Caretta, Mcdowell County,
WV
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4608863
Mountain Fork No 1 has $15K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Mountain Fork No 1.
Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
2001–2008
Latest incident
Jan 2008
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
141
citations
39
significant & substantial
$15,095
proposed penalties
$14,339
paid to date
95% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $756 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.
141 citations across 1,949 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Mountain Fork No 1 has $15K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 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.
$15K
proposed penalties
$14K
current assessed
$14K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
138 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $922 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2008-06-17.
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.
3citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
Settled
3 · 100%
100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 3 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
45%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $922 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 2008-10-02.
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 Mountain Fork No 1 shows 96% of 305 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: 2008-05-30, 18 years ago
96%
within 1.5 mg/m3
305
samples
6.69
dust max (mg/m3)
134 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 171 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.
Mountain Fork No 1 recorded 10.84 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2007.
Injury rate, 2007
ⓘ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.
10.84
total case rate
10.84
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.71 and the all-US-mining average was 3.77 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.00 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
2007 *
10.84
10.84
0.000
2006 *
17.19
11.46
0.000
2005 *
3.21
3.21
0.000
2004 *
0.00
0.00
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)
2009
0
2008
22
59,295
2007
18
132,484
2006
36
113,610
2005
33
146,198
2004
11
55,461
2003
0
2002
6
17,733
2001
12
59,820
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Mountain Fork No 1 sits in McDowell County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 13.0% 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.
McDowell County, West Virginia · Population 18,413
13.0%
Mining share of county employment
$29,980
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
2009 Q2
0
0
0
2008 Q3
2,154
1
0
464.3
2008 Q2
13,331
4
3
300.1
2008 Q1
9,100
5
2
549.5
2007 Q4
12,372
6
3
485.0
2007 Q3
9,199
7
0
761.0
2007 Q2
10,409
1
0
96.1
2007 Q1
4,917
0
0
0.0
Show 20 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2006 Q4
14,692
1
0
68.1
2006 Q3
14,789
3
1
202.9
2006 Q2
20,481
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
19,860
3
3
151.1
2005 Q4
21,578
5
2
231.7
2005 Q3
17,523
14
0
798.9
2005 Q2
15,152
13
4
858.0
2005 Q1
8,025
4
3
498.4
2004 Q4
8,842
12
3
1357.2
2004 Q3
7,079
6
2
847.6
2004 Q2
4,471
7
1
1565.6
2004 Q1
753
2
1
2656.0
2003 Q2
0
0
0
2002 Q4
0
0
0
2002 Q3
0
0
0
2002 Q2
915
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
8,300
15
5
1807.2
2001 Q4
7,422
8
3
1077.9
2001 Q3
6,622
16
3
2416.2
2001 Q2
5,270
5
0
948.8
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
11 on file
2008 · 1 incident
January 16, 2008WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Employee was running #2 Miner in the #6 Block, mining final left when a browl broke loose & fell on his left lower leg; sent employee to have x-ray, nothing broken.
July 31, 2007WV · Coalbull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift bossPOWERED HAULAGE
The 3 wheeler mantrip operator lost a wheel bearing, causing the brakes to fail. When operator jumped off, he bruised his left shoulder & broke (1) rib bone.
Injured EE and co-worker were hanging miner cable, when the cable that the two men were hanging was pulled down by machine operator, pulling extra cable.
April 12, 2006WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorMACHINERY
Hurt shoulder on ride going through low top on roadway.
2005 · 1 incident
September 13, 2005WV · Coaldiscontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
C & A Coal Company · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)
THE INJURED EE WAS WALKING FROM THE POWER CENTER ENTRY TO CHECK THE DISCHARGE END OF THE FEEDER. WHEN HE WALKED ALONG THE EDGE OF THE FEEDER, HE LOST HIS FOOTING AND THE CONVEYOR CHAIN CAUGHT HIS LEFT FOOT DRAGGING HIM ONTO THE FEEDER. THE FOREMAN WAS ABLE TO TO STOOP THE FEEDER.
FAULT IN STRATA THAT COULD NOT BE DETECTED DURING REGULAR BOLTING CYCLE AND ALSO HAD TENSION CRACKS IN THE ROOF. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WAS INSTALLED IN THE AREA.