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Mine #1: 1,512 MSHA citations Coal

Maverick Coal Co., LLC · Underground
Controlled by Gary D Mitchell
Ransom, Pike County, KY  ·  Temporarily Idled
MSHA Mine ID: 1518001

Mine #1 has $639K in proposed MSHA penalties and $554K outstanding across 22 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
9
Years on record
1998–2022
Latest incident
May 2022
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
1,512
citations
397
significant & substantial
$639,128
proposed penalties
$32,406
paid to date
5% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $606,722 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Maverick Coal Co., LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2002
146
inspections on record
10,087
inspection hours
15.0
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.
1,512 citations across 10,087 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.
2
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2020-06-12.
On record since 2010.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Mine #1 has $639K in proposed MSHA penalties and $554K outstanding across 22 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.
$639K
proposed penalties
$586K
current assessed
$32K
paid to date
$554K
outstanding
1,443 assessments are final orders; 22 contested dockets.
Of $225K in penalties contested before the Commission, $171K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-16.
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.
27.5%
significant & substantial
11.6%
high negligence or reckless
27.4%
reasonably likely or greater
23.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.2% none, 6.5% low, 81.6% moderate, 11.6% 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.
151 citations taken to the federal commission · 10% of citations on record
  • Settled 149 · 99%
  • Stood as issued 1 · 1%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 1 · 1%
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 45 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
24%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$225K proposed, $171K 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 2022-07-19.
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
KENT 2012-40 Settlement Moran 2013 $54K → $36K
KENT 2012-1245 Settlement Moran 2014 $47K → $35K
KENT 2012-838 Settlement Moran 2014 $29K → $21K
KENT 2018-0106 Settlement Miller 2018 $26K → $18K
KENT 2017-0263 Settlement Bulluck 2017 $20K → $18K
KENT 2012-764 Settlement Moran 2014 $15K → $11K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Mine #1 shows 99% of 497 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: 2022-05-05, 4 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
497
samples
4.23
dust max (mg/m3)
4
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.
197 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 300 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR204
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)55
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR37

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2022-02-17, 4 years ago
5.1
silica avg (%)
33
samples
13.2
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR19
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)8
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2021-11-16, 4 years ago
0%
over PEL
57
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR10
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR8
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)8
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
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
2022 97% 33
2021 99% 121
2020 98% 61
2019 100% 77
2018 98% 81
2017 100% 54
2016 100% 13
2015 100% 10
2012 95% 20
2011 100% 12
2010 93% 15
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2022 5.9 3
2021 4.0 10
2020 8.1 5
2019 6.2 4
2018 5.6 3
2017 3.3 6
2016 4.3 2
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2021 0% 1
2020 0% 12
2019 0% 8
2018 0% 2
2017 0% 14
2015 0% 7
2012 0% 7
2011 0% 1
2010 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Mine #1 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2021.

Injury rate, 2021
ⓘ 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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.35 and the all-US-mining average was 2.19 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.58 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
2021 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 9.82 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.
Ownership history
  1. Sunny Ridge Mining Company Inc 1997 to 1998
  2. Little Man Mining Inc 1998 to 2002
  3. Whitey Enterprizes 2002 to 2008
  4. Patrick Processing LLC 2008 to 2009
  5. Blue Ridge Resources LLC 2009 to 2010
  6. J 1 Mining LLC 2010 to 2010
  7. BEC Coal Inc 2010 to 2011
  8. Somer Grace Coal Company LLC 2011 to 2011
  9. Mercy Mining LLC 2011 to 2012
  10. Deep Woods Mining LLC 2012 to 2013
  11. Natural Fuel Energy 2013 to 2014
  12. Prime Energy Development LLC 2014 to 2015
  13. Lost Ridge Mining LLC 2015 to 2016
  14. Covenant Coal Corporation, Inc 2016 to 2018
  15. Prosper Energy, LLC 2018 to 2024
  16. Maverick Coal Co., LLC 2024 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)
2025 0
2024 0
2023 0
2022 12 10,472
2021 13 46,603
2020 11 37,760
2019 11 31,482
2018 11 33,626
2017 12 30,539
2016 7 5,648
2015 8 8,565
2012 8 7,424
2011 23 7,812
2010 19 16,802
2009 0
2008 6
2000 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Mine #1 sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.
Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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
2025 Q2 0 0 0
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 0 0 0
2024 Q3 0 0 0
2024 Q2 0 0 0
2024 Q1 0 0 0
2023 Q4 0 0 0
2023 Q2 0 0 0
Show 43 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2023 Q1 0 0 0
2022 Q1 5,773 9 0 1559.0
2021 Q4 4,721 7 1 1482.7
2021 Q3 4,580 11 0 2401.7
2021 Q2 5,893 13 2 2206.0
2021 Q1 6,039 25 1 4139.8
2020 Q4 4,968 30 6 6038.6
2020 Q3 5,802 23 5 3964.2
2020 Q2 6,240 51 5 8173.1
2020 Q1 3,365 43 8 12778.6
2019 Q3 5,361 51 7 9513.2
2019 Q2 4,653 36 2 7736.9
2019 Q1 6,070 38 6 6260.3
2018 Q3 5,926 22 1 3712.5
2018 Q2 4,558 71 8 15577.0
2018 Q1 4,626 49 15 10592.3
2017 Q4 5,103 57 9 11169.9
2017 Q3 4,632 57 16 12305.7
2017 Q2 4,502 58 7 12883.2
2017 Q1 3,216 72 23 22388.1
2016 Q4 4,779 53 13 11090.2
2016 Q3 480 4 1 8333.3
2015 Q3 2,064 14 5 6782.9
2015 Q2 4,273 37 13 8659.0
2015 Q1 512 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 0 0 0
2012 Q3 0 0 0
2012 Q2 1,450 8 7 5517.2
2012 Q1 5,334 56 21 10498.7
2011 Q4 2,368 41 13 17314.2
2011 Q3 4,667 17 8 3642.6
2011 Q2 5,521 38 23 6882.8
2011 Q1 2,181 64 33 29344.3
2010 Q4 7,859 115 52 14632.9
2010 Q3 5,782 15 5 2594.3
2010 Q2 2,873 15 4 5221.0
2009 Q2 0 0 0
2009 Q1 0 0 0
2008 Q4 1,082 2 1 1848.4
2008 Q3 0 6 2
2008 Q2 1,504 4 3 2659.6
2000 Q2 0 0 0
2000 Q1 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

9 on file

2022 · 1 incident

2021 · 1 incident

October 5, 2021 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Prosper Energy, LLC · Accident type, without injuries

The mine examiner was working on the tracking system in the intake entry at the #7 cross cut. This area is not a normal travel way. The roof fall was 4' H, 20' wide and 40' long approx. No interruption was shown on the fan chart.

2020 · 1 incident

July 25, 2020 KY · Coal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey POWERED HAULAGE
Prosper Energy, LLC · Struck against stationary object

MINER WAS TRAVELING TO SURFACE WHEN EE'S LEFT EAR CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE MINE ROOF, RESULTING IN A LACERATION, WHICH DID REQUIRE STITCHES TO EE'S EAR.

2019 · 1 incident

June 6, 2019 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) POWERED HAULAGE
Prosper Energy, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was backing out on scoop and EE's left knee hit the top while scoop was still moving. Left knee was drug between top and scoop. Employee's return to work date is unknown at this time.

2018 · 1 incident

July 2, 2018 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Covenant Coal Corporation, Inc · Accident type, without injuries

A non injury roof fall was found on the examination of the beltway approx. 8 crosscuts from the portal at the start of the shift outby spad 45. The fall was 50 to 60 feet long.

2016 · 1 incident

September 15, 2016 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Covenant Coal Corporation, Inc · Accident type, without injuries

No employees were working underground. Went in around 1:30 p.m. to retrieve drill and found rock fall from roof at #1 entry last open at crosscut. Rock was approximately 5x20x20. There were no injuries and no employees working underground.

2011 · 2 incidents

July 8, 2011 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Somer Grace Coal Company LLC · Over-exertion in lifting objects

Lifting scoop extension & strained back. Continued to work until 08/03/2011 when lost time began.

June 30, 2011 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Somer Grace Coal Company LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Knocking pin out of scoop bucket & piece of metal struck nose causing a scrape. Found out on 07-26-11 there is a piece of metal still in nose and had it removed.

1998 · 1 incident

January 12, 1998 KY · Coal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Sunny Ridge Mining Company Inc · Fall down stairs

COMING DOWN STEPS AT THE PARTS TRAILER & HIS FEET SLIPPED ON THE TOP STEP. HE FELL AND LANDED ON BOTH ELBOWS.