Mining Incidents

Hughes Ferry Surface Mine No. 1: 35 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Andrew B Jordon
Nallen, Fayette County, WV  ·  Temporarily Idled
MSHA Mine ID: 4609339

Hughes Ferry Surface Mine No. 1 has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2021
Latest incident
Oct 2021
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2010
35
citations
7
significant & substantial
$9,631
proposed penalties
$4,471
paid to date
46% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,160 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2010
40
inspections on record
769
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: 769 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Hughes Ferry Surface Mine No. 1 has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K 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.
$10K
proposed penalties
$10K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$5K
outstanding
34 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2023-03-22.
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.
20.6%
significant & substantial
5.9%
high negligence or reckless
20.6%
reasonably likely or greater
23.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 14.7% low, 79.4% moderate, 5.9% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Hughes Ferry Surface Mine No. 1 shows 100% of 35 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: 2023-06-29, 3 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
35
samples
0.55
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.
29 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 6 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR13
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR9
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE9

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2021-09-20, 4 years ago
1.6
silica avg (%)
1
samples
1.6
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER 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: 2023-06-29, 3 years ago
0%
over PEL
20
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR7
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR6
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE6
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
2023 100% 6
2022 100% 5
2021 100% 10
2020 100% 3
2011 100% 4
2010 100% 7
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2023 0% 6
2022 0% 3
2021 0% 4
2011 0% 3
2010 0% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Eagle Ridge Development Group LLC 2009 to 2011
  2. Mountain Energy Holdings, LLC 2011 to 2013
  3. Needmore Mining, LLC 2013 to 2020
  4. Norman Holdings, LLC 2020 to 2021
  5. Long Flame Coal Corporation 2021 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 0
2025 0
2024 1
2023 3 2,697
2022 4 2,894
2021 6 7,193
2016 2
2015 0
2014 0
2011 5 7,469
2010 2 6,231
2009 2
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Hughes Ferry Surface Mine No. 1 sits in Fayette County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 3.0% 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.
Fayette County, West Virginia · Population 39,987
3.0%
Mining share of county employment
$52,672
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 0 0 0
2026 Q1 0 0 0
2025 Q4 0 0 0
2025 Q3 0 0 0
2025 Q2 0 0 0
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 110 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 210 0 0 0.0
Show 27 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 320 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 512 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 720 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 1,880 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 2,242 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 1,889 1 0 529.4
2022 Q4 2,156 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 1,719 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 1,771 1 0 564.7
2022 Q1 2,066 1 0 484.0
2021 Q4 3,688 1 0 271.1
2021 Q3 3,594 2 0 556.5
2021 Q2 3,194 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 783 1 0 1277.1
2016 Q4 70 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 120 12 0 100000.0
2016 Q2 30 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 0 0 0
2014 Q2 0 0 0
2011 Q3 42 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 4,210 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 3,309 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,509 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 456 1 0 2193.0
2010 Q2 755 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 1,128 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 541 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2021 · 1 incident

October 16, 2021 WV · Coal outside foreman, leadman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Long Flame Coal Corporation · Fall from machine

There were heavy rains all morning while we were working on equipment. After completing work on the D10R I was checking the fluid levels. When climbing off the dozer my foot missed the step on the push arm and began to slide. My feet went above my head and I fell 4-5 feet on my back.