No. 1: 692 MSHA citations
Coal
Pruden,
Claiborne County,
TN
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4003333
No. 1 has $2.0M in proposed MSHA penalties and $1.9M outstanding across 7 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
- 2
- Years on record
- 2009–2011
- Latest incident
- Aug 2011
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2009
311
significant & substantial
$1,969,439
proposed penalties
0% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,966,620 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2008
18.7
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.
692 citations across 3,700 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘ
A Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
Most recent order: 2010-11-17.
On record since 2010.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
No. 1 has $2.0M in proposed MSHA penalties and $1.9M outstanding across 7 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.
661 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $400K in penalties contested before the Commission, $350K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2011-11-29.
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.
47.0%
significant & substantial
14.5%
high negligence or reckless
47.0%
reasonably likely or greater
20.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 3.9% low, 81.5% moderate, 14.2% high, 0.3% 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.
80
citations taken to the federal commission · 12% of citations on record
-
Settled
40 · 50%
-
Stood as issued
40 · 50%
98%
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 64 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
26%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$487K proposed, $361K 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 2012-03-02.
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.
| Docket |
Decision |
Judge |
Year |
Proposed / upheld |
| SE 2011-350 |
Default |
Lesnick |
2011 |
$160K → $160K |
| SE 2011-277 |
Default |
Lesnick |
2011 |
$117K → $117K |
| SE 2010-703 |
Prevail |
Andrews |
2013 |
$52K → $9K |
| SE 2010-704 |
Settlement |
Miller |
2011 |
$25K → $18K |
| SE 2010-1166 |
Default |
Lesnick |
2011 |
$21K → $21K |
| SE 2011-278 |
Default |
Lesnick |
2011 |
$19K → $19K |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at No. 1 shows 93% of 193 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: 2011-09-17, 14 years ago
104 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 89 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR89
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (INTAKE SIDE)13
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)12
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2010-05-19, 16 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR4
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: 2011-12-05, 14 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)9
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR8
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (INTAKE SIDE)6
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 |
| 2011 |
94% |
50 |
| 2010 |
90% |
80 |
| 2009 |
95% |
63 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year |
silica avg (%) |
samples |
| 2010 |
6.4 |
3 |
| 2009 |
7.8 |
2 |
Noise by year
| Year |
over PEL |
samples |
| 2011 |
7% |
14 |
| 2010 |
0% |
12 |
| 2009 |
0% |
17 |
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 2010.
Injury rate, 2010
ⓘ
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.
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 3.20 cases per 100 workers.
In Tennessee, coal mining averaged 5.30 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.
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
-
Solid Fuel Inc.
2008 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) |
| 2011 |
31 |
34,527 |
| 2010 |
28 |
93,768 |
| 2009 |
36 |
34,351 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
No. 1 sits in Claiborne County, Tennessee, where the Census mining category is 1.0% 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.
Claiborne County, Tennessee · Population 32,221
1.0%
Mining share of county employment
$46,587
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 |
| 2011 Q2 |
20,312 |
48 |
24 |
2363.1 |
| 2011 Q1 |
11,228 |
52 |
8 |
4631.3 |
| 2010 Q4 |
10,913 |
54 |
27 |
4948.2 |
| 2010 Q3 |
13,411 |
118 |
64 |
8798.7 |
| 2010 Q2 |
19,030 |
89 |
55 |
4676.8 |
| 2010 Q1 |
16,177 |
66 |
24 |
4079.9 |
| 2009 Q4 |
14,042 |
62 |
27 |
4415.3 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file
2011 · 1 incident
August 8, 2011
TN · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
OTHER
Solid Fuel Inc. · (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Victim was preparing to leave mine property after his work shift was over. The victim was discovered lying on the ground at the rear of his personal vehicle in the mine parking lot. There were no signs of life when he was discovered, There were no witnesses to the event.
2009 · 1 incident
December 5, 2009
TN · Coal
shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator
MACHINERY
Solid Fuel Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
The person was attaching rope that held cable to the miner tail with the miner in motion. No one shall be in pinch points with any equipment running. The person should have waited for the miner to stop and turned off before attaching rope.