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Highland Coal Handling Facility: 270 MSHA citations Coal

Highland Mining Company · Underground
Lyburn, Logan County, WV  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4606558

Highland Coal Handling Facility has $75K in proposed MSHA penalties and $60 outstanding across 17 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
21
Years on record
1985–2018
Latest incident
Jun 2018
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2004
270
citations
49
significant & substantial
$75,149
proposed penalties
$64,994
paid to date
86% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $10,155 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Highland Mining Company's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2004
103
inspections on record
4,287
inspection hours
6.3
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.
270 citations across 4,287 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Highland Coal Handling Facility has $75K in proposed MSHA penalties and $60 outstanding across 17 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.
$75K
proposed penalties
$65K
current assessed
$65K
paid to date
$60
outstanding
257 assessments are final orders; 17 contested dockets.
Of $39K in penalties contested before the Commission, $29K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2020-05-18.
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.
19.0%
significant & substantial
1.6%
high negligence or reckless
21.3%
reasonably likely or greater
14.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.8% none, 17.8% low, 79.8% moderate, 1.6% 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.
56 citations taken to the federal commission · 21% of citations on record
  • Settled 48 · 86%
  • Stood as issued 8 · 14%
54%
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 37 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
26%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$39K proposed, $29K 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 2013-06-28.
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
WEVA 2009-1037 Dismissal Lesnick 2012 $11K → $11K
WEVA 2008-1160 Settlement Weisberger 2011 $7K → $6K
WEVA 2008-531 Settlement Hodgdon 2008 $7K → $4K
WEVA 2008-625 Settlement Hodgdon 2009 $4K → $2K
WEVA 2006-849 Settlement Hodgdon 2007 $2K → $1K
WEVA 2008-1607 Settlement Weisberger 2010 $1K → $500
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Highland Coal Handling Facility shows 100% of 59 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: 2019-12-10, 6 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
59
samples
1.40
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.
47 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 12 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • ELECTRICIAN8
  • DISPATCHER4
  • BELT MAN/CONVEYOR MAN2

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2019-12-18, 6 years ago
3.5
silica avg (%)
14
samples
7.1
silica max (%)
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2012-12-03, 13 years ago
0%
over PEL
21
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • LABORER6
  • BELT MAN/CONVEYOR MAN5
  • ELECTRICIAN5
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
2019 100% 4
2017 100% 2
2016 100% 4
2015 100% 6
2014 100% 2
2012 100% 12
2010 100% 4
2009 100% 5
2008 100% 2
2007 100% 4
2006 100% 2
2005 100% 12
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2019 6.4 3
2017 3.5 2
2016 3.3 4
2015 2.5 1
2014 2.8 1
2012 2.2 2
2010 0.2 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2012 0% 10
2010 0% 2
2009 0% 6
2007 0% 3
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Highland Coal Handling Facility recorded 9.64 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2015.

Injury rate, 2015
ⓘ 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.
9.64
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.22 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
2015 * 9.64 0.00 0.000
2014 * 8.89 0.00 0.000
2012 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2011 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2008 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2007 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2006 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2005 * 15.68 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
  1. Elkay Mining Company 1982 to 1998
  2. Bandmill Coal Corp 1998 to 2003
  3. Highland Mining Company 2003 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2024 0
2023 0
2022 0
2021 0
2020 3
2019 9
2018 9
2017 9
2016 9
2015 9
2014 8
2013 6
2012 13
2011 13
2010 6
2009 9
2008 10
2007 9
2006 11
2005 11
2004 0
2000 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Highland Coal Handling Facility sits in Logan County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 6.6% 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.
Logan County, West Virginia · Population 31,826
6.6%
Mining share of county employment
$47,237
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
2024 Q3 0 0 0
2024 Q2 0 0 0
2024 Q1 0 0 0
2023 Q4 0 0 0
2023 Q3 0 0 0
2023 Q2 0 0 0
2023 Q1 0 0 0
2022 Q4 0 0 0
Show 76 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2022 Q3 0 0 0
2022 Q2 0 0 0
2022 Q1 0 0 0
2021 Q4 0 0 0
2021 Q3 0 0 0
2021 Q2 0 0 0
2021 Q1 0 0 0
2020 Q4 0 0 0
2020 Q3 229 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 2,449 1 0 408.3
2020 Q1 2,712 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 4,197 1 0 238.3
2019 Q3 4,705 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 5,208 1 0 192.0
2019 Q1 4,999 2 0 400.1
2018 Q4 4,341 1 0 230.4
2018 Q3 4,619 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 5,128 2 0 390.0
2018 Q1 5,285 2 0 378.4
2017 Q4 4,647 3 0 645.6
2017 Q3 4,739 8 1 1688.1
2017 Q2 5,022 4 1 796.5
2017 Q1 5,409 4 1 739.5
2016 Q4 4,924 1 0 203.1
2016 Q3 4,762 3 0 630.0
2016 Q2 4,800 1 0 208.3
2016 Q1 5,041 2 0 396.7
2015 Q4 4,965 2 0 402.8
2015 Q3 5,231 1 0 191.2
2015 Q2 5,009 1 0 199.6
2015 Q1 5,542 4 0 721.8
2014 Q4 4,838 1 0 206.7
2014 Q3 5,789 4 0 691.0
2014 Q2 5,996 4 0 667.1
2014 Q1 5,864 4 0 682.1
2013 Q4 4,580 2 0 436.7
2013 Q3 4,048 6 2 1482.2
2013 Q2 4,147 8 2 1929.1
2013 Q1 5,566 1 1 179.7
2012 Q4 7,491 5 0 667.5
2012 Q3 7,951 7 3 880.4
2012 Q2 7,023 4 1 569.6
2012 Q1 8,443 6 2 710.6
2011 Q4 7,773 3 0 386.0
2011 Q3 9,704 8 1 824.4
2011 Q2 9,178 6 2 653.7
2011 Q1 7,994 4 2 500.4
2010 Q4 4,907 3 1 611.4
2010 Q3 4,464 3 0 672.0
2010 Q2 2,563 3 0 1170.5
2010 Q1 1,595 1 1 627.0
2009 Q4 0 4 1
2009 Q3 4,937 2 0 405.1
2009 Q2 7,104 5 3 703.8
2009 Q1 7,399 5 2 675.8
2008 Q4 6,909 11 4 1592.1
2008 Q3 6,321 2 0 316.4
2008 Q2 5,588 5 0 894.8
2008 Q1 6,014 13 3 2161.6
2007 Q4 5,627 11 0 1954.9
2007 Q3 5,577 3 2 537.9
2007 Q2 5,856 8 0 1366.1
2007 Q1 6,521 13 3 1993.6
2006 Q4 5,916 1 0 169.0
2006 Q3 6,351 4 2 629.8
2006 Q2 6,708 29 6 4323.2
2006 Q1 7,193 1 0 139.0
2005 Q4 6,153 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 6,670 3 0 449.8
2005 Q2 6,928 1 1 144.3
2005 Q1 5,762 3 0 520.7
2004 Q4 96 5 1 52083.3
2004 Q3 0 10 0
2004 Q2 0 2 0
2000 Q2 0 0 0
2000 Q1 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

21 on file

2018 · 1 incident

June 5, 2018 WV · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Highland Mining Company · Accident type, without injuries

Non injury roof fall between break 20 & 21, roof fall was reported and investigated, has been cleaned up and area re-supported

2016 · 2 incidents

December 27, 2016 WV · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Highland Mining Company · Accident type, without injuries

A roof fall approximately 50' long, 20' wide and 10-13' high occurred in the #3 entry. No injuries occurred due to this roof fall.

March 29, 2016 WV · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Highland Mining Company · Accident type, without injuries

A non-injury roof fall occurred at break #35 on the #4 belt. Passage of persons was not affected. Ventilation was not affected no equipment was involved

2015 · 1 incident

December 11, 2015 WV · Coal examiner, fire boss, pre-shift examiner, mine examiner DISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA)
Highland Mining Company · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Occupational hearing loss but he is still working as of 12-28-15.

2014 · 2 incidents

October 1, 2014 WV · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider DUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Highland Mining Company · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

We were notified of his diagnosis of coal workers pneumoconiosis on 12-4-14 he hasn't worked at this mine since 2013.

February 12, 2014 WV · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Highland Mining Company · Accident type, without injuries

A roof fall in #3 entry on #3 belt from brk.13 near spad #34 and continued to spad #40 on brk 15. This is a continuation of a previous fall that had been cleaned up and re-supported.

2011 · 4 incidents

March 21, 2011 WV · Coal discontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operator POWERED HAULAGE
Highland Mining Company · Struck against a moving object

was operating scoop, scoop was stuck in soft muddy area. Placed cribbing under bucket to lift scoop. Cribs failed to support the scoop and dropped from cribs suddenly bouncing the operator into the canopy, knocking him unconscious for 2 minutes. operator refused ambulance.

2006 · 1 incident

June 9, 2006 WV · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Highland Mining Company · Accident type, without injuries

A roof fall occurred at #4 entry track near #3 belt. The fall measured approximately 20' lenght x 20' width x 4' to 6' height.

2005 · 3 incidents

September 2, 2005 WV · Coal electrician, lineman STRIKING OR BUMPING
Highland Mining Company · Struck against stationary object

EE'S HARD HAT FELL OFF AND HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RECOVERING IT WHEN HE HIT HIS HEAD ON THE JACK THAT OPERATES THE HORIZONTAL FLOW GATE.

May 9, 2005 WV · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Highland Mining Company · Struck by falling object

EMPLOYEE WAS RAISING THE FLOW GATE AT THE TRUCK DUMP WITH A 3/4"TON CHAIN RATCHETT. THE CHAIN RATCHETT BECAME FOULED. AS THE EE WAS FREEIING UP THE CHAIN RATCHETT, IT RELEASED CAUSING THE FLOW GATE TO FALL STRIKING HIM ON THE RIGHT HAND.

January 3, 2005 WV · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Highland Mining Company · Accident type, without injuries

Roof fall occurred in track entry at #15 break in a 4-way intersection. The fall measured approx. 6'H x 20'W x 20'L. The fall was discovered at approx. 11:30pm.

2004 · 4 incidents

December 21, 2004 WV · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss MACHINERY
Highland Mining Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee climbed up escapeway tubing in the glory hole about 100' to work on a gob switch. As he was descending through a 2'x2' door, the outside man started the #2 surface belt. The coal falling into the chute made air pressure slam the door shut on his right middle and ring finger. The tips of the fingers had to be amputated.

April 15, 2004 WV · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Highland Mining Company · Accident type, without injuries

A ROCK FALL OCCURED IN THE #1 ENTRY, 1 BR INSIDE . THE FALL WAS APPROXIMATELY 30' BY 30' X 5' HIGH. THE REASON THIS IS LATE: WE ARE REHABING THIS MINE. IT HAS BEEN IDLE FOR 9 YEARS.

1986 · 1 incident

1985 · 2 incidents

August 28, 1985 WV · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Elkay Mining Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS LOADING ROCK FROM UNDER BORE HOLE, LOOSE ROCK FELL, EMPLOYEE FELL, TWISTED HIP WHILE RUNNING FROM FALLING ROCK

August 28, 1985 WV · Coal scoop car operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Elkay Mining Company · Struck by falling object

EMP WAS LOADING ROCK FROM UNDER BORE HOLE, LOOSE ROCK FELL, COVERING EMPLOYEE FROM NECK DOWN