Mining Incidents

Milton Mine: 49 MSHA citations Coal

Ollar-Decker LLC · Surface
Controlled by Elton Ollar; Ed Decker
Milton, Le Flore County, OK  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3401790

Milton Mine has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
1997–2006
Latest incident
Sep 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
49
citations
21
significant & substantial
$9,994
proposed penalties
$4,594
paid to date
46% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,400 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2003
25
inspections on record
425
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: 425 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Milton Mine has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 2 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.
$10K
proposed penalties
$10K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$5K
outstanding
48 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $6K in penalties contested before the Commission, $6K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-10-02.
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.
43.8%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
43.8%
reasonably likely or greater
14.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 2.1% low, 97.9% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
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.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 4% of citations on record
  • Stood as issued 2 · 100%
100%
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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$5K proposed, $5K 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 2006-08-31.
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.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
CENT 2006-259 Default Lesnick 2007 $5K → $5K
CENT20000163 Prevail Barbour 2001 $742 → $222
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Milton Mine shows 100% of 25 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: 2006-07-14, 20 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
25
samples
1.34
dust max (mg/m3)
24 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 1 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • COAL TRUCK DRIVER10
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR5
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER4

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2005-06-01, 21 years ago
10.7
silica avg (%)
3
samples
18.9
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • COAL TRUCK DRIVER2
  • BULLDOZER 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: 2006-05-25, 20 years ago
0%
over PEL
13
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • COAL TRUCK DRIVER5
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR3
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR3
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
2006 100% 6
2005 100% 5
2004 100% 9
2003 100% 5
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2005 6.6 2
2003 18.9 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2006 0% 4
2004 0% 4
2003 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Milton Mine recorded 9.24 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2004.

Injury rate, 2004
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.
9.24
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 5.57 and the all-US-mining average was 4.33 cases per 100 workers.
In Oklahoma, coal mining averaged 7.38 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.
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.
Ownership history
  1. H M I 1995 to 1996
  2. Georges Colliers Inc 1996 to 2003
  3. Ollar-Decker LLC 2003 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)
2007 0
2006 6 13,820
2005 7 53,263
2004 11 63,437
2003 10 35,895
2000 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Milton Mine sits in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, where the Census mining category is 3.0% 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.
Le Flore County, Oklahoma · Population 48,728
3.0%
Mining share of county employment
$50,027
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
2007 Q2 0 0 0
2006 Q4 1,721 1 0 581.1
2006 Q3 3,253 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 3,145 9 5 2861.7
2006 Q1 1,067 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 1,760 1 0 568.2
2005 Q3 4,608 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 3,645 4 1 1097.4
Show 10 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2005 Q1 3,129 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 4,680 4 2 854.7
2004 Q3 5,200 9 5 1730.8
2004 Q2 5,710 9 3 1576.2
2004 Q1 6,048 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 6,321 5 3 791.0
2003 Q3 3,906 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 3,357 2 0 595.8
2000 Q2 0 0 0
2000 Q1 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2006 · 1 incident

September 29, 2006 OK · Coal FIRE
Ollar-Decker LLC · Accident type, without injuries

While operating the hoe, a newly installed hose blew an end & sprayed hot oil over the engine & turbos igniting a fire that quickly got out of control. Fire extinguishers had no effect. 1st fire department called deployed to the wrong place & a 2nd fire dept. had to be called. The fire depts did not fight fire, but made sure it stayed contained. Burned out @ 2:00pm no injuries

2004 · 1 incident

April 8, 2004 OK · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Ollar-Decker LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

While using a floor jack to align a planitary gear on an international 350c and dump truck, the jack moved slightly causing the handle to jerk and strike the injured's forearm causing ahairline fracture

2003 · 1 incident

September 19, 2003 OK · Coal OTHER
Ollar-Decker LLC · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

INSECT BITE TO THE INJURED'S HAND CAUSED A SECONDARY INFECTION REQUIRING A PRESCRIPTION.

1997 · 1 incident