Wharncliff, Mingo County,
WV
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4609272
Lower Alma No 6 has $86K in proposed MSHA penalties and $6K outstanding across 13 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
16
Years on record
2012–2014
Latest incident
Jul 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2010
155
citations
44
significant & substantial
$85,849
proposed penalties
$63,786
paid to date
74% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $22,063 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.
155 citations across 2,084 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Lower Alma No 6 has $86K in proposed MSHA penalties and $6K outstanding across 13 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.
$86K
proposed penalties
$70K
current assessed
$64K
paid to date
$6K
outstanding
149 assessments are final orders; 13 contested dockets.
Of $80K in penalties contested before the Commission, $56K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2016-11-02.
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.
48citations taken to the federal commission · 31% of citations on record
Settled
46 · 96%
Vacated or withdrawn
2 · 4%
78%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 32 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$80K proposed, $56K 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 2014-08-01.
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 Lower Alma No 6 shows 95% of 130 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: 2014-04-21, 12 years ago
95%
within 1.5 mg/m3
130
samples
9.62
dust max (mg/m3)
63 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 67 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.
Lower Alma No 6 recorded 15.06 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2014.
Injury rate, 2014
ⓘ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.
15.06
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 2.93 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.02 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
2014 *
15.06
0.00
0.000
2013 *
16.90
16.90
0.000
2012 *
9.71
9.71
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
ⓘCoal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.
Year
Employees
Coal produced (tons)
2021
0
2020
0
2016
4
2015
3
2014
13
30,061
2013
26
68,485
2012
11
21,130
2011
1
2010
0
2009
1
2008
1
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Lower Alma No 6 sits in Mingo County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 15.0% 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.
Mingo County, West Virginia · Population 22,979
15.0%
Mining share of county employment
$39,527
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 unintentional roof fall was discovered by employee while doing the weekly airway examination. Date and Time is unknown. The fall was approximately 20' X 20' 10' Thick. The area was bolted with 6' fully grouted resin bolts along with 10' cable bolts. The fall is at Spad #442 in the #5 Entry in the 2nd North West Mains
An unplanned roof fall occurred at #2 Entry Spad #152. The fall was apprx. 22' X 22' X 10'. The fall has been dangered off at all approaches. 6ft fully grouted bolts was used with 10' cable bolts.
An unplanned roof fall occurred #5 Belt one break inby spad #414. The fall is appx 20' X 20' above anchorage. The fall was dangered off at all approaches. Six foot fully grouted bolts used. Notified the agency in the required 15MIN , Local agency also notified.
An Unplanned roof fall has occurred in the #2 entry/Spad #140. The fall was approx. 20' X 20' X 6' above anchorage. The fall was dangered off at all approaches. Local agency notified also.
unintentional roof fall occurred off the neutral in an area that had already been dangered off between spad 134-145 in #3 Entry between break 7 & 8. Appx 30 ft long, 20 ft wide, 6 ft high.
EE is a scoop operator, supplying the roof bolter. He went to get a water on the offside of the bolter. The rear rubber tire ran over the right foot-causing bruise. EE was wearing Metatarsal Boots.
May 17, 2013WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE complained of left shoulder hurting while shoveling #1 head and lifting parts that day. EE starting missing work on 2.25.2014 for possible RTC repair (acromioplasty)
February 7, 2013WV · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerFALL OF ROOF OR BACK
a roof fall occurred inby an area that was under order between spad #179 to spad # 184. The fall is in the #3 entry and is approx. 70' long X 20' Wide--6-8' thick. All accesses to the fall will be breakered off as condition warrant. This was an unplanned roof fall.
A roof fall occurred one break outby the face in the intersection in the #6 entry. The fall was approx. 20' X 30'. The fall was above anchorage, 6ft fully grouted bolts was used. This fall occurred after the area had been dangered off. It occurred at break 15. This was an unplanned roof fall.
2012 · 1 incident
June 25, 2012WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE was taking the rub rail off miner to wash it when the rail was loosened it fell on the right foot. Metatarsal boots were in use. Right foot was bruised.
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