Highwall Miner #1 has $6K in proposed MSHA penalties and $444 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2009–2019
Latest incident
Sep 2019
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2007
28
citations
8
significant & substantial
$5,861
proposed penalties
$5,417
paid to date
92% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $444 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.
Rate withheld: 856 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Highwall Miner #1 has $6K in proposed MSHA penalties and $444 outstanding across 0 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.
$6K
proposed penalties
$6K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$444
outstanding
27 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-29.
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.
MSHA sampling at Highwall Miner #1 shows 100% of 55 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: 2026-05-05
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
55
samples
0.54
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.
55 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
AUGER OPERATOR13
FORKLIFT OPERATOR12
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER12
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.
Highwall Miner #1 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2012.
Injury rate, 2012
ⓘ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
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.74 and the all-US-mining average was 2.96 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.61 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
2012 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009 *
16.59
0.00
0.000
2008 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2007 *
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
ⓘCoal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.
Year
Employees
Coal produced (tons)
2026
5
52,715
2025
3
35,311
2024
4
55,140
2023
3
28,752
2022
2
25,973
2021
0
2020
2
28,700
2019
5
46,741
2018
9
52,266
2017
0
2016
0
2015
0
2014
6
48,900
2013
0
2012
8
41,872
2011
4
44,707
2010
0
2009
9
70,965
2008
12
74,939
2007
12
244,588
2006
8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Highwall Miner #1 sits in Tazewell County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 3.1% 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.
Tazewell County, Virginia · Population 39,933
3.1%
Mining share of county employment
$45,788
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
3,530
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
3,540
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
3,095
1
0
323.1
2025 Q3
3,487
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
0
0
0
2025 Q1
0
0
0
2024 Q4
0
0
0
2024 Q3
3,457
2
0
578.5
Show 66 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
3,689
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
2,574
1
0
388.5
2023 Q4
1,169
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
2,767
4
1
1445.6
2023 Q2
1,887
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
0
0
0
2022 Q4
0
0
0
2022 Q3
0
0
0
2022 Q2
2,200
1
0
454.5
2022 Q1
2,585
2
0
773.7
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
0
0
0
2020 Q2
619
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
2,815
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
1,991
1
0
502.3
2019 Q3
2,564
1
0
390.0
2019 Q2
1,352
1
0
739.6
2019 Q1
2,885
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
4,593
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
4,801
2
0
416.6
2018 Q2
1,442
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
0
0
0
2017 Q2
0
0
0
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q3
0
0
0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q3
0
0
0
2015 Q2
0
0
0
2015 Q1
0
0
0
2014 Q4
4,147
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
2,638
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
2,710
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
3,209
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
0
0
0
2013 Q1
0
0
0
2012 Q4
10,367
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
13,692
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
0
0
0
2012 Q1
0
0
0
2011 Q4
6,252
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
6,860
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
0
0
0
2011 Q1
0
0
0
2010 Q4
0
0
0
2010 Q3
0
0
0
2010 Q2
0
0
0
2010 Q1
0
0
0
2009 Q4
8,100
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
4,997
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
2,216
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
8,797
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
9,816
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
6,957
2
2
287.5
2008 Q2
10,059
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
6,895
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
8,162
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
6,081
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
8,295
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
986
3
3
3042.6
2006 Q4
2,679
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
3 on file
2019 · 1 incident
September 12, 2019VA · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EE was using a sledgehammer to drive the coupling latches down on the highwall miner push beams. As EE attempted to swing the hammer to secure one of the latches, EE felt left shoulder popped. EE experienced severe pain in left shoulder forcing EE to stop work assignment.
2009 · 2 incidents
May 27, 2009VA · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY