ORCHARD BRANCH OWL MINE has $65K in proposed MSHA penalties and $30K outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
12
Years on record
2023–2026
Latest incident
Jul 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2023
197
citations
39
significant & substantial
$65,383
proposed penalties
$35,380
paid to date
54% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $30,003 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.
197 citations across 3,712 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
ORCHARD BRANCH OWL MINE has $65K in proposed MSHA penalties and $30K outstanding across 1 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.
$65K
proposed penalties
$65K
current assessed
$35K
paid to date
$30K
outstanding
187 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-05.
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.
2citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
Still open
2 · 100%
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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2026-04-02.
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 ORCHARD BRANCH OWL MINE shows 100% of 862 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: 2026-08-14
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
862
samples
3.07
dust max (mg/m3)
2
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.
160 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 702 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.
ORCHARD BRANCH OWL MINE recorded 2.83 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.
2.83
total case rate
1.41
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 Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.08 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025
2.83
1.41
0.000
2024
6.68
5.34
0.000
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
ⓘCoal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.
Year
Employees
Coal produced (tons)
2026
57
121,539
2025
62
262,901
2024
68
232,575
2023
29
52,753
2022
0
2021
0
2020
0
2019
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
ORCHARD BRANCH OWL MINE sits in Harlan County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.3% 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.
Harlan County, Kentucky · Population 26,185
4.3%
Mining share of county employment
$37,198
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
35,747
6
2
167.8
2026 Q1
34,657
12
2
346.3
2025 Q4
32,798
14
0
426.9
2025 Q3
31,391
7
0
223.0
2025 Q2
27,887
5
0
179.3
2025 Q1
49,492
13
1
262.7
2024 Q4
44,587
16
4
358.8
2024 Q3
55,493
28
4
504.6
Show 17 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
38,274
14
4
365.8
2024 Q1
11,454
17
4
1484.2
2023 Q4
22,112
22
5
994.9
2023 Q3
20,194
21
8
1039.9
2023 Q2
13,603
15
5
1102.7
2022 Q3
0
0
0
2022 Q2
0
0
0
2022 Q1
0
0
0
2021 Q4
0
0
0
2021 Q3
0
0
0
2021 Q2
0
0
0
2021 Q1
0
0
0
2020 Q4
0
0
0
2020 Q3
0
0
0
2020 Q2
0
0
0
2020 Q1
0
0
0
2019 Q4
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
12 on file
2026 · 3 incidents
July 9, 2026KY · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was dropping bolt machine cable. The employee unhooked one side of the nylon hanger to let the cable drop. The weight of the cable spun the hanger around. The metal hook (on the hanger) hooked into the frame of safety glasses and the hook slid up the face cutting the bottom eyelid. It took 6-8 stitches to close the wound.
April 13, 2026KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was setting conveyor tail piece and was placing a crib block under the leg of the tail piece when the tail piece shifted and pinched the employees left thumb. The injury required 3 stitches to close wound.
Employee was traveling down decline from the portals to the shop area of the underground mine when a mechanical failure occurred in the rear end of the battery personnel carrier EE was operating, which caused excessive speed before overturning the battery powered personnel carrier.
2025 · 2 incidents
April 1, 2025KY · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was moving a piece of rock from a shuttle car. Employee was swinging the rock when their hand made contact with the canopy of the shuttle car causing the rock to cut their hand just below right hand. 5 stitches to close the wound.
February 25, 2025KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Employee was installing rib bolts and placed hand on canopy while raising and crushed EE's left pinky between the canopy and a cable bolt head. This injury resulted in stitches and compound fracture of the tip of EE's finger.
2024 · 6 incidents
December 28, 2024KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Employee was bolting top and was attempting get drill still out of hole and a piece of sharp rock fell from around the drill hole and cut their forearm. Employee received 4 stitches to close wound.
September 23, 2024KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Employee was installing rib bolt, was inserting glue into hole when a piece of sharp draw rock fell from mine roof striking employee's left hand causing a laceration and fracture.
EE was loading supplies on a roof bolting machine, when a piece of rock fell from the rib (44inches long, 8 inches wide and 6 inches thick) striking EE on the right leg resulting in a laceration and 3 fractures to the lower leg (below EE's knee).
August 21, 2024KY · Coalsection foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift bossSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee stated that they slipped on slick mine floor while working on belt structure and stuck the tip of a pick hammer into their leg. The injury required 2 stitches to close wound.