Pete's Branch Surface Mine has $69K in proposed MSHA penalties and $13K outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
1990–2012
Latest incident
Feb 2012
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
158
citations
44
significant & substantial
$69,130
proposed penalties
$49,021
paid to date
71% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $20,109 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.
158 citations across 1,731 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Pete's Branch Surface Mine has $69K in proposed MSHA penalties and $13K outstanding across 6 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.
$69K
proposed penalties
$62K
current assessed
$49K
paid to date
$13K
outstanding
153 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $20K in penalties contested before the Commission, $13K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-05-20.
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.
16citations taken to the federal commission · 10% of citations on record
Settled
16 · 100%
67%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 15 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
35%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$20K proposed, $13K 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 2025-04-30.
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 Pete's Branch Surface Mine shows 100% of 137 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: 2025-05-29
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
137
samples
1.20
dust max (mg/m3)
0
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.
84 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 53 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.
Pete's Branch Surface Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024.
Injury rate, 2024
ⓘ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 3.16 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.51 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
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012 *
8.74
4.37
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009 *
0.00
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
ⓘCoal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.
Year
Employees
Coal produced (tons)
2026
1
11,364
2025
4
14,645
2024
27
199,568
2023
40
233,039
2022
43
196,223
2021
10
27,701
2020
0
2019
0
2017
3
2016
0
2015
2
2014
3
2013
9
42,820
2012
24
141,227
2011
33
281,737
2010
23
249,887
2009
16
164,409
2008
9
16,432
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Pete's Branch Surface Mine sits in Mingo County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 15.0% 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.
Mingo County, West Virginia · Population 22,979
15.0%
Mining share of county employment
$39,527
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
727
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
694
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
685
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
699
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
1,714
1
0
583.4
2025 Q1
5,183
5
1
964.7
2024 Q4
10,759
2
0
185.9
2024 Q3
12,694
4
0
315.1
Show 55 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
25,666
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
26,111
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
27,925
13
6
465.5
2023 Q3
26,988
2
1
74.1
2023 Q2
27,986
14
3
500.3
2023 Q1
26,089
2
0
76.7
2022 Q4
27,238
2
0
73.4
2022 Q3
33,824
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
24,494
16
4
653.2
2022 Q1
20,409
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
10,400
4
0
384.6
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
2019 Q3
0
0
0
2019 Q2
0
0
0
2019 Q1
0
0
0
2017 Q2
2,636
14
1
5311.1
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q3
0
0
0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
160
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
1,010
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
1,344
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
1,033
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
1,087
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
1,407
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
528
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
1,510
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
1,835
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
1,382
2
1
1447.2
2013 Q3
2,670
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
6,919
1
0
144.5
2013 Q1
6,672
4
3
599.5
2012 Q4
4,471
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
3,672
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
13,298
10
3
752.0
2012 Q1
24,335
1
0
41.1
2011 Q4
20,648
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
20,090
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
20,135
2
0
99.3
2011 Q1
17,853
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
16,361
2
0
122.2
2010 Q3
17,078
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
16,623
1
0
60.2
2010 Q1
12,939
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
11,950
1
0
83.7
2009 Q3
7,800
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
7,874
3
1
381.0
2009 Q1
7,799
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
4,095
1
1
244.2
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
3 on file
2012 · 2 incidents
February 10, 2012WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
The EE was using a chain ratchet to pull bracket back in place. The ratchet chain slipped causing material to hit the side of the injured employee's face and eye.
January 25, 2012WV · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverHANDLING OF MATERIALS
SET JACOB BRAKE INSTEAD OF PARK BRAKE GOT OUT TO CLEAN SPILLAGE OFF OF TAIL GATE GOT BACK IN ENGINE DIED TRUCK RAM APPROX. 100 YDS DOWN GRADE OVER TURNED WHEN HIT HILL AND DITCH.