Mining Incidents

No. 7: 144 MSHA citations Coal

DaCoal Mining, Inc. · Underground
Controlled by David Stevenson
Dante, Russell County, VA  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4407121

No. 7 has $25K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at No. 7.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2005–2006
Latest incident
Dec 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
144
citations
61
significant & substantial
$25,305
proposed penalties
$25,305
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
26
inspections on record
911
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: 911 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. 7 has $25K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$25K
proposed penalties
$25K
current assessed
$25K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
142 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2007-01-31.
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.
43.0%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
43.0%
reasonably likely or greater
2.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 7.0% low, 93.0% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at No. 7 shows 98% of 125 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: 2007-03-07, 19 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
125
samples
1.76
dust max (mg/m3)
49 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 76 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR74
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)13
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)9

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2007-03-27, 19 years ago
6.1
silica avg (%)
38
samples
13.4
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR11

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: 2006-03-02, 20 years ago
17%
over PEL
12
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)4
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR2
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)2
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
2007 100% 16
2006 98% 59
2005 98% 50
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2007 7.3 4
2006 6.3 16
2005 5.6 18
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2006 20% 5
2005 14% 7
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. DaCoal Mining, Inc. 2004 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)
2007 5 13,547
2006 9 41,355
2005 7 42,848
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

No. 7 sits in Russell County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 4.5% 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.
Russell County, Virginia · Population 25,635
4.5%
Mining share of county employment
$49,020
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
2007 Q2 1,590 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 3,401 10 2 2940.3
2006 Q4 3,234 18 7 5565.9
2006 Q3 5,108 7 3 1370.4
2006 Q2 3,947 17 8 4307.1
2006 Q1 3,917 14 5 3574.2
2005 Q4 3,410 20 12 5865.1
2005 Q3 2,190 20 10 9132.4
Show 2 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2005 Q2 2,053 27 10 13151.5
2005 Q1 3,387 11 4 3247.7
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2006 · 1 incident

December 14, 2006 VA · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
DaCoal Mining, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was assisting to dislodge a rock in the feeder. The rock moved, striking EE's right pointer finger which required surgery & sutures to reset his finger. Accident occurred at section dumping point.

2005 · 2 incidents

December 12, 2005 VA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
DaCoal Mining, Inc. · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Trying to put air filter cap back on from the right tire, he slipped off tire to the ground landing on right hip.

November 10, 2005 VA · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss POWERED HAULAGE
DaCoal Mining, Inc. · Struck against a moving object

Left front wheel hit a rock, steering kicked around striking the operator on the back of the hand.