Infinity Surface Mine #1 has $108K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K outstanding across 16 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2008–2009
Latest incident
Apr 2009
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
167
citations
63
significant & substantial
$107,998
proposed penalties
$87,451
paid to date
81% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $20,547 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: 753 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Infinity Surface Mine #1 has $108K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K outstanding across 16 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.
$108K
proposed penalties
$89K
current assessed
$87K
paid to date
$2K
outstanding
161 assessments are final orders; 16 contested dockets.
Of $91K in penalties contested before the Commission, $71K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2012-12-10.
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.
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.
91citations taken to the federal commission · 54% of citations on record
Settled
90 · 99%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 1%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 36 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
22%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$91K proposed, $71K 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 2011-11-28.
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.
MSHA sampling at Infinity Surface Mine #1 shows 100% of 111 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: 2010-05-04, 16 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
111
samples
1.44
dust max (mg/m3)
51 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 60 by the operator.
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.
Infinity Surface Mine #1 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2010.
Injury rate, 2010
ⓘ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 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 3.20 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.85 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
2010 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009 *
9.67
9.67
0.000
2008 *
3.13
3.13
0.000
2007 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006 *
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)
2017
0
2016
0
2015
0
2014
0
2013
1
2012
0
2011
0
2010
15
93,833
2009
16
109,664
2008
23
240,757
2007
23
175,444
2006
18
146,055
2005
5
17,897
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Infinity Surface Mine #1 sits in Harlan County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.3% 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.
Harlan County, Kentucky · Population 26,185
4.3%
Mining share of county employment
$37,198
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
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 Q4
0
0
0
Show 39 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2015 Q3
0
0
0
2015 Q2
0
0
0
2015 Q1
0
0
0
2014 Q4
0
0
0
2014 Q3
0
0
0
2014 Q2
0
0
0
2014 Q1
0
0
0
2013 Q4
1,525
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
0
0
0
2013 Q2
0
0
0
2013 Q1
0
0
0
2012 Q4
0
2
0
2012 Q3
0
0
0
2012 Q2
0
0
0
2012 Q1
0
0
0
2011 Q4
0
0
0
2011 Q3
0
1
0
2011 Q1
0
3
3
2010 Q4
0
0
0
2010 Q3
0
0
0
2010 Q2
20,081
6
4
298.8
2010 Q1
14,674
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
594
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
670
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
17,829
3
0
168.3
2009 Q1
22,271
16
5
718.4
2008 Q4
18,588
7
2
376.6
2008 Q3
23,188
37
11
1595.7
2008 Q2
9,800
13
7
1326.5
2008 Q1
12,324
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
10,780
3
2
278.3
2007 Q3
11,746
8
4
681.1
2007 Q2
8,188
1
0
122.1
2007 Q1
4,546
18
4
3959.5
2006 Q4
11,632
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
9,873
1
0
101.3
2006 Q2
8,808
5
1
567.7
2006 Q1
5,267
10
9
1898.6
2005 Q4
2,013
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
3 on file
2009 · 2 incidents
April 10, 2009KY · Coalgreaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oilerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
While climbing down the ladder of the 992G loader, he slipped and grabbed the ladder with his left hand only and swung around with one hand causing a strained left shoulder.
February 12, 2009KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
Employee alleged that he was lifting a rock with a 992G loader when the rock slipped out of the bucket causing the loader to rock throwing him out of his seat hurting his back. Dr. diagnosed strained back. Seat belt was in good working condition but was not being used.
2008 · 1 incident
December 6, 2008KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON