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.
312 citations across 4,118 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.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2010-11-09.
On record since 2010.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Mine No 6 has $475K in proposed MSHA penalties and $427K outstanding across 11 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.
$475K
proposed penalties
$467K
current assessed
$40K
paid to date
$427K
outstanding
292 assessments are final orders; 11 contested dockets.
Of $34K in penalties contested before the Commission, $26K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-08-25.
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.
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.
30citations taken to the federal commission · 10% of citations on record
Settled
25 · 83%
Stood as issued
5 · 17%
94%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 17 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
24%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$34K proposed, $26K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2026-01-12.
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.
MSHA sampling at Mine No 6 shows 100% of 221 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: 2025-05-06
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
221
samples
0.97
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.
147 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 74 by the operator.
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.
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.
Mine No 6 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ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 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.89 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
2025 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
2.14
0.00
0.000
2022
1.99
1.99
0.000
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013
0.82
0.82
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.
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)
2026
0
2025
12
10,825
2024
35
368,215
2023
43
277,885
2022
42
286,051
2021
8
6,370
2020
16
69,351
2019
54
479,735
2018
40
159,134
2016
0
2015
30
217,685
2014
82
996,724
2013
86
372,640
2012
93
1,098,871
2011
52
795,448
2010
16
80,289
2009
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Mine No 6 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
2026 Q2
0
0
0
2026 Q1
0
0
0
2025 Q4
0
0
0
2025 Q3
2,036
2
1
982.3
2025 Q2
7,403
1
1
135.1
2025 Q1
19,695
4
1
203.1
2024 Q4
24,880
21
9
844.1
2024 Q3
18,613
0
0
0.0
Show 52 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
22,534
6
1
266.3
2024 Q1
6,300
5
0
793.7
2023 Q4
24,599
12
4
487.8
2023 Q3
15,519
4
0
257.7
2023 Q2
25,827
10
2
387.2
2023 Q1
27,414
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
22,549
19
4
842.6
2022 Q3
25,637
28
19
1092.2
2022 Q2
25,953
13
8
500.9
2022 Q1
26,145
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
1,364
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
1,160
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
1,198
1
1
834.7
2021 Q1
1,174
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
1,762
6
2
3405.2
2020 Q3
1,677
2
0
1192.6
2020 Q2
3,363
4
1
1189.4
2020 Q1
24,631
2
0
81.2
2019 Q4
26,523
16
4
603.3
2019 Q3
30,744
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
35,844
11
4
306.9
2019 Q1
16,270
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
29,747
3
3
100.9
2018 Q3
19,878
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
3,062
2
1
653.2
2016 Q3
0
0
0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
0
0
0
2015 Q2
9,864
2
0
202.8
2015 Q1
45,502
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
41,384
1
0
24.2
2014 Q3
58,805
15
3
255.1
2014 Q2
62,989
1
0
15.9
2014 Q1
60,458
10
2
165.4
2013 Q4
56,731
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
60,381
4
0
66.2
2013 Q2
61,738
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
64,508
3
0
46.5
2012 Q4
59,542
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
63,463
1
1
15.8
2012 Q2
67,565
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
64,365
2
0
31.1
2011 Q4
63,098
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
51,110
5
3
97.8
2011 Q2
33,464
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
21,931
3
2
136.8
2010 Q4
20,778
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
823
2
0
2430.1
2010 Q2
2,651
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
4,000
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
10 on file
2023 · 1 incident
August 28, 2023WV · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverHANDLING OF MATERIALS
The injured and another were lifting a 3" water pump from the rear of the portal bus to the ground. As they lowered it to the ground the injured said they felt a pop and felt pain in their back.
Employee was backing a 773 truck down with a load of material to beef up berm and truck did not stop at berm but pushed through berm and descended down slope and landed on its side at lower road.
Employee states that while operating a 785b, he was backing under the loader when the 992d bucket struck his cab protector. He states that this occurred several more times during this shift. Employee continued to work until 12/04/2013 when he began to miss. He is complaining of low back pain.
May 31, 2013WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSTEPPING OR KNEELING ON OBJECT
EE said he went into warehouse to get water. There were 2 empty pallets in front of the water. He stepped on the pallet when he stepped off his right boot got caught on pallet and he said he fell on his right elbow.
Employee states that as he was checking the Nellis dump, he lost his footing and fell approximately 25 foot over the dump. The dump area was at the angle of repose. Weather conditions were dark and wet.
April 12, 2011WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS