Oaktown Fuels Preparation Plant has $27K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
10
Years on record
2013–2022
Latest incident
Jul 2022
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2013
147
citations
41
significant & substantial
$26,898
proposed penalties
$21,995
paid to date
82% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $4,903 gap.
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.
147 citations across 2,845 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.
3
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2026-05-28.
On record since 2014.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Oaktown Fuels Preparation Plant has $27K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K 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.
$27K
proposed penalties
$27K
current assessed
$22K
paid to date
$5K
outstanding
136 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $3K in penalties contested before the Commission, $3K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-28.
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.
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.
8citations taken to the federal commission · 5% of citations on record
Settled
4 · 50%
Still open
4 · 50%
100%
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 4 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
6%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$3K proposed, $3K 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 2026-08-12.
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.
MSHA sampling at Oaktown Fuels Preparation Plant shows 100% of 253 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: 2026-08-17
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
253
samples
2.07
dust max (mg/m3)
1
over MSHA ECV
ⓘThe excessive concentration value (ECV) is MSHA's own per-sample enforcement threshold, which builds in measurement uncertainty; a sample over its ECV can trigger a citation. The count covers only samples MSHA assigned an ECV.
149 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 104 by the operator.
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.
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.
Oaktown Fuels Preparation Plant recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Indiana, coal mining averaged 2.61 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.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022
2.74
0.00
0.000
2021
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019
1.35
0.00
0.000
2018
1.70
0.00
0.000
* Fewer than 100,000 employee-hours that year; the rate is less stable.
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
56
2025
52
2024
57
2023
87
2022
73
2021
68
2020
61
2019
72
2018
59
2017
57
2016
59
2015
60
2014
65
2013
58
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Oaktown Fuels Preparation Plant sits in Knox County, Indiana, where the Census mining category is 2.0% 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.
Knox County, Indiana · Population 36,108
2.0%
Mining share of county employment
$58,863
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
2026 Q2
26,358
11
3
417.3
2026 Q1
26,586
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
25,486
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
24,826
1
0
40.3
2025 Q2
24,054
0
0
0.0
2025 Q1
24,404
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
22,311
1
0
44.8
2024 Q3
22,570
0
0
0.0
Show 45 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
24,293
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
34,160
1
0
29.3
2023 Q4
41,896
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
46,630
0
0
0.0
2023 Q2
41,480
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
40,966
4
2
97.6
2022 Q4
37,847
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
37,449
3
0
80.1
2022 Q2
35,868
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
35,085
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
32,866
3
0
91.3
2021 Q3
32,946
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
31,899
16
1
501.6
2021 Q1
31,373
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
28,587
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
28,462
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
28,689
1
0
34.9
2020 Q1
34,288
2
1
58.3
2019 Q4
35,535
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
36,964
1
0
27.1
2019 Q2
36,892
4
0
108.4
2019 Q1
38,264
11
1
287.5
2018 Q4
37,630
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
20,971
2
1
95.4
2018 Q2
23,755
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
35,472
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
21,137
6
2
283.9
2017 Q3
16,720
4
1
239.2
2017 Q2
19,213
4
1
208.2
2017 Q1
20,326
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
21,979
4
1
182.0
2016 Q3
31,088
4
3
128.7
2016 Q2
19,597
1
0
51.0
2016 Q1
32,698
1
0
30.6
2015 Q4
34,523
2
0
57.9
2015 Q3
34,549
3
0
86.8
2015 Q2
34,449
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
35,410
6
2
169.4
2014 Q4
35,154
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
40,852
6
2
146.9
2014 Q2
42,304
2
1
47.3
2014 Q1
41,763
1
0
23.9
2013 Q4
40,048
2
0
49.9
2013 Q3
51,366
13
0
253.1
2013 Q2
27,187
1
0
36.8
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
10 on file
2022 · 2 incidents
July 25, 2022IN · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Injured was lifting the hood of a MT995 tractor to service the a/c when the shoulder felt like it tore. Injured went to the clinic on 8/8 and they treated and ordered a MRI. On 8/17 the MRI showed that there was a tear in the right rotator cuff. Injured is scheduled for surgery on 9/2.
Injured walked out the door of the prep plant going to the foreman's pickup. Due to the weather conditions the whole area was a solid sheet of ice. The injured slipped and fell hurting the right shoulder as the injured tried to catch self. The injured was still in discomfort on 4/1/2022 and went to the doctor. On 4/6/2022 and MRI showed a tear in the rotator cuff.
2019 · 2 incidents
October 20, 2019IN · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Injured was replacing the back plate of a refuse screen and received a laceration on right hand during the process. Injured received stitches for the laceration.
June 10, 2019IN · Coalbelt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Sunrise Coal, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Injured was pulling new belt and finger was smashed by roller bar. This caused a fracture to the index finger.
2018 · 1 incident
April 17, 2018IN · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Sunrise Coal, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Injured was moving the fork of the telehandler and pinched EE's finger between the fork and the headache bar of the machine. Injured suffered a laceration as a result of this and received stitches for this injury.
Smoke was observed coming from the raw coal pile at approx. 6pm on 6/7/17. A track-hoe was dispatched to the spot observed & began digging our the spot where the smoke was observed. At approx. 8:45am MSHA inspector arrived on site and questioned if we had reported the incident. Part 50 is a fire not extinguished within 30 min not smoke! We were issued a citation.
The injured was in the process of removing a gear box from a bin roller when the gear box cleared the shaft it made an upward motion pinching index finger between the motor pedal and the motor causing a laceration. The injured was seen by a doctor and received stitches.
April 11, 2016IN · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
The injured was lowering a 40 foot extension ladder down to the floor with another employee to move the ladder to the needed location when the second employee lost their grip on the foot end of the ladder. This resulted in the weight on the ladder coming down on the left shoulder of the injured.
2015 · 1 incident
January 17, 2015IN · Coalcrane operator, mobile equipment operator (meo), dragline operator, dropball operator, riggerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Injured was exiting cab of crane. Injured lost his footing and all of his weight shifted to his right arm while holding onto the grab handle. Right shoulder became dislocated. This is a aggravation of a previous injury. Should was put back into place at Good Samaritan Hospital Emergency room.