No. 6: 27 MSHA citations
Coal
Van Lear,
Johnson County,
KY
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518658
No. 6 has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at No. 6.
- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 2
- Years on record
- 2003
- Latest incident
- Nov 2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
8
significant & substantial
$2,192
proposed penalties
89% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $236 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2003
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: 318 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. 6 has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
27 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2004-05-04.
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.
29.6%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
29.6%
reasonably likely or greater
7.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 40.7% low, 59.3% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
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 2004-238 |
Settlement |
Lesnick |
2004 |
$1K → $1K |
| KENT 2004-205 |
Settlement |
Lesnick |
2004 |
$270 → $235 |
| KENT 2004-103 |
Settlement |
Lesnick |
2004 |
$99 → $99 |
| KENT 2004-168 |
Settlement |
Lesnick |
2004 |
$99 → $99 |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at No. 6 shows 87% of 47 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: 2004-05-26, 22 years ago
24 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 23 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR24
- LABORER4
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)4
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2004-03-18, 22 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR2
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: 2004-02-09, 22 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- ELECTRICIAN1
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER1
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (INTAKE SIDE)1
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 |
| 2004 |
79% |
29 |
| 2003 |
100% |
18 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year |
silica avg (%) |
samples |
| 2004 |
6.2 |
2 |
| 2003 |
4.9 |
1 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, 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) |
| 2005 |
0 |
|
| 2004 |
27 |
89,300 |
| 2003 |
11 |
57,789 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
No. 6 sits in Johnson County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 1.9% 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.
Johnson County, Kentucky · Population 22,464
1.9%
Mining share of county employment
$43,014
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 |
| 2005 Q3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2004 Q2 |
16,826 |
16 |
3 |
950.9 |
| 2004 Q1 |
15,178 |
2 |
1 |
131.8 |
| 2003 Q4 |
11,242 |
6 |
1 |
533.7 |
| 2003 Q3 |
878 |
1 |
1 |
1139.0 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file
2003 · 2 incidents
November 17, 2003
KY · Coal
shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator
EMPLOYEE WAS WALKING AND HE HIT HIS HEAD ON ROOF BUT DID NOT REPORT THE ACCIDENT UNTIL 11/25/03.
November 14, 2003
KY · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Beech Fork Processing Inc · Struck by falling object
EE WAS WORKING ON BELT LINE MAKING A BELT MOVE WHEN A ROCK 2X2X6 IN FELL FROM ROOF HITTING HIM ON RIGHT FOOT CUTTING INBETWEEN #1 AND #2 TOE.