Preacher Creek Strip has $204K in proposed MSHA penalties and $9K outstanding across 23 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
10
Years on record
2006–2015
Latest incident
Apr 2015
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
251
citations
77
significant & substantial
$204,424
proposed penalties
$156,999
paid to date
77% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $47,425 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.
251 citations across 2,104 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Preacher Creek Strip has $204K in proposed MSHA penalties and $9K outstanding across 23 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.
$204K
proposed penalties
$166K
current assessed
$157K
paid to date
$9K
outstanding
246 assessments are final orders; 23 contested dockets.
Of $153K in penalties contested before the Commission, $114K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-08-05.
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.
96citations taken to the federal commission · 38% of citations on record
Settled
84 · 88%
Stood as issued
6 · 6%
Vacated or withdrawn
6 · 6%
90%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 31 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
26%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$153K proposed, $114K 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 2019-09-12.
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 Preacher Creek Strip shows 100% of 126 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: 2025-05-07
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
126
samples
0.87
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.
105 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 21 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.
Preacher Creek Strip recorded 4.62 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2015.
Injury rate, 2015
ⓘ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.
4.62
total case rate
4.62
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 6.64 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
2015 *
4.62
4.62
0.000
2014 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012 *
8.04
8.04
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009
4.63
3.47
0.000
2008
0.00
0.00
0.000
2007
3.47
1.74
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
0
2025
3
32,054
2024
5
15,405
2023
0
2022
1
2021
1
2020
1
2019
3
2018
3
2017
2
2016
5
2015
29
82,981
2014
12
12,260
2013
9
2012
14
51,529
2011
28
87,696
2010
24
92,601
2009
67
345,658
2008
62
473,921
2007
42
390,439
2006
27
114,552
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Preacher Creek Strip sits in Wise County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 5.9% 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.
Wise County, Virginia · Population 35,727
5.9%
Mining share of county employment
$50,740
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
Employee was putting drive line bolts back in a 980G loader. The rachet slipped off the bolt head, striking the employee on the left side of his nose and corner of his left eye. (stitches)
March 11, 2009VA · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
This is a non-injury accident. A D-11-R CAT dozer caught on fire and burned longer that 30 minutes. No injury to employee. Fire started between shifts, was found burning by the service man. Fire department was called and they put out the fire.
2007 · 2 incidents
October 17, 2007VA · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee opened the door to enter the cab of a 980 loader. The door swung open hitting him in the left elbow. He did not seek medical attention until 10-18-07.
EE was driving a pin into his excavator track & hit his little finger on the right hand on the track. Mashed his finger & lost his finger nail. Required stitches.
2006 · 1 incident
August 18, 2006VA · Coalauger operator, auger crew supervisorPOWERED HAULAGE
Employee was putting auger back together, while picking up skid with boom truck, the skid slipped & pinched fingers on left hand & broke left ring finger.