Mount Penn Preparation Plant has $19K in proposed MSHA penalties and $11K outstanding across 7 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
1998–2006
Latest incident
Oct 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
96
citations
19
significant & substantial
$18,927
proposed penalties
$7,555
paid to date
40% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $11,372 gap.
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.
96 citations across 2,480 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Mount Penn Preparation Plant has $19K in proposed MSHA penalties and $11K outstanding across 7 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.
$19K
proposed penalties
$19K
current assessed
$8K
paid to date
$11K
outstanding
92 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-03-17.
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.
9citations taken to the federal commission · 9% of citations on record
Settled
9 · 100%
60%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 5 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
13%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $1K 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 2016-09-07.
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 Mount Penn Preparation Plant shows 100% of 126 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: 2026-08-20
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
126
samples
0.87
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.
118 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 8 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER44
CLEANING PLANT OPERATOR28
BACKHOE OPERATOR13
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
4
2025
4
2024
3
2023
4
2022
4
2021
3
2020
2
2019
4
2018
3
2017
2
2016
2
2015
2
2014
3
2013
3
2012
3
2011
2
2010
2
2009
2
2008
4
2007
4
2006
5
2005
5
2004
6
2003
6
2002
6
2001
6
2000
4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Mount Penn Preparation Plant sits in Berks County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
Berks County, Pennsylvania · Population 429,989
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$77,684
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
THE CONVEYOR BELT PROVIDING MATERIAL INTO THE PLANT WASCLOGGED WITH DEBRIS EE STOPED LOW TO LOOK BENEATH THE CONVEYOR BELT, WHEN RISING HIS RIGHT FOREARM CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE STEEL HOUSI NG CAUSING PAIN TO HIS MUSCLE. HE COMPLETE HIS SHIFT 6-9-98 CAME TO WORK AND TOLD SUPERVISOR OF INCIDENT. SENT TO READING HOSPITAL 330 PM AND RECEIVED FIRST AID TREATMENT FOR TORN LIGAMENT
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