Mining Incidents

Mine 89: 21 MSHA citations Coal

Alum Creek, Boone County, WV  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4609379

Mine 89 has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2014–2015
Latest incident
Sep 2015
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2013
21
citations
5
significant & substantial
$4,276
proposed penalties
$4,276
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2012
14
inspections on record
438
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: 438 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 89 has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
21 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2015-07-15.
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.
23.8%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
23.8%
reasonably likely or greater
23.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 23.8% low, 76.2% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Mine 89 shows 100% of 36 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: 2016-02-04, 10 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
36
samples
0.40
dust max (mg/m3)
0
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.
23 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 13 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR15
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR8
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER5

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2015-01-29, 11 years ago
16.9
silica avg (%)
3
samples
24.7
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR2
  • HIGHWALL DRILL 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: 2015-01-14, 11 years ago
0%
over PEL
10
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR2
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER2
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE2
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
2016 100% 1
2015 100% 22
2014 100% 13
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2015 0% 5
2014 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Mine 89 recorded 4.71 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2015.

Injury rate, 2015
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.
4.71
total case rate
4.71
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.22 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
2015 * 4.71 4.71 0.000
2014 * 4.33 4.33 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. Coal River Mining, LLC 2010 to present
  2. Long Flame Coal Corp 2013 to 2018
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)
2017 0
2016 1
2015 19 139,302
2014 19 184,634
2013 6 30,829
2012 0
2011 0
2010 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Mine 89 sits in Boone County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 10.1% 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.
Boone County, West Virginia · Population 21,312
10.1%
Mining share of county employment
$56,152
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
2017 Q2 0 0 0
2017 Q1 0 0 0
2016 Q4 0 0 0
2016 Q3 0 0 0
2016 Q2 0 0 0
2016 Q1 1,563 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 6,596 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 12,201 7 1 573.7
Show 19 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2015 Q2 12,577 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 11,101 2 1 180.2
2014 Q4 10,849 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 11,680 8 2 684.9
2014 Q2 11,756 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 11,854 2 0 168.7
2013 Q4 9,463 1 1 105.7
2013 Q3 1,156 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 0 0 0
2013 Q1 0 0 0
2012 Q4 0 0 0
2012 Q3 0 0 0
2012 Q2 0 0 0
2012 Q1 0 0 0
2011 Q4 0 0 0
2011 Q3 0 0 0
2011 Q2 0 0 0
2011 Q1 0 0 0
2010 Q4 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2015 · 1 incident

September 22, 2015 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Long Flame Coal Corp · Fall from machine

Mechanic was installing the grill over radiator when EE lost footing and fell on the ground behind the blade hurting knee.

2014 · 2 incidents

November 17, 2014 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
Long Flame Coal Corp · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Mechanic was trying to pull steel of drill into place, so it could be put into rack. AS the operator swung the rack in, the mechanic's foot was caught in a pinch point.

February 27, 2014 WV · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Long Flame Coal Corp · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee exited tractor trailer cab and stepped on ice resulting in a sprained right ankle.