Mining Incidents

No. 1: 465 MSHA citations Coal

MRM Mining Inc · Underground
Endicott, Floyd County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518936

No. 1 has $115K in proposed MSHA penalties and $17K outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2008–2013
Latest incident
Jul 2013
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
465
citations
133
significant & substantial
$115,357
proposed penalties
$89,553
paid to date
78% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $25,804 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2006
112
inspections on record
5,192
inspection hours
9.0
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.
465 citations across 5,192 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

No. 1 has $115K in proposed MSHA penalties and $17K outstanding across 4 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.
$115K
proposed penalties
$107K
current assessed
$90K
paid to date
$17K
outstanding
452 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $18K in penalties contested before the Commission, $9K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2018-08-01.
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.
29.2%
significant & substantial
1.1%
high negligence or reckless
29.2%
reasonably likely or greater
5.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.2% none, 7.5% low, 91.2% moderate, 1.1% 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.
16 citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
  • Settled 9 · 56%
  • Stood as issued 7 · 44%
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 12 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
49%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$18K proposed, $9K 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 2012-02-17.
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 2010-39 Settlement Lesnick 2010 $14K → $5K
KENT 2010-310 Default Lesnick 2011 $2K → $2K
KENT 2012-586 Settlement Steele 2014 $1K → $1K
KENT 2010-985 Default Lesnick 2011 $200 → $200
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at No. 1 shows 92% of 481 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: 2015-01-21, 11 years ago
92%
within 1.5 mg/m3
481
samples
4.67
dust max (mg/m3)
2
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.
228 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 253 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR260
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR63
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)35

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2015-01-29, 11 years ago
1.7
silica avg (%)
22
samples
6.4
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR18

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: 2014-05-06, 12 years ago
4%
over PEL
49
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR13
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)11
  • COAL DRILL OPERATOR9
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
2015 67% 6
2014 98% 49
2013 95% 66
2012 97% 61
2011 91% 64
2010 88% 59
2009 86% 59
2008 81% 57
2007 100% 60
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2015 2.8 1
2012 2.0 5
2011 2.7 5
2010 1.2 4
2009 0.6 3
2008 0.9 3
2007 2.0 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2014 0% 5
2013 0% 5
2012 0% 5
2010 0% 7
2009 17% 12
2008 0% 5
2007 0% 10
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

No. 1 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2014.

Injury rate, 2014
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 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 2.93 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.63 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
2014 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2013 * 7.63 3.81 0.000
2012 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2011 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2010 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2009 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2008 * 5.68 5.68 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.
Ownership history
  1. Mason Coal, Inc. 2005 to 2006
  2. Green River Mining Co Inc 2006 to 2007
  3. MRM Mining Inc 2007 to present
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)
2015 10 3,163
2014 26 152,978
2013 28 172,554
2012 23 126,978
2011 20 132,182
2010 20 119,408
2009 20 147,736
2008 18 145,669
2007 16 16,100
2006 4 696
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

No. 1 sits in Floyd County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.4% 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.
Floyd County, Kentucky · Population 35,342
4.4%
Mining share of county employment
$41,582
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
2015 Q2 208 2 0 9615.4
2015 Q1 1,440 9 4 6250.0
2014 Q4 3,944 9 0 2281.9
2014 Q3 9,640 13 2 1348.5
2014 Q2 16,000 7 0 437.5
2014 Q1 15,921 6 1 376.9
2013 Q4 14,129 13 2 920.1
2013 Q3 12,394 7 0 564.8
Show 27 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2013 Q2 13,120 16 1 1219.5
2013 Q1 12,791 6 1 469.1
2012 Q4 12,240 4 1 326.8
2012 Q3 11,160 12 3 1075.3
2012 Q2 12,865 9 2 699.6
2012 Q1 10,420 5 2 479.8
2011 Q4 10,400 7 3 673.1
2011 Q3 9,320 5 2 536.5
2011 Q2 8,832 9 2 1019.0
2011 Q1 9,337 19 3 2034.9
2010 Q4 10,156 18 3 1772.4
2010 Q3 10,192 5 0 490.6
2010 Q2 9,564 4 0 418.2
2010 Q1 9,960 17 5 1706.8
2009 Q4 10,900 30 12 2752.3
2009 Q3 11,000 9 7 818.2
2009 Q2 9,693 8 6 825.3
2009 Q1 9,134 15 3 1642.2
2008 Q4 8,195 20 3 2440.5
2008 Q3 9,652 27 6 2797.3
2008 Q2 8,640 27 15 3125.0
2008 Q1 8,752 19 8 2170.9
2007 Q4 5,068 22 12 4341.0
2006 Q4 3,234 10 1 3092.1
2006 Q3 0 0 0
2006 Q2 0 2 0
2006 Q1 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2013 · 2 incidents

July 20, 2013 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
MRM Mining Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Put up first bolt second row in #11 face let jacks down to move to second bolt. Bolter shifted pinning left arm against rib breaking left arm about 4 inches below elbow.

April 9, 2013 KY · Coal discontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operator POWERED HAULAGE
MRM Mining Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Operating scoop got left hand in pinch point and mashed two fingers on left hand forefinger and little finger.

2008 · 1 incident

October 30, 2008 KY · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider POWERED HAULAGE
MRM Mining Inc · Struck against stationary object

Employee was tramming a buggy down traveling on #2 belt line and caught his head against the top. Injured his neck and left arm.