No. 1: 1 recorded fatality
Coal
Freeburn,
Pike County,
KY
·
Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518102
No. 1 has $85K in proposed MSHA penalties and $76K outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 1
- Total incidents
- 6
- Years on record
- 1999–2006
- Latest incident
- Apr 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
28
significant & substantial
$84,607
proposed penalties
10% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $76,003 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
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: 479 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
No. 1 has $85K in proposed MSHA penalties and $76K outstanding across 3 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.
43 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $945 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-05-19.
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.
65.1%
significant & substantial
11.6%
high negligence or reckless
69.8%
reasonably likely or greater
20.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 2.3% low, 86.0% moderate, 11.6% high, 0.0% reckless.
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.
12
citations taken to the federal commission · 24% of citations on record
-
Settled
11 · 92%
-
Stood as issued
1 · 8%
75%
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 8 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
6%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $945 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 2006-03-09.
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.
| Docket |
Decision |
Judge |
Year |
Proposed / upheld |
| KENT 2006-112 |
Settlement |
Lesnick |
2006 |
$751 → $689 |
| KENT 2006-150 |
Settlement |
Lesnick |
2006 |
$132 → $132 |
| KENT 2006-212 |
Default |
Lesnick |
2006 |
$124 → $124 |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at No. 1 shows 94% of 34 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: 2006-04-14, 20 years ago
18 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 16 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR17
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)5
- SCOOP CAR OPERATOR3
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: 2006-03-06, 20 years ago
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 |
| 2006 |
94% |
17 |
| 2005 |
94% |
17 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
| Year |
Employees |
| 2006 |
1 |
| 2005 |
1 |
| 2000 |
0 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
No. 1 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 |
| 2006 Q2 |
80 |
19 |
12 |
237500.0 |
| 2006 Q1 |
10 |
19 |
11 |
1900000.0 |
| 2005 Q4 |
10 |
12 |
5 |
1200000.0 |
| 2000 Q2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2000 Q1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Fatalities at this mine
1 recorded
April 20, 2006
KY · Coal
shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator
Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Tri Star Coal L.L.C. · Struck by falling object
Employee was walking to his shuttle car when draw rock fell from top pinning lower half of his body underneath. Rock was 20' long, 86" wide, 6.5" thick.
Reportable incidents
5 on file (excluding fatalities above)
2006 · 2 incidents
Tri Star Coal L.L.C. · Over-exertion in lifting objects
EE was lifting a top structure roller off of belt line. After he got roller down, he complained of lower back pain. He also stated his legs felt like they were on fire.
January 6, 2006
KY · Coal
laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler
MACHINERY
Tri Star Coal L.L.C. · Struck by falling object
RUB RAIL ON MINER FELL ON HIS LEFT FOOT.
2005 · 1 incident
December 8, 2005
KY · Coal
bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss
SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Tri Star Coal L.L.C. · Fall onto or against objects
ee tripped over miner cable and fell hitting his right leg on a rock.
1999 · 2 incidents
October 18, 1999
KY · Coal
shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator
FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blackstar Coal Company Inc · Struck by falling object
EE WAS RIDING MANTRIP & WAS ON HIS WAY OUTSIDE WHEN A PIECE OF ROCK FELL & HIT EE IN THE LEFT EYE
EE WAS TROUBLESHOOTING PANEL ON MINER AND WAS USING A SCREWDRIVER TO ENERGIZE A LINE STARTER WITH THE ARC COVER OFF. IN DIONG SO, GOT A FLASH BACK FROM THE LINE STARTER TIPS AND IN DOING SO GO T EYES AND HANDS BURNED.