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.
362 citations across 2,110 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2012-03-29.
On record since 2012.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
K-2 Plant has $182K in proposed MSHA penalties and $84K outstanding across 28 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.
$182K
proposed penalties
$141K
current assessed
$57K
paid to date
$84K
outstanding
339 assessments are final orders; 28 contested dockets.
Of $171K in penalties contested before the Commission, $113K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-04.
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.
161citations taken to the federal commission · 44% of citations on record
Settled
160 · 99%
Stood as issued
1 · 1%
89%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 37 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
34%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$171K proposed, $113K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2023-11-20.
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 K-2 Plant shows 100% of 74 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: 2026-06-04
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
74
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.
71 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 3 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.
K-2 Plant recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2022.
Injury rate, 2022
ⓘ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 3.26 and the all-US-mining average was 2.12 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.68 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
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019 *
5.13
5.13
0.000
2018 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2017 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012 *
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
Year
Employees
2026
11
2025
8
2024
7
2023
10
2022
23
2021
5
2020
9
2019
14
2018
12
2017
15
2016
1
2015
7
2014
6
2013
19
2012
23
2011
34
2010
5
2009
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
K-2 Plant sits in Wyoming County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 11.2% 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.
Wyoming County, West Virginia · Population 20,948
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$48,038
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
8,028
7
1
871.9
2026 Q1
4,624
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
4,769
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
4,862
12
5
2468.1
2025 Q2
3,500
0
0
0.0
2025 Q1
4,178
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
1,973
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
2,704
0
0
0.0
Show 56 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
2,582
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
4,592
1
0
217.8
2023 Q4
6,931
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
0
1
0
2022 Q4
0
20
8
2022 Q3
12,855
2
1
155.6
2022 Q2
14,231
18
2
1264.8
2022 Q1
1,440
30
2
20833.3
2021 Q4
0
0
0
2021 Q3
0
17
1
2021 Q2
8,158
2
0
245.2
2021 Q1
7,504
2
0
266.5
2020 Q4
7,530
32
7
4249.7
2020 Q2
7,127
11
1
1543.4
2020 Q1
801
1
0
1248.4
2019 Q4
8,747
3
0
343.0
2019 Q3
14,135
8
1
566.0
2019 Q2
8,064
23
6
2852.2
2019 Q1
8,015
3
0
374.3
2018 Q4
9,696
5
0
515.7
2018 Q3
7,959
3
0
376.9
2018 Q2
10,256
4
0
390.0
2018 Q1
6,535
9
1
1377.2
2017 Q4
3,605
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
12,104
14
8
1156.6
2017 Q2
15,400
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q3
1,132
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
0
0
0
2015 Q3
0
0
0
2015 Q2
172
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
726
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
310
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
676
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
1,491
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
1,680
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
7,186
3
1
417.5
2013 Q3
8,181
9
1
1100.1
2013 Q2
11,701
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
13,453
8
2
594.7
2012 Q4
10,354
1
0
96.6
2012 Q3
14,715
12
1
815.5
2012 Q2
13,972
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
19,757
3
0
151.8
2011 Q4
23,751
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
25,196
6
0
238.1
2011 Q2
14,631
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
9,771
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
708
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
800
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
0
0
0
2009 Q4
0
0
0
2009 Q3
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file
2019 · 1 incident
April 30, 2019WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSTEPPING OR KNEELING ON OBJECT