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POLENIK MINE: 16 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Matthew J Polenik
Alverda, Indiana County, PA  ·  NonProducing
MSHA Mine ID: 3608728

POLENIK MINE has $1K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2012
Latest incident
Feb 2012
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
16
citations
6
significant & substantial
$1,228
proposed penalties
$1,228
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See ALVERDA ENTERPRISES, INC.'s full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
84
inspections on record
1,010
inspection hours
1.6
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.
16 citations across 1,010 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

POLENIK MINE has $1K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$1K
proposed penalties
$1K
current assessed
$1K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
16 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2019-08-20.
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.
37.5%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
37.5%
reasonably likely or greater
12.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 43.8% low, 56.2% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at POLENIK MINE shows 100% of 81 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: 2019-09-16, 6 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
81
samples
0.65
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.
67 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 14 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR35
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR26
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER15

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2018-06-07, 8 years ago
11.7
silica avg (%)
5
samples
16.6
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR5
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2019-02-27, 7 years ago
6%
over PEL
36
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR14
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER10
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR9
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
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
2019 100% 6
2018 100% 5
2017 100% 5
2016 100% 2
2015 100% 7
2014 100% 3
2013 100% 5
2012 100% 6
2011 100% 3
2010 100% 3
2009 100% 2
2008 100% 4
2007 100% 2
2006 100% 3
2005 100% 5
2004 100% 3
2003 100% 7
2002 100% 2
2001 100% 5
2000 100% 3
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2018 16.6 1
2017 10.1 2
2006 14.8 1
2001 7.1 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2019 0% 1
2017 0% 1
2016 0% 1
2015 0% 2
2014 0% 1
2013 0% 3
2012 0% 3
2011 0% 2
2010 0% 1
2009 0% 1
2008 0% 1
2007 0% 1
2006 0% 1
2005 0% 3
2004 33% 3
2003 0% 6
2001 20% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Alverda Enterprises, Inc. 1998 to present
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 1 449
2025 1 137
2024 0
2023 1 419
2022 1
2019 2 2,471
2018 1 4,601
2017 2 6,314
2016 1 375
2015 3 6,535
2014 3 7,070
2013 3 9,069
2012 3 9,019
2011 2 14,269
2010 2 15,816
2009 1 4,879
2008 1 9,640
2007 2 11,307
2006 3 12,042
2005 2 11,784
2004 2 9,514
2003 3 16,591
2002 3 16,092
2001 2 12,663
2000 2 6,828
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

POLENIK MINE sits in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 2.4% 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.
Indiana County, Pennsylvania · Population 83,213
2.4%
Mining share of county employment
$58,739
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 43 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 65 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 50 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 40 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 0 0 0
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 21 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 0 0 0
Show 85 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 0 0 0
2024 Q1 0 0 0
2023 Q4 0 0 0
2023 Q3 58 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 16 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 48 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 43 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 1,008 1 0 992.1
2019 Q2 992 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 1,008 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 1,040 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 456 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 472 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 440 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 440 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 504 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 672 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 606 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 515 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 0 0 0
2016 Q1 0 0 0
2015 Q4 325 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 485 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 488 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 924 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 1,162 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 560 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 488 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 950 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 2,240 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 1,687 1 0 592.8
2013 Q2 1,326 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 1,663 3 1 1804.0
2012 Q4 2,074 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 2,057 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 1,689 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 1,727 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 1,819 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,164 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 1,228 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 1,059 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,267 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 1,248 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 367 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 855 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 556 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 635 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 0 0 0
2009 Q1 0 0 0
2008 Q4 215 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 650 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 544 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 650 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 822 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 1,264 1 1 791.1
2007 Q2 1,109 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 1,088 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 1,073 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 1,240 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 1,097 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 1,265 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 1,097 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 1,255 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 1,252 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,584 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 1,221 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 1,581 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 1,221 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1,091 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 1,034 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 1,825 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 1,584 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 1,110 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 1,620 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 1,578 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 1,543 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 1,036 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 996 5 2 5020.1
2001 Q3 1,120 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 1,120 2 1 1785.7
2001 Q1 960 1 0 1041.7
2000 Q4 1,068 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 1,074 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 395 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 247 2 1 8097.2
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2012 · 1 incident

February 7, 2012 PA · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Alverda Enterprises, Inc. · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

When exiting equipment employee missed a step and tried to catch himself with right arm which caused injury.