Mining Incidents

No.1 Strip & Auger: 9 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Joe Ballard
Hurley, Buchanan County, VA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4407010

No.1 Strip & Auger has $579 in proposed MSHA penalties and $579 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2002
Latest incident
Feb 2002
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
9
citations
3
significant & substantial
$579
proposed penalties
$0
paid to date
0% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $579 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
13
inspections on record
135
inspection hours
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: 135 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 Strip & Auger has $579 in proposed MSHA penalties and $579 outstanding across 0 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.
$579
proposed penalties
$579
current assessed
$0
paid to date
$579
outstanding
9 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2002-03-12.
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.
33.3%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
33.3%
reasonably likely or greater
11.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 22.2% low, 77.8% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at No.1 Strip & Auger shows 100% of 6 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: 2002-03-07, 24 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
6
samples
1.48
dust max (mg/m3)
6 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER HELPER2
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR2
  • AUGER OPERATOR1

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2002-03-13, 24 years ago
17.7
silica avg (%)
3
samples
19.6
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR2
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER1

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: 2002-03-07, 24 years ago
40%
over PEL
5
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR3
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER1
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR1
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
2002 100% 1
2001 100% 5
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2002 14.7 1
2001 19.2 2
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2002 0% 2
2001 67% 3
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Balor Enterprises LLC 2000 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)
2002 6 21,530
2001 6 26,407
2000 3 1,627
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

No.1 Strip & Auger sits in Buchanan County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 11.2% 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.
Buchanan County, Virginia · Population 19,857
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$42,216
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
2002 Q3 2,164 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 3,875 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 3,177 4 2 1259.0
2001 Q4 2,860 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 2,338 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 1,530 5 1 3268.0
2001 Q1 273 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 1,438 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2002 · 1 incident

February 14, 2002 VA · Coal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey EXPLOSIVES AND BREAKING AGENTS
Balor Enterprises LLC · Struck by flying object

A HOLE BLEW OUT DURING A BLAST, A SMALL ROCK RICOCHED FROM THE GROUND OR A NEARBY TRAILOR AND STRUCK EE ON THE HEAD. FIRST AID WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE MINE SITE. THAT NIGHT HE WENT TO A DOCTOR FOR A TETNUS SHOT AND THE DOCTOR CLOSED THE LACERATION WITH A BUTTERFLY CLOSURER.