Pe Letcher County has $28K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
33
Years on record
1994–2004
Latest incident
May 2004
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
277
citations
93
significant & substantial
$27,789
proposed penalties
$22,395
paid to date
81% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,394 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.
277 citations across 2,115 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Pe Letcher County has $28K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 5 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.
$28K
proposed penalties
$27K
current assessed
$22K
paid to date
$5K
outstanding
269 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $15K in penalties contested before the Commission, $3K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-01-07.
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.
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 Pe Letcher County shows 100% of 232 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: 2005-02-02, 21 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
232
samples
2.66
dust max (mg/m3)
160 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 72 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.
Pe Letcher County recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2004.
Injury rate, 2004
ⓘ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 5.57 and the all-US-mining average was 4.33 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.89 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2004
0.00
0.00
0.000
2003
2.99
1.49
0.000
2002
1.95
0.97
0.000
2001
0.75
0.75
0.000
2000
4.37
4.37
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)
2009
1
2008
6
2007
2
2006
1
2005
5
71,058
2004
38
531,750
2003
49
562,057
2002
77
1,006,350
2001
98
1,513,802
2000
102
1,527,886
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Pe Letcher County sits in Letcher County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.5% 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.
Letcher County, Kentucky · Population 21,146
3.5%
Mining share of county employment
$40,501
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
2009 Q1
188
1
0
5319.1
2008 Q4
965
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
1,931
1
0
517.9
2008 Q2
4,822
1
0
207.4
2008 Q1
3,211
3
0
934.3
2007 Q4
2,768
1
0
361.3
2007 Q3
0
0
0
2007 Q2
1,645
0
0
0.0
Show 29 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2007 Q1
1,495
1
0
668.9
2006 Q4
1,573
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
426
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
902
3
0
3325.9
2006 Q1
0
0
0
2005 Q4
3,369
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
925
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
2,338
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
8,068
3
0
371.8
2004 Q4
19,182
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
24,468
4
1
163.5
2004 Q2
29,856
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
33,521
13
2
387.8
2003 Q4
30,334
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
33,188
8
1
241.1
2003 Q2
34,403
2
0
58.1
2003 Q1
35,947
16
0
445.1
2002 Q4
36,596
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
51,079
24
10
469.9
2002 Q2
53,851
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
64,090
15
2
234.0
2001 Q4
67,477
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
61,245
14
4
228.6
2001 Q2
69,359
2
0
28.8
2001 Q1
70,222
24
4
341.8
2000 Q4
74,491
1
1
13.4
2000 Q3
66,885
11
6
164.5
2000 Q2
68,380
11
4
160.9
2000 Q1
64,715
4
1
61.8
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
33 on file
2004 · 2 incidents
May 20, 2004KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EE WAS PUSHING BOOM PINS OUT OF A LOADER USING A CRIB BLOCK AS A PRESS. THE CRIB BLOCK FELL OVER AND SMASHED HIS LEFT THUMB BETWEEN THE BOOM ARM AND CRIB BLOCK.
March 8, 2004KY · Coalgreaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oilerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EMPLOYEE WAS REMOVING HYDRAULIC CAP. PRESSURE BLEW IT OUT OF HIS HAND STRIKING HIM IN THE FACE. HE WENT TO DOCTOR, RECEIVED STITCHES & RETURNED TO WORK.
2001 · 1 incident
August 29, 2001KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE WAS KNOCKING A PIN OUT OF A DOZER BLADE. HE WAS HOLDING A PUNCH W/HIS RIGHT HAND AND HITTING THE PUNCH WITH A HAMMER. THE HAMMER HIT THE SIDE OF THE PUNCH CAUSING THE PUNCH TO ANGLE AND PRE SS RIGHT THUMB BETWEEN THE PUNCH AND BLADE.
EMPLOYEE WAS OOPERATING LOADER BREAKING COAL IN THE PIT, WHEN HE POSITIONED LOADER TO CLOSE TO EDGE OF COAL OVERTURNING LOADER ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. HIS RIGHT ARM/SHOULDER HIT AGAINST RIGHT SID E OF LOADER RESULTING IN BRUISED SHOULDER.
September 8, 1999KY · Coalblaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkeyHANDLING OF MATERIALS
INJURED OPENED DOOR OF POWDER BIN PART WAY, WAS HOLDING DOOR HANDLE & A CLOT OF POWDER FELL FROM BIN HITTING DOOR, CAUSING DOOR TO SLAM TOGETHER ON RIGHT RING FINGER RESULTING IN LACERATION TO RIGHT RING FINGER.
NOISE EXPOSURE HISTORY OF WORKING AROUND HEAVY EQUIPMENT FOR APPROX 30 YRS. MILD TO SEVERE DOWN SLOPING SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS, BILATERAL TINNITUS. HEARING AIDS TO BE PLACED HEARING DEVICES ORDERD 8/31/99
March 17, 1999KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
INJ & COWORKER WERE PLACING MIDDLE BELLY PAN ON DION DOZER. CHAIN SUPPORTING PAN CAME UNHOOKED, BELLY PAN FELL STRIKING INJURED ON RIGHT UPPER LEG AND HIP AREA. NO FRACTURE, SMALL LACERATION & BRUISES TO RIGHT HIP AREA
April 23, 1998KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
INJURED WAS REPLACING PISTON ON 992-C LOADER--DROPPING PISTON IN WITH RING SQUEEZER. LEFT MIDDLE FINGER WAS BEHIND PISTON. WHEN INJURE DDROPPED THE PISTON IN, IT SLIPPED DOWN CATCHING LEFT MID DLE FINGER BETWEEN PISTON & BLOCK.
March 31, 1998KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
WORKING ON FINAL DRIVE ON DOZER: INJURED LOOSENED PLUG TO RELIEVE PRESSURE. WHEN OIL STOPPED OOZING FORM PLUG, HE THOUGHT PRESSURE WAS OFF & PROCEEDED TO REMOVE PLUG AT WHICH TIME THE PLUG BLE W OUT SPEWING OIL ONTO INJ'S RIGHT HAND AND ARM RESULTING IN BURNS TO THESE AREAS.
1997 · 5 incidents
August 2, 1997KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EMP WS USING AN AIR GUN TO TAKE HOIST JACK OFF A DOZER. WHEN THE BOLT CAME LOOSE, THE SOCKET CAME OFF THE NUT AND TWISTED SIDEWAYS AND CAUGHT HIS LEFT THUMB ANC UT IT. HE WAS TAKEN TO ]THE HOS PITAL WHERE HE REQUIRED 8 STITCHES.
June 12, 1997KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
EE WAS BEGINNING TO OPERATE 992 LOADER AND IT WAS RAINING. HE WAS WALKING ON THE BACK BUMPER OF LOADER, HIS FOOT SLIPPED, HE GRABBED FOR THE HANDRAIL AND RAIL BROKE. EE FELL TO THE GROUND CUTT ING HIS RIGHT INDEX FINGER AND BRUISING HIS HIP.
February 14, 1997KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EMPLOYEE WAS HELPING MOUNT A PUSHARM ON A D375 DOXER BLADE. A CHAIN OR CABLE SLIPPED & HIT HIM IN THE MOUTH. HE HAS A LACERATED JAW & LIPS. TEETH ARE LOW & LIPS ARE SWOLLEN.
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