Mining Incidents

No. 9: 31 MSHA citations Coal

Taurus Coal Company, Inc. · Underground
Controlled by James H Booth
Van Lear, Johnson County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518385

No. 9 has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
2002–2003
Latest incident
Oct 2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
31
citations
6
significant & substantial
$1,821
proposed penalties
$1,773
paid to date
97% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $48 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
31
inspections on record
611
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: 611 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. 9 has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 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.
$2K
proposed penalties
$2K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
27 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $486 in penalties contested before the Commission, $438 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-08-28.
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.
22.2%
significant & substantial
7.4%
high negligence or reckless
25.9%
reasonably likely or greater
3.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 3.7% none, 3.7% low, 85.2% moderate, 7.4% 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 2004-46 Settlement Lesnick 2004 $273 → $242
KENT 2003-320 Settlement Zielinski 2003 $122 → $105
KENT 2004-75 Dismissal Lesnick 2004 $91 → $91
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at No. 9 shows 98% of 60 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: 2003-10-28, 22 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
60
samples
3.11
dust max (mg/m3)
29 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 31 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR30
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR4
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (OFF STANDARD)3

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2003-02-26, 23 years ago
1.1
silica avg (%)
1
samples
1.1
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR1

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: 2003-05-08, 23 years ago
8%
over PEL
12
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)4
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR2
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER2
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
2003 100% 53
2002 86% 7
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2003 14% 7
2002 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

No. 9 recorded 11.85 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2003.

Injury rate, 2003
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.
11.85
total case rate
11.85
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 5.87 and the all-US-mining average was 4.43 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 6.65 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
  1. Long Fork Development Inc 2001 to 2003
  2. Taurus Coal Company, Inc. 2003 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)
2004 0
2003 20 161,774
2002 5 14,080
2001 2 1,119
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

No. 9 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
2004 Q4 0 0 0
2003 Q4 6,892 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 11,042 19 4 1720.7
2003 Q2 18,021 8 0 443.9
2003 Q1 14,658 3 2 204.7
2002 Q4 13,952 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 0 0 0
2002 Q2 0 0 0
Show 3 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 1,120 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 360 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2003 · 3 incidents

May 7, 2003 KY · Coal discontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operator

THE EMPLOYEE WAS BRINGING LOAD OF BLOCK INSIDE ON A FLAT-CAR WHEN THE FLAT-CAR GOT AWAY FROM CO-WORKER HAD STOPPED ON MOTOR & WOULD NOT STOP SO HE JUMPED OFF OF FLAT-CAR CAUSING CONCUSSION & C ONTUSIONS. THIS HAPPENED AT THE END OF TRACK. THIS WAS REPORTED TO SAFETY DEPT ON 5-22-03.

January 7, 2003 KY · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator

THE EMPLOYEE WAS HELPING TO CHANGE ROLLERS ON A BELT MOVE WHEN HE REACHED TO HAND ROLLER HE TWISTED HIS BACK.

2002 · 1 incident

December 30, 2002 KY · Coal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Long Fork Development Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects

THE EE WAS MOVING BUGGY TIRES AND TWISTED LOWER LEFT SIDE OF BACK WHEN HE PICED UP AIRED UP TIRE TO MOVE TO SUPPLY STATION.