7 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
82
samples
0.91
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.
72 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 10 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER36
  • CAR DROPPER13
  • TIPPLE OPERATOR10

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: 2018-02-26, 8 years ago
3%
over PEL
39
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER17
  • TIPPLE OPERATOR6
  • CAR DROPPER5
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
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
2018 100% 11
2015 100% 2
2014 100% 6
2013 100% 6
2012 100% 6
2011 100% 3
2009 100% 2
2008 100% 2
2007 100% 4
2006 100% 5
2005 100% 6
2004 100% 10
2003 100% 6
2002 100% 2
2001 100% 7
2000 100% 4
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2018 0% 3
2015 0% 1
2014 0% 3
2013 0% 3
2012 0% 6
2011 0% 2
2008 0% 2
2007 0% 1
2006 0% 2
2004 0% 3
2003 0% 2
2002 0% 2
2001 14% 7
2000 0% 2
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Ambrose Branch Coal Company Inc 1978 to present
  2. D & C Mining Corp 2001 to 2009
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2018 3
2017 2
2016 0
2015 1
2014 3
2013 3
2012 3
2011 3
2010 2
2009 1
2008 1
2007 2
2006 3
2005 5
2004 4
2003 3
2002 4
2001 4
2000 3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Hawthorne Dock sits in Wise County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 5.9% 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.
Wise County, Virginia · Population 35,727
5.9%
Mining share of county employment
$50,740
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
2018 Q2 648 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 947 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 214 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 292 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 169 1 0 5917.2
2017 Q1 0 0 0
2016 Q1 0 0 0
2015 Q4 0 0 0
Show 63 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2015 Q3 0 0 0
2015 Q2 0 0 0
2015 Q1 742 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 1,248 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 1,632 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 1,536 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 1,608 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 1,503 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 1,440 1 0 694.4
2013 Q2 1,512 1 0 661.4
2013 Q1 1,512 1 0 661.4
2012 Q4 1,224 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 872 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 1,665 2 0 1201.2
2012 Q1 1,632 1 0 612.7
2011 Q4 1,440 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,536 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 1,560 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 1,983 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,376 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 1,152 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 0 0 0
2010 Q1 900 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 100 1 0 10000.0
2009 Q3 128 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 20 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 0 0 0
2008 Q4 0 0 0
2008 Q3 0 0 0
2008 Q2 752 9 6 11968.1
2008 Q1 733 3 0 4092.8
2007 Q4 766 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 1,250 7 4 5600.0
2007 Q2 1,233 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 1,186 3 2 2529.5
2006 Q4 1,282 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 1,254 7 0 5582.1
2006 Q2 1,322 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 2,789 4 1 1434.2
2005 Q4 3,324 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 3,577 27 13 7548.2
2005 Q2 3,294 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 3,307 11 8 3326.3
2004 Q4 4,130 5 2 1210.7
2004 Q3 4,536 18 13 3968.3
2004 Q2 2,985 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 3,588 16 12 4459.3
2003 Q4 3,419 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 2,910 2 2 687.3
2003 Q2 2,349 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 2,194 8 2 3646.3
2002 Q4 2,335 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 2,092 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 2,261 2 2 884.6
2002 Q1 3,129 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 4,623 3 2 648.9
2001 Q3 4,002 6 1 1499.3
2001 Q2 1,169 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 251 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 439 2 0 4555.8
2000 Q3 1,049 1 1 953.3
2000 Q2 695 3 3 4316.5
2000 Q1 1,141 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

7 on file

2006 · 1 incident

May 1, 2006 VA · Coal FIRE
D & C Mining Corp · Accident type, without injuries

Unknown cause of fire. It occurred during non working hours and cause was not determined.

1993 · 3 incidents

October 22, 1993 VA · Coal clerk, timekeeper, office worker, director of sales OTHER
Ambrose Branch Coal Company Inc · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

EE WAS STANDING OUTDOOR POST WHEN BIT BY A SPIDER.

1990 · 1 incident

November 15, 1990 VA · Coal tipple/top lander/skip dumper operator, binman, topman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Ambrose Branch Coal Company Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

WHILE LIFTING RR RAIL,LEFT END SLIPPED AND CAUGHT LEFT FOOT AGAINST RAIL.

1988 · 1 incident

1986 · 1 incident