Leer Prep Plant has $51K in proposed MSHA penalties and $954 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
16
Years on record
2011–2025
Latest incident
May 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2011
139
citations
34
significant & substantial
$50,873
proposed penalties
$49,919
paid to date
98% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $954 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.
139 citations across 3,585 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: 2026-06-17.
On record since 2026.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Leer Prep Plant has $51K in proposed MSHA penalties and $954 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.
$51K
proposed penalties
$51K
current assessed
$50K
paid to date
$954
outstanding
127 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-17.
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.
MSHA sampling at Leer Prep Plant shows 100% of 166 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: 2026-06-23
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
166
samples
0.85
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.
160 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 6 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.
Leer Prep Plant recorded 1.82 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.
1.82
total case rate
1.82
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.89 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025
1.82
1.82
0.000
2024
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022
1.78
0.00
0.000
2021
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020
1.89
1.89
0.000
2019
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018
0.00
0.00
0.000
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
42
2025
53
2024
53
2023
49
2022
50
2021
45
2020
45
2019
42
2018
42
2017
43
2016
42
2015
41
2014
38
2013
30
2012
8
2011
0
2010
0
2009
0
2008
0
2007
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Leer Prep Plant sits in Taylor County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 2.2% 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.
Taylor County, West Virginia · Population 16,543
2.2%
Mining share of county employment
$56,807
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
An Entrapment occurred whenever an employee was shoving coal away from the #1 Midd's feeder and the dozer slid backwards/down into the underling feeder. No injuries occurred from this incident.
February 13, 2025WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
ICG Tygart Valley · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
After the employee completed their shift, EE went to their vehicle to start it and allow it to warm up. The employee started the vehicle without being seated inside of it. (standing outside the vehicle) The vehicle lunged forward during this process and ran over EE's left foot.
2022 · 4 incidents
November 26, 2022WV · Coalcrane operator, mobile equipment operator (meo), dragline operator, dropball operator, riggerMACHINERY
ICG Tygart Valley · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
The EE was operating a forklift to retrieve an I-Beam that was being lowered to the basement floor level of the prep plant processing building by a machining hoist. As the beam was lowered to the fork lift, the operator exited the equipment and attempted to guide the beam onto the forks. The load suddenly shifted, pinching right hand between the beam and fork.
November 1, 2022WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
Employee was falling a tree, the tree fell and contacted a limb that was on the ground. This limb then struck the employee in the left knee causing an MCL injury.
July 11, 2022WV · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Driver started the belt on live bottom trailer forcing load against tailgate before unlatching tailgate. EE tried to free tailgate by hitting latch with a chain hook. This caused the tailgate to break free and hit the driver in the mouth.
April 6, 2022WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
ICG Tygart Valley · Caught in, under or between two or more moving objects
Employee was turning motor sheave on unit 214 on the 3rd floor of the prep plant to assess the condition of the motor. When the employee rotated the belt, employee's right thumb was caught between the belt and the sheave. This resulted in a laceration to the right thumb that required five sutures.
2020 · 1 incident
August 20, 2020WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
On 8/20/20, employee was carrying a small sieve pulley and lost EE's footing, while descending the 4th floor stairs, falling down four steps and injuring EE's left hand. EE started missing work on 9/9/20 upon discovering that EE's small finger was fractured at the 5th metacarpal.
2019 · 1 incident
December 26, 2019WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
The sample crusher was plugged from the crusher to the head of the primary belt. The employee used a scraper to try to unplug crusher while it was still operating. The crusher segment hit the scraper causing it to come upward striking EE in the mouth and cutting EE's hand, resulting in laceration.
2018 · 1 incident
January 8, 2018WV · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was starting to enter the hole area for the 7' pipe, when employee stepped on ice and fell backwards onto the ground. As a result of the fall, employee broke EE's left femur at EE's hip joint, which required surgery to correct.
ICG Tygart Valley · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
EMPLOYEE WAS STRUCK BY A PIECE OF METAL WHILE REMOVING DEBRIS FROM THE MAGNET OF THE CLEAN COAL BELT LINE. BELT AND MAGNET WERE DE-ENERGIZED. EMPLOYEE COULDN'T HOLD METAL AND WANTED MAGNET BACK ON. ONCE POWER CAME ON THE METAL SMASHED EMPLOYEE'S THUMB.
2016 · 2 incidents
November 23, 2016WV · Coalprep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE was cutting out sides of a chute from inside the chute to be replaced. They had an over head crane stabilizing the top & a chain fall stabilizing the bottom of the plate being cut out to prevent from falling/swaying. A small weld was still in-tacked & as the employee was descending the ladder the weld came loose making the plate spin hitting the ladder & making the EE fall.
June 8, 2016WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
A dozer operating in the raw coal stock pile ran over the feeder #4 which had a void underneath, this allowed the dozer to drop in to the void. The dozer was covered in coal from the rear up to and including the operator's cab. It took approximately 75 minutes to uncover the cab so the operator could get out.
Employee was working off a ladder using 100% fall protection anchored overhead to a piece of structural steel. His foot slipped off ladder and when land yard caught him his left foot struck and adjacent motor on the side of the foot. The EE was wearing metatarsal footwear which was confirmed during investigation but hit the side of his foot.
February 9, 2012WV · Coalminer, prospector, necMACHINERY
Employee was working near someone that was welding off to his left side. Later that evening his left eye began to hurt and he thought he may have gotten something in it, but turned out to be a flash burn and was given prescription eye drops.
Employee was putting valves in a des lime classifier during new construction and jumped down the corrugated deck flooring, causing him to twist his knee.