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Mine #9: 34 MSHA citations Coal

Sister Bear Mining Inc · Underground
Controlled by Stanley W Osborne
Virgie, Pike County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1516183

Mine #9 has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
7
Years on record
1987–2001
Latest incident
Oct 2001
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
34
citations
10
significant & substantial
$2,972
proposed penalties
$0
paid to date
0% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,972 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Sister Bear Mining Inc's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
18
inspections on record
240
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: 240 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 #9 has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K 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.
$3K
proposed penalties
$3K
current assessed
$0
paid to date
$3K
outstanding
33 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2002-02-05.
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.
30.3%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
30.3%
reasonably likely or greater
15.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 9.1% low, 90.9% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Mine #9 shows 97% of 32 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: 2002-01-19, 24 years ago
97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
32
samples
2.01
dust max (mg/m3)
19 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 13 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR14
  • COAL DRILL OPERATOR3
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)3

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2002-01-22, 24 years ago
6.4
silica avg (%)
4
samples
13.9
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR3
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: 2001-11-26, 24 years ago
0%
over PEL
6
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BLASTER/SHOOTER/SHOTFIRER1
  • COAL DRILL OPERATOR1
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR1
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
2002 91% 11
2001 100% 21
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2002 2.1 1
2001 7.8 3
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. T & T Kentucky Coal Company Inc 1987 to 1990
  2. Landmark Mining Company Inc 1990 to 2001
  3. Sister Bear Mining Inc 2001 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)
2001 16 39,398
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Mine #9 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
2001 Q4 9,410 17 5 1806.6
2001 Q3 9,065 16 5 1765.0
2001 Q2 1,918 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

7 on file

2001 · 4 incidents

October 5, 2001 KY · Coal scoop car/scooptram operator, load/haul/dump (lhd) operator, teletram operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Sister Bear Mining Inc · Struck by falling object

A PIECE OF ROCK FELL AND HIT EE INT HE HEAD AN DNECK.

September 28, 2001 KY · Coal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Sister Bear Mining Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EMPLOYEE WAS MOVING BELT LINE (PULLING) AND FELT PAIN IN HIS BACK TO HIS FOOT.

July 30, 2001 KY · Coal section foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift boss MACHINERY
Sister Bear Mining Inc · Struck by falling object

EE WAS RUNNING A GALLIS SINGLE HEAD ROOF BOLTER, DRILLING A BOOM HOLE. A PIECE OF ROCK FELL FROM BETWEEN THE BOLTS, STRIKING THE EE.

July 30, 2001 KY · Coal laborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Sister Bear Mining Inc · Caught in, under or between two or more moving objects

EMPLOYEE PUT HAND BETWEEN BELT AND CAUGHT HIS ARM AND IT ROLLED HIS ARM AROUND A ROLLER.

1988 · 2 incidents

1987 · 1 incident