Mining Incidents

Kellar #3 SN #3153: 17 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by John R Kellar
Creekside, PA, Indiana County, PA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3609305

Kellar #3 SN #3153 has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $663 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
2008
Latest incident
May 2008
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
17
citations
7
significant & substantial
$2,421
proposed penalties
$1,758
paid to date
73% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $663 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
38
inspections on record
637
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: 637 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Kellar #3 SN #3153 has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $663 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.
$2K
proposed penalties
$2K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$663
outstanding
17 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2020-10-22.
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.
41.2%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
41.2%
reasonably likely or greater
41.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 17.6% low, 82.4% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Kellar #3 SN #3153 shows 100% of 71 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: 2020-10-30, 5 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
71
samples
0.53
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.
64 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 7 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER OPERATOR30
  • AUGER HELPER23
  • COAL TRUCK DRIVER14

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2020-05-27, 6 years ago
1.0
silica avg (%)
1
samples
1.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER 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: 2020-10-22, 5 years ago
5%
over PEL
42
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER HELPER16
  • AUGER OPERATOR14
  • COAL TRUCK DRIVER6
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
2020 100% 7
2019 100% 4
2018 100% 4
2017 100% 3
2015 100% 4
2014 100% 6
2013 100% 3
2012 100% 5
2011 100% 6
2010 100% 6
2009 100% 6
2008 100% 3
2007 100% 5
2006 100% 3
2005 100% 6
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2020 20% 5
2019 0% 3
2018 0% 3
2017 0% 2
2015 0% 3
2014 0% 3
2012 0% 6
2011 33% 3
2010 0% 3
2009 0% 3
2008 0% 3
2007 0% 2
2005 0% 3
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Kellar Augering Inc. 2005 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)
2020 3 4,029
2019 3 3,651
2018 3 3,435
2017 3 6,182
2015 2 1,645
2014 2 8,475
2013 2 7,158
2012 3 11,258
2011 3 13,877
2010 3 8,688
2009 2 8,111
2008 3 10,435
2007 3 15,255
2006 3 10,764
2005 3 16,428
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Kellar #3 SN #3153 sits in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 2.4% 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.
Indiana County, Pennsylvania · Population 83,213
2.4%
Mining share of county employment
$58,739
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
2020 Q4 366 2 0 5464.5
2020 Q3 132 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 286 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 110 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 360 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 666 1 0 1501.5
2018 Q1 808 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 1,187 0 0 0.0
Show 44 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2017 Q3 57 1 0 17543.9
2015 Q4 0 0 0
2015 Q2 99 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 469 1 0 2132.2
2014 Q4 0 0 0
2014 Q3 1,017 1 0 983.3
2014 Q2 570 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 1,117 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 0 0 0
2013 Q3 667 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 313 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 751 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 1,070 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 1,298 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 129 1 1 7751.9
2012 Q1 132 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 133 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,029 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 558 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 735 3 2 4081.6
2010 Q4 510 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 819 3 2 3663.0
2010 Q2 654 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 804 1 1 1243.8
2009 Q4 534 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 0 0 0
2009 Q2 444 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 696 2 0 2873.6
2008 Q4 345 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 792 1 1 1262.6
2008 Q2 594 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 120 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 633 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 318 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 1,200 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 1,095 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 717 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 250 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 240 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 510 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 498 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 480 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 1,380 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,693 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2008 · 1 incident

May 27, 2008 PA · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kellar Augering Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

An auger being hoisted with hydraulic cable hoist, slipped off hook and fell on EE's left foot, smashing his toes.