Mining Incidents

Pocahontas Highwall Mine Coal

Controlled by Metinvest B V
Josephine, Raleigh County, WV  ·  NonProducing
MSHA Mine ID: 4609096

Pocahontas Highwall Mine has $152K in proposed MSHA penalties and $65K outstanding across 14 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
22
Years on record
2005–2022
Latest incident
Sep 2022
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
193
citations
63
significant & substantial
$152,457
proposed penalties
$82,669
paid to date
54% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $69,788 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
80
inspections on record
2,722
inspection hours
7.1
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.
193 citations across 2,722 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Pocahontas Highwall Mine has $152K in proposed MSHA penalties and $65K outstanding across 14 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.
$152K
proposed penalties
$147K
current assessed
$83K
paid to date
$65K
outstanding
186 assessments are final orders; 14 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2024-03-25.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Pocahontas Highwall Mine shows respirable coal dust averaging 0.14 mg/m3 (100% compliant) across 227 samples.

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.
0.14
dust avg (mg/m3)
0.70
dust max (mg/m3)
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
227
samples
Most recent sample: 2024-05-01.
Silica (quartz)
16.6
silica avg (%)
62.0
silica max (%)
15
samples
Most recent sample: 2024-04-03.
Noise
0%
over PEL
79
samples
Most recent sample: 2024-03-25.
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
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
2025 Q4 0 0 0
2025 Q3 0 0 0
2025 Q2 0 0 0
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 0 0 0
2024 Q3 3,844 0 0 0.0
2024 Q2 3,562 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 2,341 2 0 854.3
Show 76 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2023 Q4 3,102 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 3,375 6 3 1777.8
2023 Q2 3,202 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 9,235 2 0 216.6
2022 Q4 2,656 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 9,240 4 0 432.9
2022 Q2 2,468 1 0 405.2
2022 Q1 17,560 7 0 398.6
2021 Q4 656 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 992 5 2 5040.3
2021 Q2 1,056 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 1,008 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 3,068 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 3,410 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 3,712 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 11,508 27 1 2346.2
2019 Q4 6,420 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 8,033 3 0 373.5
2019 Q2 11,959 1 0 83.6
2019 Q1 15,991 2 0 125.1
2018 Q4 14,069 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 8,954 21 14 2345.3
2018 Q2 9,510 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 9,103 2 0 219.7
2017 Q4 5,994 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 5,195 3 1 577.5
2017 Q2 3,855 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 4,087 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 3,792 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 2,964 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 3,882 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 4,934 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 5,195 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 6,139 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 6,421 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 5,713 1 0 175.0
2014 Q4 4,112 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 4,266 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 5,268 1 0 189.8
2014 Q1 22,690 8 4 352.6
2013 Q4 21,745 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 37,735 7 2 185.5
2013 Q2 42,769 1 0 23.4
2013 Q1 43,187 5 2 115.8
2012 Q4 33,379 7 0 209.7
2012 Q3 46,837 4 0 85.4
2012 Q2 45,827 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 43,254 11 10 254.3
2011 Q4 35,296 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 28,761 1 0 34.8
2011 Q2 25,132 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 21,162 3 2 141.8
2010 Q4 14,643 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 22,562 1 0 44.3
2010 Q2 26,215 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 33,723 1 0 29.7
2009 Q4 41,302 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 22,534 5 3 221.9
2009 Q2 31,522 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 57,999 20 11 344.8
2008 Q4 48,203 1 0 20.7
2008 Q3 47,930 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 27,135 13 2 479.1
2008 Q1 25,540 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 16,114 9 5 558.5
2007 Q3 8,178 1 0 122.3
2007 Q2 8,206 2 0 243.7
2007 Q1 18,493 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 21,846 2 0 91.5
2006 Q3 26,992 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 30,322 1 0 33.0
2006 Q1 27,582 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 19,862 2 1 100.7
2005 Q3 20,205 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 13,400 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 2,500 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

22 on file

2022 · 2 incidents

September 1, 2022 WV · Coal welder (shop) MACHINERY
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

While drilling out a broken bolt with a magnet drill on a D7 roller frame, EE was running the drill while magnetized to the frame. As the bit finished drilling through the broken bolt it bound up causing the drill to spin around pinching EE's fingers between the drill and the frame.

February 23, 2022 WV · Coal FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Accident type, without injuries

At approximately 11:30AM on February 23 there was a wall failure at the Pocahontas Surface Mine. The wall fell onto the 52 HWM covering the miner back to the launch pad. There were NO injuries to any employees on the miner. This is to report wall failure only.

2020 · 1 incident

January 9, 2020 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Fall from ladders

Repairing a hydraulic leak on the 1200 Hitachi excavator. EE was on the second rung of the ladder. When EE broke loose a bolt, EE lost footing, which led to EE falling off the ladder to the ground. The ground surface was uneven where EE landed.

2019 · 1 incident

October 2, 2019 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Contact with hot objects or substances

Lying beside roller frame using oxy/ace torch to cut broken bolts from frame - torch popped and slag went into left ear causing a thermal burn.

2018 · 1 incident

February 11, 2018 WV · Coal FIRE
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Accident type, without injuries

I received a call from security had notified the mantrip bus was on fire. The security guard had stopped near the bus to eat lunch when ee noticed flames come out from under the hood. The job was idle no and employees were injured. This was an inactive part of the job where employees parked.

2013 · 1 incident

August 7, 2013 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Struck by falling object

Lowering belly pan on A40D truck and it fell on his foot & broke ankle

2012 · 3 incidents

September 7, 2012 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman MACHINERY
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC · Struck by falling object

Employee was cutting a tree. When the tree began to fall a limb fell and hit employee knocking him to the ground breaking his leg.

January 15, 2012 WV · Coal pumper FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
North Star One LLC · Struck by falling object

EE positioned his left leg under the cutter drum of the #53 Highwall Miner in an attempt to remove bolts from the cutterhead auger. Inadequate blocking material allowed the cutterdrum to strike his lower left leg causing fractures and puncture wounds.

2011 · 1 incident

May 4, 2011 WV · Coal welder (shop) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
North Star One LLC · Over-exertion in lifting objects

EE and another ee was moving a pallet of materials. EE picked his side up by hand so another ee picked his side up also by hand. EE went to take a step and relized his back was hurting so they set the pallet back down. EE reported to EE(Supervisor) that he had hurt his back lifting the pallet.

2010 · 1 incident

August 10, 2010 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
North Star One LLC · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Foot slipped on step and EE fell to the ground and his foot twisted.

2009 · 3 incidents

November 16, 2009 WV · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
North Star One LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

While tramming his Komatsu PC-220 excavator around the Highwall Miner the operator opened his window and reached out to pull his mirror in and caught his left hand between the mirror and the highwall miner lacerating it. He received (9) sutures to his left hand. This is to report medical treatment only, no days were lost.

March 10, 2009 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
North Star One LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee using right side handrail to pull up on truck, pulled muscle in right upper arm.

January 17, 2009 WV · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
North Star One LLC · Struck against stationary object

Employee was riding bus (mantrip) and when it approached his piece of equipment he stood up as the bus operator braked and he fell and stuck his head on the header above the windshield. He was diagnoised with a cervical strain and concussion.

2008 · 2 incidents

December 31, 2008 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
North Star One LLC · Struck by falling object

Employee was changing bits on a miner head when a rock slid out about 3 or 4 feet and struck his right hand and cut his pinky finger.

May 29, 2008 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
North Star One LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Mechanic was welding on a truck and when he finished he started rolling up the stinger lead and it become tangled with the ground clamp lead. He pulled on the stinger lead and the ground clamp came off the truck and struck his right hand fracturing his fourth (index) metacarpal. This is to report medical treatment only.

2007 · 1 incident

January 31, 2007 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
North Star One LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The mechainc was using a screw driver to pry on a cover on a cat 345 excavator when the screw driver broke and struck him on his upper lip lacerating it. The wound required (7) sutures to repair it. No days were lost, this is to report medical treatment only.

2006 · 4 incidents

December 26, 2006 WV · Coal crane operator, mobile equipment operator (meo), dragline operator, dropball operator, rigger POWERED HAULAGE
North Star One LLC · Struck against a moving object

Operator was in an A40 D Volvo truck while being loaded by a 988F Cat Loader. While the loader operator was preparing to dump the first bucket of rock in the truck bed a rock slipped out and struck the bed jarring the operator spraining his lower back.

September 23, 2006 WV · Coal electrician, lineman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
North Star One LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The HWM electrician developed pain in his lower back after his right foot slipped as he stepped into the power head area of the Superior High Wall Miner. He finished his shift and started off on 09/24/06.

January 25, 2006 WV · Coal assayer, geologist, metallurgist, engineer, engineer management HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
North Star One LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

While changing bits on the highwall miner cutter head, the foreman struck the distal end of his left little finger with a 4-lb hammer fracturing it. This is to report medical treatment only.

2005 · 1 incident

November 9, 2005 WV · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer POWERED HAULAGE
North Star One LLC · Struck against a moving object

While dumping load to construct barm, the truck lost power and backed over a 10' ledge. The operator struck his left knee against the dashboard resulting in a laceration.

For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants

The full compliance file on Pocahontas Highwall Mine

A dated report covering the 26-year penalty trail, line-item violation pattern, contest and docket posture, rate-normalized peer benchmark, and full fatality history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.