Mining Incidents

NO. 1: 319 MSHA citations Coal

COALTON MINING INC. · Surface
Controlled by Tommy Jayne
Grethel, Floyd County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1519726

NO. 1 has $56K in proposed MSHA penalties and $24K 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 NO. 1.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2017–2020
Latest incident
May 2020
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2014
319
citations
55
significant & substantial
$55,833
proposed penalties
$32,234
paid to date
58% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $23,599 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2013
93
inspections on record
6,426
inspection hours
5.0
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.
319 citations across 6,426 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

NO. 1 has $56K in proposed MSHA penalties and $24K 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.
$56K
proposed penalties
$56K
current assessed
$32K
paid to date
$24K
outstanding
306 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $11K in penalties contested before the Commission, $11K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2023-01-12.
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.
17.6%
significant & substantial
0.3%
high negligence or reckless
17.6%
reasonably likely or greater
12.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 12.1% low, 87.5% moderate, 0.3% 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.
6 citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
  • Stood as issued 6 · 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 6 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$11K proposed, $11K 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 2021-04-14.
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 2021-0078 Default 2021 $10K → $10K
KENT 2021-0060 Default 2021 $1K → $1K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at NO. 1 shows 98% of 751 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: 2022-09-21, 3 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
751
samples
4.59
dust max (mg/m3)
5
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.
229 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 522 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR415
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR56
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)35

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2022-07-26, 4 years ago
3.6
silica avg (%)
30
samples
6.8
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR24

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: 2022-07-15, 4 years ago
0%
over PEL
121
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR27
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR21
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)20
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
2022 100% 81
2021 100% 108
2020 100% 83
2019 99% 108
2018 99% 108
2017 100% 108
2016 100% 81
2015 85% 68
2014 67% 6
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2022 2.8 2
2021 4.1 3
2020 4.2 4
2019 3.3 3
2018 2.5 5
2017 4.0 3
2016 3.1 4
2015 4.9 5
2014 3.0 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2022 0% 17
2021 0% 18
2020 0% 10
2019 0% 15
2018 0% 20
2017 0% 20
2016 0% 13
2015 0% 8
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 2021.

Injury rate, 2021
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 3.35 and the all-US-mining average was 2.19 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.58 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
2021 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 6.89 6.89 0.000
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 * 4.97 0.00 0.000
2017 * 5.40 5.40 0.000
2016 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2015 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. MRM Mining, Inc. 2013 to 2018
  2. COALTON MINING INC. 2018 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)
2022 15 38,738
2021 15 46,529
2020 18 53,906
2019 16 70,123
2018 20 98,787
2017 18 97,617
2016 18 69,073
2015 19 90,756
2014 5 5,263
2013 0
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
2022 Q3 7,279 13 4 1786.0
2022 Q2 7,548 11 4 1457.3
2022 Q1 8,247 4 0 485.0
2021 Q4 6,827 7 1 1025.3
2021 Q3 6,061 8 2 1319.9
2021 Q2 7,354 10 4 1359.8
2021 Q1 7,343 9 4 1225.7
2020 Q4 3,283 3 1 913.8
Show 28 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2020 Q3 7,130 8 2 1122.0
2020 Q2 9,133 13 2 1423.4
2020 Q1 9,489 8 0 843.1
2019 Q4 8,225 11 0 1337.4
2019 Q3 7,912 12 2 1516.7
2019 Q2 8,098 8 2 987.9
2019 Q1 8,319 8 0 961.7
2018 Q4 10,641 3 1 281.9
2018 Q3 9,971 8 3 802.3
2018 Q2 9,665 12 1 1241.6
2018 Q1 9,935 11 1 1107.2
2017 Q4 9,370 11 1 1174.0
2017 Q3 9,424 11 0 1167.2
2017 Q2 9,581 15 2 1565.6
2017 Q1 8,680 11 1 1267.3
2016 Q4 9,240 11 4 1190.5
2016 Q3 9,545 11 2 1152.4
2016 Q2 3,008 7 1 2327.1
2016 Q1 9,477 11 2 1160.7
2015 Q4 11,680 15 0 1284.2
2015 Q3 8,487 6 1 707.0
2015 Q2 8,440 12 2 1421.8
2015 Q1 2,300 13 3 5652.2
2014 Q4 4,000 9 1 2250.0
2014 Q3 0 0 0
2014 Q2 0 0 0
2014 Q1 0 0 0
2013 Q4 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2020 · 1 incident

May 21, 2020 KY · Coal scoop car/scooptram operator, load/haul/dump (lhd) operator, teletram operator POWERED HAULAGE
COALTON MINING INC. · Struck by powered moving object

Miner was crawling near inby corner of tailpiece, when scoop approached to dump, striking the miner on the right lower leg, resulting in compression fractures to right tibia and fibula.

2018 · 1 incident

September 6, 2018 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

Pushing bolt up with the bolter, ee was holding the bolt and it slipped out and the plate caught ee hand and cut the palm of ee left hand.

2017 · 1 incident

July 21, 2017 KY · Coal draftsman, surveyor/transit work supervisor POWERED HAULAGE
MRM Mining, Inc. · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

Batteries ran down (no power) on the mantrip vehicle used to transport 2 people (spad crew) to the surface. One of the occupants head/cap got wedged between the mine roof (30' coal hgt.) & the vehicle frame & when machine movement occurred slightly, the occupant received injuries. Diagnosed as concussion and neck muscle strain.