Justus Preparation Plant has $9K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
5
Years on record
1986–1996
Latest incident
Nov 1996
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2007
43
citations
14
significant & substantial
$8,939
proposed penalties
$6,348
paid to date
71% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,591 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.
43 citations across 1,873 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Justus Preparation Plant has $9K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 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.
$9K
proposed penalties
$6K
current assessed
$6K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
41 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $3K in penalties contested before the Commission, $808 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2020-07-30.
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.
3citations taken to the federal commission · 7% of citations on record
Settled
3 · 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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
76%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$3K proposed, $808 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 2020-10-15.
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.
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.
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
4
2025
4
2024
4
2023
4
2022
4
2021
4
2020
4
2019
4
2018
4
2017
4
2016
4
2015
4
2014
4
2013
4
2012
4
2011
4
2010
5
2009
5
2008
5
2007
4
2006
3
2005
1
2004
1
2003
1
2002
1
2001
0
2000
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Justus Preparation Plant sits in McCreary County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 0.4% 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.
McCreary County, Kentucky · Population 16,905
0.4%
Mining share of county employment
$37,355
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
EE WAS WORKING ON A WATER PUMP. PIPE WRENCH SLIPPED OFF SHAFT CATCHING THIRD FINGER RIGHT HAND AGAINST PUMP MOTOR CAUSING LACERATION AND BROKEN FINGER.
EMPLOYEE WAS TAKING THE BACK PLATE OFF VIBRATOR SCREEN. PLATE WAS HEAVY AND HE COULD NOT SUPPORT IT. HE GLOVE CAUGHT ON PLATE AS HE DRIPPED IT. PLATE FELLON SMALL FINGER OF RIGHT HAND MASHI NG THE END OFF.