Mountain Fork No 2 has $355K in proposed MSHA penalties and $109 outstanding across 38 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
10
Years on record
2006–2012
Latest incident
Dec 2012
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
417
citations
112
significant & substantial
$354,829
proposed penalties
$237,154
paid to date
67% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $117,675 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.
417 citations across 3,449 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Mountain Fork No 2 has $355K in proposed MSHA penalties and $109 outstanding across 38 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.
$355K
proposed penalties
$237K
current assessed
$237K
paid to date
$109
outstanding
409 assessments are final orders; 38 contested dockets.
Of $393K in penalties contested before the Commission, $194K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2018-01-17.
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.
179citations taken to the federal commission · 43% of citations on record
Settled
176 · 98%
Vacated or withdrawn
3 · 2%
76%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 107 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
51%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$393K proposed, $194K 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 2016-09-21.
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 2 shows 94% of 417 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: 2016-05-04, 10 years ago
94%
within 1.5 mg/m3
417
samples
9.54
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.
203 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 214 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 2 recorded 0.00 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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below 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 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012 *
8.45
0.00
0.000
2011 *
10.19
6.80
0.000
2010 *
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)
2025
0
2024
0
2023
0
2022
0
2021
0
2020
0
2019
0
2018
0
2017
0
2016
6
11,321
2015
12
33,463
2014
11
80,213
2013
13
49,303
2012
24
108,729
2011
31
108,951
2010
20
81,370
2009
11
16,187
2008
9
31,161
2007
0
2006
11
106,259
2005
6
11,182
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Mountain Fork No 2 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
2025 Q1
0
0
0
2024 Q4
0
0
0
2024 Q3
0
0
0
2024 Q2
0
0
0
2024 Q1
0
0
0
2023 Q4
0
0
0
2023 Q3
0
0
0
2023 Q2
0
0
0
Show 72 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2023 Q1
0
0
0
2022 Q4
0
0
0
2022 Q3
0
0
0
2022 Q2
0
0
0
2022 Q1
0
0
0
2021 Q4
0
0
0
2021 Q3
0
0
0
2021 Q2
0
0
0
2021 Q1
0
0
0
2020 Q4
0
0
0
2020 Q3
0
0
0
2020 Q2
0
0
0
2020 Q1
0
0
0
2019 Q4
0
0
0
2019 Q3
0
0
0
2019 Q2
0
0
0
2019 Q1
0
0
0
2018 Q4
0
0
0
2018 Q3
0
0
0
2018 Q2
0
0
0
2018 Q1
0
2
0
2017 Q4
0
0
0
2017 Q3
0
0
0
2017 Q2
0
0
0
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q4
0
2
0
2016 Q3
0
3
0
2016 Q2
3,082
7
3
2271.3
2016 Q1
4,011
4
1
997.3
2015 Q4
5,737
8
1
1394.5
2015 Q3
6,566
10
3
1523.0
2015 Q2
4,356
9
1
2066.1
2015 Q1
4,548
7
0
1539.1
2014 Q4
5,268
9
2
1708.4
2014 Q3
6,285
6
1
954.7
2014 Q2
4,602
12
2
2607.6
2014 Q1
5,465
40
5
7319.3
2013 Q4
1,346
2
0
1485.9
2013 Q3
304
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
8,185
8
3
977.4
2013 Q1
10,485
11
1
1049.1
2012 Q4
10,378
18
3
1734.4
2012 Q3
4,326
2
0
462.3
2012 Q2
15,377
24
5
1560.8
2012 Q1
17,283
22
9
1272.9
2011 Q4
15,220
16
6
1051.2
2011 Q3
13,638
3
2
220.0
2011 Q2
17,624
8
3
453.9
2011 Q1
12,374
18
7
1454.7
2010 Q4
16,536
22
10
1330.4
2010 Q3
12,043
32
16
2657.1
2010 Q2
7,020
21
7
2991.5
2010 Q1
0
0
0
2009 Q4
5,397
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
1,703
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
3,668
1
0
272.6
2009 Q1
7,078
29
3
4097.2
2008 Q4
8,715
12
6
1376.9
2008 Q3
4,900
31
9
6326.5
2008 Q2
0
0
0
2008 Q1
0
5
0
2007 Q4
0
0
0
2007 Q3
0
0
0
2007 Q2
0
0
0
2007 Q1
0
0
0
2006 Q4
5,536
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
4,199
1
0
238.2
2006 Q2
4,385
7
2
1596.4
2006 Q1
3,340
3
0
898.2
2005 Q4
5,888
1
0
169.8
2005 Q3
1,092
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
10 on file
2012 · 3 incidents
December 3, 2012WV · Coalbeltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor riderHANDLING OF MATERIALS
C & A Coal Company · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)
While shutting air lock door, the hinge broke resulting in the employee mashing his two fingers on his left hand
November 9, 2012WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorOTHER
A roof fall measuring approximately 8'x18'x12' occurred during an idle shift. The fall was located in the No. 2 to No. 1 crosscut. 1 Crosscut inby spad No. 362. *The fall was discovered during the pre-shift exam on 1-23-12.
Employee assisting to unload roof bolts off a flatbed truck from Fairmont Supply Company. Employee gave truck operator signal to lift, and unexpectedly the arm of boom swung out striking employee and knocking him off the truck. Causing injury to ankle and wrist.
The state mine inspector was sitting in a chair next to a file cabinet in mine office starting the inspection, when the office door bumped file cabinet causing some parts to a Donaldson Roofbolter to fall, striking inspector on top of the head.
A roof fall measuring approximately 20' x 30' x 15' occurred 1 x-cut outby spad #149 between the #3 & #4 entry. This fall is approximately 40 x-cuts outby the active section in an area where men are not required to work or travel. The fall area has been dangered off and will not be cleaned up.
2006 · 1 incident
August 25, 2006WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
C & A Coal Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
The bolter operator was running the machine and when EE reached up to twist the roof bolt plate, his pinky finger on the right hand got caught under the plate, smashing the end of his finger from the back of the nail to the end of the finger.