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.
678 citations across 17,519 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
LOWRY MINE has $272K in proposed MSHA penalties and $151 outstanding across 67 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.
$272K
proposed penalties
$212K
current assessed
$212K
paid to date
$151
outstanding
657 assessments are final orders; 67 contested dockets.
Of $186K in penalties contested before the Commission, $123K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-05.
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.
191citations taken to the federal commission · 28% of citations on record
Settled
177 · 93%
Stood as issued
9 · 5%
Vacated or withdrawn
5 · 3%
72%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 167 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
34%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$186K proposed, $123K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2025-02-13.
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 LOWRY MINE shows 99% of 1,860 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: 2026-08-03
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
1,860
samples
4.44
dust max (mg/m3)
6
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.
558 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 1,302 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.
LOWRY MINE reported liberating 4,617 metric tons of methane to EPA in 2023.
Methane emissions (EPA-reported)
ⓘMethane figures are what the operator reported to EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (subpart FF), collected at facility level. Only EPA facilities that resolve to a single MSHA mine record are shown, and the CO2-equivalent applies the GWP-25 factor EPA's published data uses.
LOWRY MINE recorded 7.13 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.
7.13
total case rate
7.13
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 2.63 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
2025 *
7.13
7.13
0.000
2024 *
11.81
7.87
0.000
2023 *
10.77
7.18
0.000
2022 *
3.92
0.00
0.000
2021 *
8.97
4.49
0.000
2020 *
7.20
7.20
0.000
2019 *
8.33
0.00
0.000
2015 *
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
ⓘCoal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.
Year
Employees
Coal produced (tons)
2026
34
122,368
2025
23
98,332
2024
21
135,717
2023
21
174,879
2022
24
140,824
2021
18
117,436
2020
15
72,632
2019
10
75,872
2018
7
12,894
2017
8
20,752
2016
11
72,192
2015
14
72,470
2014
18
215,834
2013
22
239,513
2012
37
321,137
2011
28
352,198
2010
18
255,331
2009
21
423,345
2008
8
70,486
2007
0
2006
0
2005
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
LOWRY MINE 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
2026 Q2
20,262
6
0
296.1
2026 Q1
20,470
8
0
390.8
2025 Q4
12,127
5
0
412.3
2025 Q3
12,614
9
0
713.5
2025 Q2
12,150
10
2
823.0
2025 Q1
19,210
8
0
416.4
2024 Q4
18,330
9
3
491.0
2024 Q3
10,970
9
1
820.4
Show 74 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
11,369
6
0
527.8
2024 Q1
10,137
4
1
394.6
2023 Q4
10,056
6
1
596.7
2023 Q3
16,759
5
0
298.3
2023 Q2
12,278
6
0
488.7
2023 Q1
16,640
10
0
601.0
2022 Q4
17,745
7
1
394.5
2022 Q3
10,959
6
0
547.5
2022 Q2
10,689
7
0
654.9
2022 Q1
11,679
6
0
513.7
2021 Q4
13,283
12
0
903.4
2021 Q3
11,297
10
2
885.2
2021 Q2
9,960
4
0
401.6
2021 Q1
10,028
11
3
1096.9
2020 Q4
8,628
5
0
579.5
2020 Q3
8,014
7
2
873.5
2020 Q2
5,731
5
0
872.4
2020 Q1
5,409
1
0
184.9
2019 Q4
11,014
9
1
817.1
2019 Q3
10,801
7
0
648.1
2019 Q2
1,524
1
1
656.2
2019 Q1
666
1
0
1501.5
2018 Q4
634
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
1,706
3
0
1758.5
2018 Q2
3,686
5
0
1356.5
2018 Q1
1,052
2
0
1901.1
2017 Q4
1,231
2
0
1624.7
2017 Q3
4,340
3
0
691.2
2017 Q2
4,591
5
0
1089.1
2017 Q1
1,508
3
0
1989.4
2016 Q4
821
2
0
2436.1
2016 Q3
1,033
2
0
1936.1
2016 Q2
8,057
4
0
496.5
2016 Q1
7,885
10
1
1268.2
2015 Q4
9,680
7
2
723.1
2015 Q3
9,250
12
2
1297.3
2015 Q2
1,993
2
0
1003.5
2015 Q1
4,336
6
2
1383.8
2014 Q4
9,595
14
5
1459.1
2014 Q3
9,598
13
3
1354.4
2014 Q2
11,416
9
3
788.4
2014 Q1
11,563
20
4
1729.7
2013 Q4
10,115
6
0
593.2
2013 Q3
10,547
15
4
1422.2
2013 Q2
13,662
19
8
1390.7
2013 Q1
17,417
16
4
918.6
2012 Q4
22,880
11
2
480.8
2012 Q3
16,087
8
4
497.3
2012 Q2
16,425
27
8
1643.8
2012 Q1
14,781
23
8
1556.1
2011 Q4
15,018
29
6
1931.0
2011 Q3
17,815
17
2
954.3
2011 Q2
14,635
9
2
615.0
2011 Q1
11,263
13
3
1154.2
2010 Q4
10,732
20
8
1863.6
2010 Q3
10,632
10
5
940.6
2010 Q2
11,036
9
2
815.5
2010 Q1
11,291
15
3
1328.5
2009 Q4
9,392
24
13
2555.4
2009 Q3
9,182
18
12
1960.4
2009 Q2
15,442
18
11
1165.7
2009 Q1
17,463
18
7
1030.8
2008 Q4
9,698
13
7
1340.5
2008 Q3
7,684
8
7
1041.1
2008 Q2
0
0
0
2008 Q1
0
0
0
2007 Q4
0
0
0
2007 Q3
0
0
0
2007 Q2
0
0
0
2007 Q1
0
0
0
2006 Q4
0
0
0
2006 Q3
0
0
0
2006 Q2
0
0
0
2005 Q4
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
32 on file
2025 · 2 incidents
September 18, 2025PA · Coallaborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerPOWERED HAULAGE
The scoop guy was pushing a skid in to the belt line. The skid caught a roll of belt pushing it sideways into the employee who was in a crosscut, bruising EE's hip.
February 12, 2025PA · Coalscoop car/scooptram operator, load/haul/dump (lhd) operator, teletram operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE was trying to remove pin from the low-tail, when the tail moved back. EE's finger got pinched between the pin and the top surface of the tail. Which resulted in stitches.
2023 · 3 incidents
October 19, 2023PA · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Individual was trying to straighten a top slide when it slid off of the structure and the individual struck hand on the rail. This resulted in a fractured hand.
January 9, 2023PA · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Employee was backing up the mobile, and pulled themselves up in the seat, at the same time the mbc went over a hump, pushing their head down. Which caused their chin to hit off the guard above the levers. This resulted in stitches.
2021 · 2 incidents
April 28, 2021PA · Coalbeltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor riderPOWERED HAULAGE
Was backing up miner for the day, the employee shut the machine off. Crawled under the bridge and it teetered and pinched their hip, causing a dislocation.
2020 · 1 incident
January 24, 2020PA · Coallaborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was installing roof bolt when the employee pinched hand between the bolter chuck and head of roof bolt resulting in laceration which required stitches.
Found a roof fall in the 1st west mains section at 2:55 PM in the #2 entry 8 X cuts outby section. Fall measured approx. 19' wide - 80' to 100' long 10' high. Area was bolted with 4' bolts.
2014 · 1 incident
September 25, 2014PA · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerSTRIKING OR BUMPING
Found a roof fall during a pre shift in the 1st East butt. It was in the last open crosscut from #3 entry into both left & right cross cuts. It measures approx. 80' long 19' wide 5' to 6' high
2012 · 3 incidents
December 3, 2012PA · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDLING OF MATERIALS
A roof fall occurred in the intersection of 2nd NW mains at spad #1012 measured approx 40'long - 19'wide - 10'high area was bolted with 6" fully grouted belts and 10' cable bolts.
Employee slipped on ice while walking between office and shower house at Lowry Mine. This is a reoccurence of this injury. It was not reportable before. Employee woke up 8/11/10 in pain with a swelled knee, continued to work rest of week, then went on light duty 8/11/10. Then went off work 8/19/10.
January 27, 2010PA · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON