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Mine #22: 121 MSHA citations Coal

McCoy Elkhorn Coal Corp. · Underground
Controlled by James River Coal Company
Pikeville, Pike County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518616

Mine #22 has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
5
Years on record
2005–2006
Latest incident
Mar 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
121
citations
45
significant & substantial
$11,186
proposed penalties
$9,909
paid to date
89% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,277 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See McCoy Elkhorn Coal Corp.'s full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2003
45
inspections on record
1,339
inspection hours
9.0
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.
121 citations across 1,339 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Mine #22 has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1K 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.
$11K
proposed penalties
$11K
current assessed
$10K
paid to date
$1K
outstanding
113 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-11-13.
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.
39.1%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
39.1%
reasonably likely or greater
6.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 8.7% low, 91.3% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Mine #22 shows 92% of 199 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: 2006-09-26, 19 years ago
92%
within 1.5 mg/m3
199
samples
4.51
dust max (mg/m3)
113 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 86 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR92
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)25
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR14

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2006-09-15, 19 years ago
6.4
silica avg (%)
11
samples
7.6
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR10
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: 2005-09-14, 20 years ago
10%
over PEL
10
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)3
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR2
  • SECTION FOREMAN2
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
2006 82% 56
2005 96% 103
2004 96% 26
2003 100% 14
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2006 6.8 5
2005 5.9 4
2004 6.3 2
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2005 20% 5
2004 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Mine #22 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2006.

Injury rate, 2006
ⓘ 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 4.87 and the all-US-mining average was 3.91 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.96 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
2006 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2005 * 10.00 7.50 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. Inspiration Resources, Inc. 2003 to 2003
  2. McCoy Elkhorn Coal Corp. 2003 to present
  3. Bluegrass Mining Co Inc 2006 to 2007
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)
2008 0
2007 0
2006 18 52,582
2005 32 250,854
2004 13 42,020
2003 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Mine #22 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
2008 Q4 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 6,515 8 5 1227.9
2006 Q3 12,567 12 6 954.9
2006 Q2 7,280 9 4 1236.3
Show 8 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2006 Q1 6,543 7 4 1069.8
2005 Q4 6,313 9 2 1425.6
2005 Q3 23,275 13 6 558.5
2005 Q2 26,735 8 0 299.2
2005 Q1 23,667 21 7 887.3
2004 Q4 12,462 10 5 802.4
2004 Q3 3,737 5 2 1338.0
2003 Q4 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

5 on file

2006 · 1 incident

2005 · 4 incidents

September 15, 2005 KY · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator MACHINERY
McCoy Elkhorn Coal Corp. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EE was operating a continuous miner. He had completed cutting the coal seam and was starting to trim the top. He was located on the left rib beside the miner approx. 13" from the end of the frame. When he started to cut the top, the miner kicked sideways and caught him between the miner frame and the coal rib. Results of the injury were bruising and contusions.

April 13, 2005 KY · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
McCoy Elkhorn Coal Corp. · Struck by falling object

Employee was operating a continuous miner in the #1 entry of the 002-0 mmu. He was sitting on his knees when a piece of draw rock approx. 3' long, 1' wide and 1" thick fell and struck him on the left knee. He continued to work at his regular duties and did not seek medical attention until 4/19/05, at which time he was recommended for restricted duty until next dr's office visit.

February 16, 2005 KY · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
McCoy Elkhorn Coal Corp. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE was operating a continuous miner in the #8 heading of the 002-0 section. He was backing the miner up to change sides of the cut when a piece of rock fell on the miner. The rock broke, and a piece of rock (approx 5 1/2' long, 2 1/2' wide, & 3" thick) flipped off miner and struck EE in the head & back. - Broken back.

January 17, 2005 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
McCoy Elkhorn Coal Corp. · Over-exertion in lifting objects

EE WAS MOVING CONTINUOUS MINER CABLE IN THE #4 ENTRY & WHEN HE LIFTED ON THE CABLE HE FELT SHARP PAIN IN HIS LOWER BACK.