Mining Incidents

Job 5: 150 MSHA citations Coal

Ridgeline Coal, LLC · Surface
Controlled by David A Wright
Stambaugh, Johnson County, KY  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1519538

Job 5 has $56K in proposed MSHA penalties and $162 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2022
Latest incident
Dec 2022
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2011
150
citations
40
significant & substantial
$56,096
proposed penalties
$47,244
paid to date
84% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $8,852 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2010
66
inspections on record
4,532
inspection hours
3.3
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.
150 citations across 4,532 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Job 5 has $56K in proposed MSHA penalties and $162 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.
$56K
proposed penalties
$47K
current assessed
$47K
paid to date
$162
outstanding
146 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $29K in penalties contested before the Commission, $20K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-24.
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.
27.2%
significant & substantial
3.4%
high negligence or reckless
27.2%
reasonably likely or greater
21.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 9.5% low, 87.1% moderate, 3.4% 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.
5 citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
  • Settled 5 · 100%
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 5 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$29K proposed, $20K 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 2021-12-15.
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
KENT 2022-0022 Settlement Lewis 2022 $29K → $20K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Job 5 shows 100% of 310 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: 2026-06-11
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
310
samples
1.39
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.
169 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 141 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR125
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR111
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE28

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2026-06-17
8.2
silica avg (%)
38
samples
44.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR22
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR16

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: 2026-06-11
2%
over PEL
133
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR45
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR27
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE26
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
2026 100% 16
2025 100% 38
2024 100% 38
2023 100% 26
2022 100% 27
2021 100% 28
2020 100% 27
2019 100% 28
2018 100% 21
2017 100% 30
2016 100% 8
2012 100% 13
2011 100% 10
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2026 10.9 1
2025 7.6 3
2024 6.4 5
2023 4.3 8
2022 5.1 1
2021 5.5 4
2020 24.5 3
2019 9.4 2
2018 4.2 3
2017 8.0 6
2016 14.9 2
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2026 0% 7
2025 0% 18
2024 5% 20
2023 0% 13
2022 0% 11
2021 0% 10
2020 10% 10
2019 0% 10
2018 0% 5
2017 0% 10
2016 0% 7
2012 0% 7
2011 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Job 5 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.

Injury rate, 2025
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
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.08 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
2025 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2024 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 0.00 0.00 0.000
2021 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. Blackstone Coal Company LLC 2010 to 2016
  2. Ridgeline Coal, LLC 2016 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 36 183,586
2025 35 332,200
2024 35 306,773
2023 40 360,822
2022 39 448,780
2021 33 439,887
2020 27 255,944
2019 27 378,127
2018 26 301,807
2017 20 267,274
2016 8 86,386
2015 0
2014 0
2013 0
2012 16 137,933
2011 17 152,135
2010 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Job 5 sits in Johnson County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 1.9% 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.
Johnson County, Kentucky · Population 22,464
1.9%
Mining share of county employment
$43,014
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 23,796 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 22,605 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 24,440 3 0 122.7
2025 Q3 23,582 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 24,245 5 3 206.2
2025 Q1 22,411 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 22,573 4 0 177.2
2024 Q3 21,849 0 0 0.0
Show 55 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 23,011 13 2 564.9
2024 Q1 22,621 13 3 574.7
2023 Q4 22,070 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 23,763 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 25,518 7 2 274.3
2023 Q1 25,342 4 0 157.8
2022 Q4 26,211 1 0 38.2
2022 Q3 26,701 7 1 262.2
2022 Q2 27,197 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 24,850 5 1 201.2
2021 Q4 24,496 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 24,714 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 21,468 9 5 419.2
2021 Q1 16,390 3 0 183.0
2020 Q4 20,048 1 0 49.9
2020 Q3 17,327 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 17,558 5 4 284.8
2020 Q1 13,708 5 1 364.8
2019 Q4 18,320 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 18,829 4 0 212.4
2019 Q2 19,072 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 16,765 1 0 59.6
2018 Q4 18,203 1 0 54.9
2018 Q3 16,215 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 19,045 2 0 105.0
2018 Q1 16,013 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 15,411 2 0 129.8
2017 Q3 14,191 1 0 70.5
2017 Q2 14,094 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 11,560 2 0 173.0
2016 Q4 10,924 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 10,077 12 4 1190.8
2016 Q2 0 0 0
2016 Q1 0 0 0
2015 Q4 0 0 0
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 0 0 0
2013 Q3 0 0 0
2013 Q2 0 0 0
2013 Q1 0 0 0
2012 Q4 5,348 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 10,342 4 4 386.8
2012 Q2 11,369 2 0 175.9
2012 Q1 11,252 3 1 266.6
2011 Q4 12,333 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 12,827 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 8,596 2 1 232.7
2011 Q1 7,884 8 0 1014.7
2010 Q4 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2022 · 1 incident

December 20, 2022 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Ridgeline Coal, LLC · Fall from machine

Employee was ascending ladder on a 992D loader. When stepped from ladder onto platform, EE lost footing and fell to the ground. Landed on left foot which folded upon the landing. Fracture to left heel.