Mining Incidents

Placer Processing Plant #1: 61 MSHA citations Coal

Coal Equity Inc · Facility
Catlettsburg, Boyd County, KY  ·  NonProducing
MSHA Mine ID: 1508166

Placer Processing Plant #1 has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
1986–2011
Latest incident
Oct 2011
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
61
citations
13
significant & substantial
$7,144
proposed penalties
$4,279
paid to date
60% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,865 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
95
inspections on record
2,416
inspection hours
2.5
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.
61 citations across 2,416 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Placer Processing Plant #1 has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 0 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.
$7K
proposed penalties
$7K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$3K
outstanding
61 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-04-24.
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.
21.3%
significant & substantial
4.9%
high negligence or reckless
23.0%
reasonably likely or greater
13.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 13.1% low, 82.0% moderate, 4.9% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Placer Processing Plant #1 shows 100% of 190 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: 2025-05-09
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
190
samples
0.40
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.
182 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 8 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER39
  • TIPPLE OPERATOR35
  • BARGE ATTENDANT30

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: 2025-05-09
0%
over PEL
113
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER22
  • BARGE ATTENDANT19
  • TIPPLE OPERATOR16
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
2025 100% 2
2024 100% 2
2023 100% 4
2022 100% 1
2021 100% 4
2020 100% 5
2019 100% 10
2018 100% 5
2017 100% 6
2016 100% 12
2015 100% 7
2014 100% 5
2013 100% 10
2012 100% 15
2011 100% 5
2010 100% 6
2009 100% 11
2008 100% 11
2007 100% 8
2006 100% 9
2005 100% 6
2004 100% 14
2003 100% 9
2002 100% 8
2001 100% 10
2000 100% 5
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2025 0% 2
2023 0% 4
2022 0% 2
2021 0% 5
2020 0% 3
2019 0% 10
2018 0% 5
2017 0% 3
2016 0% 8
2015 0% 3
2013 0% 5
2012 0% 10
2010 0% 7
2009 0% 11
2008 0% 5
2007 0% 5
2006 0% 5
2005 0% 3
2004 0% 5
2002 0% 12
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Placer Processing Plant #1 recorded 9.84 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2000.

Injury rate, 2000
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.
9.84
total case rate
9.84
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 7.74 and the all-US-mining average was 5.64 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 8.83 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. Boyd County Coal Co 1975 to 1978
  2. Placer Coal Inc 1978 to 2001
  3. Coal Equity Inc 2001 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2024 2
2023 4
2022 1
2021 1
2020 3
2019 4
2018 6
2017 4
2016 4
2015 5
2014 5
2013 6
2012 6
2011 6
2010 4
2009 4
2008 5
2007 5
2006 5
2005 7
2004 8
2003 9
2002 9
2001 9
2000 9
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Placer Processing Plant #1 sits in Boyd County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 1.3% 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.
Boyd County, Kentucky · Population 48,043
1.3%
Mining share of county employment
$60,659
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
2024 Q4 520 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 480 0 0 0.0
2024 Q2 120 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 912 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 1,825 1 0 547.9
2023 Q3 1,453 1 0 688.2
2023 Q2 7,388 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 120 0 0 0.0
Show 87 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2022 Q4 640 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 52 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 88 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 302 1 0 3311.3
2021 Q3 480 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 520 1 0 1923.1
2021 Q1 520 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 520 1 0 1923.1
2020 Q3 624 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 1,277 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 1,624 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 1,724 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 1,527 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 1,789 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 1,808 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 2,920 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 2,891 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 2,514 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 1,301 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 1,465 1 0 682.6
2017 Q1 1,609 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 1,735 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 2,066 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 1,313 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 1,618 1 0 618.0
2015 Q3 800 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 1,898 3 0 1580.6
2014 Q4 1,801 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 2,065 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 2,909 2 0 687.5
2014 Q1 2,867 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 3,479 1 1 287.4
2013 Q3 2,546 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 2,593 3 1 1157.0
2013 Q1 2,999 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 3,765 6 2 1593.6
2012 Q3 2,973 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 3,994 2 0 500.8
2012 Q1 2,865 2 2 698.1
2011 Q4 3,540 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 3,477 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 3,674 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 2,418 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 2,134 1 0 468.6
2010 Q3 2,149 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 2,250 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 1,818 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 1,852 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 1,594 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 2,436 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 2,818 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 3,076 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 2,109 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 2,407 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 2,855 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 2,615 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 2,585 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 2,498 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 2,519 1 0 397.0
2006 Q4 2,526 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 2,544 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 2,521 3 0 1190.0
2006 Q1 2,653 3 1 1130.8
2005 Q4 2,717 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 2,832 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 3,140 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 3,314 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 3,373 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 3,478 3 0 862.6
2004 Q2 4,059 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 3,890 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 4,143 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 3,893 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 3,721 1 0 268.7
2003 Q1 4,029 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 4,416 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 4,454 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 4,726 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 3,843 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 4,270 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 4,099 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 4,252 1 0 235.2
2001 Q1 4,747 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 4,444 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 5,653 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 5,293 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 4,929 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

6 on file

2011 · 1 incident

October 18, 2011 KY · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator STEPPING OR KNEELING ON OBJECT
Coal Equity Inc · Struck against stationary object

EE was walking to office to go home stepped on about 2" gravel and twisted ankle (right). Came to office & told me (another ee) what had happened and said it was a little sore. Called in the next morning and couldn't walk on it. Had it x-rayed and it was cracked.

2000 · 1 incident

February 9, 2000 KY · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Placer Coal Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS LIFTING BARGE KICK-OUT COME-A-LONG WHEN THE LEVER SLIPPED FROM RIGHT HAND AND HIT LEFT FOREARM.

1994 · 1 incident

June 1, 1994 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Placer Coal Inc · Fall to the walkway or working surface

EMPLOYEE ALLEGES THAT WHILE WALKING DOWN EMBANKMENT TOWARD RIVER, HE SLIPPED AND FELL. POSSIBLE BACK STRAIN.

1992 · 2 incidents

November 21, 1992 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Placer Coal Inc · Fall from machine

GETTING OUT OF COAL TRUCK, STEPPED ON TRUCK STEP, FOOT SLIPPED AND FELL TO THE GROUND. CAUGHT SELF WITH HANDS AND SPRAINED LEFT WRIST.

March 6, 1992 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Placer Coal Inc · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS UNTARPINF COAL TRUCK, GOT HIS FEE5T TANGLED UP IN THE TARP, ALMOST FELL AND PULLED LIGAMENTS IN BACK.

1986 · 1 incident

September 12, 1986 KY · Coal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner POWERED HAULAGE
Placer Coal Inc · Struck by flying object

FENCE POSTS MAD9 UP OF 4|| PIPE WERE BEING INSTALLED.POST BEING SET DEEPER IN GROUND WITH LOADELACERATION ON FOREHEAD AND CHIN.