Mining Incidents

Mine #1: 55 MSHA citations Coal

Big D Mining, LLC · Surface
Controlled by Arnold D Francis
Louisa, Lawrence County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518498

Mine #1 has $6K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Mine #1.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2003
Latest incident
Feb 2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2002
55
citations
28
significant & substantial
$6,077
proposed penalties
$914
paid to date
15% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,163 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2002
25
inspections on record
505
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: 505 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Mine #1 has $6K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K 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.
$6K
proposed penalties
$6K
current assessed
$914
paid to date
$5K
outstanding
45 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-07-27.
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.
62.2%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
62.2%
reasonably likely or greater
40.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 13.3% low, 86.7% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Mine #1 shows 94% of 34 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: 2006-03-07, 20 years ago
94%
within 1.5 mg/m3
34
samples
2.63
dust max (mg/m3)
34 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER6
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE6

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2002-12-31, 23 years ago
1.4
silica avg (%)
3
samples
1.5
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR1
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1

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: 2006-04-10, 20 years ago
4%
over PEL
28
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER4
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE4
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% 2
2005 80% 5
2004 100% 2
2003 100% 7
2002 94% 18
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2006 33% 3
2005 0% 5
2003 0% 2
2002 0% 18
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Broken Ridge, LLC 2002 to 2005
  2. NBC Land Company Inc 2005 to 2006
  3. Big D Mining, LLC 2006 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)
2006 19 8,169
2005 12 8,246
2004 0
2003 10 26,906
2002 14 48,760
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Mine #1 sits in Lawrence County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.4% 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.
Lawrence County, Kentucky · Population 16,171
3.4%
Mining share of county employment
$45,584
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
2006 Q2 3,750 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 2,000 28 12 14000.0
2005 Q4 5,683 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 6,016 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 0 0 0
2004 Q1 0 0 0
2003 Q4 0 0 0
2003 Q3 1,440 0 0 0.0
Show 4 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2003 Q2 7,331 1 0 136.4
2003 Q1 7,922 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 8,831 4 4 452.9
2002 Q2 9,637 3 2 311.3
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2003 · 1 incident

February 6, 2003 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Broken Ridge, LLC · Struck by flying object

OPERATOR WAS CLEANING BRUSH FROM PIT AREA WHEN A SMALL ROCK WENT THROUGH THE DOOR GLASS HITTING OPERATOR ON KNEE.