Ranger Fuel No. 1 Mine has $1.9M in proposed MSHA penalties and $1.3M outstanding across 84 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
27
Years on record
2007–2022
Latest incident
Jan 2022
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2007
1,447
citations
273
significant & substantial
$1,938,543
proposed penalties
$112,407
paid to date
6% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,826,135 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.
1,447 citations across 5,008 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Ranger Fuel No. 1 Mine has $1.9M in proposed MSHA penalties and $1.3M outstanding across 84 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.
$1.9M
proposed penalties
$1.4M
current assessed
$112K
paid to date
$1.3M
outstanding
1,371 assessments are final orders; 84 contested dockets.
Of $1.5M in penalties contested before the Commission, $913K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2023-11-30.
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.
714citations taken to the federal commission · 49% of citations on record
Settled
647 · 91%
Stood as issued
24 · 3%
Vacated or withdrawn
2 · 0%
Still open
41 · 6%
82%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 174 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
43%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1.6M proposed, $881K 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 2024-02-14.
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 Ranger Fuel No. 1 Mine shows 96% of 769 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: 2022-07-27, 4 years ago
96%
within 1.5 mg/m3
769
samples
14.48
dust max (mg/m3)
5
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.
172 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 597 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.
Ranger Fuel No. 1 Mine recorded 12.92 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2021.
Injury rate, 2021
ⓘ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.
12.92
total case rate
11.63
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.35 and the all-US-mining average was 2.19 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.83 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2021
12.92
11.63
0.000
2020
11.17
8.69
0.000
2011 *
2.20
0.00
0.000
2008 *
10.90
7.27
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
5
2024
0
2023
2
2022
38
23,178
2021
84
253,078
2020
78
491,421
2019
25
46,283
2012
2
1,227
2011
28
106,351
2010
5
2009
5
662
2008
24
84,944
2007
5
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Ranger Fuel No. 1 Mine sits in Wyoming County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 11.2% 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.
Wyoming County, West Virginia · Population 20,948
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$48,038
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
Injured was changing a conveyor torque shaft on a miner. Another worker was driving a bit insert into the ripper head with a sledge hammer. The hammer slipped out of the worker's hands and traveled more than 10 feet striking the injured in the back of the head and neck. Injured had blunt force trama to head and neck.
2021 · 11 incidents
December 2, 2021WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Injured hooked chain between scoop and mantrip. EE stepped around the ride to get in drivers seat and scoop rolled pinning left lower leg between scoop bucket and mantrip tire. Scoop was off and operator was sitting in deck.
Employee was checking on a pump in the Right Return at 30 Brk. The employee twisted a knee causing employee to fall. At the time of the injury the employee received an exam from an emt. Employee then returned to work with no lost time until 11/16/2021, when surgery was performed.
INJURED WAS HANGING A LOOP OF CABLE FOR #4SC, THE ANCHOR FOR #3SC JERKED AND CAUGHT THE INJURED IN THE LEFT EYEBROW. CAUSING A 1 1/2" TO 2" LACERATION.
June 6, 2021WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
A SECTION OF UNSUPPORTED TOP, WHICH HAD BEEN DANGERED OFF, FELL PULLING THREE ROWS OF PERMANENT INSTALLED SUPPORT. THIS FALL OCCURRED ONE BREAK INBY SPAD NUMBER 1131.
Injured picked up a roll of flypad material and felt a burning/pain in right groin. At the time of injury the injured received a medical exam. They returned to work with no lost time until 05/18/2021, when surgery was performed.
While loading a shuttle car with the continuous mining machine a piece of rock came off the conveyor chain and hit the shuttle car and bounced into the employees upper lip
Hanging equipment cables across the # 2 heading intersection with yellow tie wire and the tie wire broke and caused the cables to strike employee in the left shoulder and neck area.
Using a 20 pd. sledge hammer to knock block to install a mandoor and the block busted and the hammer went thru the stopping while employee was holding onto it and struck employee's finger on the side of a sharp piece of the block. Employee returned to work on employee's next scheduled shift. No lost time.
June 8, 2020WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was straightening roof bolt in the bolt hole to attach drill wrench when the bolt spun in the hole. The employee felt pain in left shoulder when they caught themselves to prevent falling.
Employee was struck in the head by a pry bar as a co-worker was prying on an entrance gland to the main control panel of a roof bolter. As the co-worker was working the pry bar back and forth, the victim moved EE's head into the path of the moving pry bar to look inside the panel. Victim was struck in the head behind the left ear.
March 23, 2020WV · Coallw propman, propman helper, move crew if lw, move-up man, jacksetter, advanceman lw helperELECTRICAL
Employee was changing scoop batteries. An individual cell grounded against the battery tray causing the battery to produce smoke. The inured inhaled an unknown amount of smoke.
Employee was operating the battery scoop (T400-105) while pulling a roof bolter that was stuck in the mud. the employee tried pulling the bolter with the scoop and later alleged their back was injured while operating the scoop to pull the bolter. Employee did not miss work until 3/2/2020.
Employee was putting his second piece of steel in to drill his hole. Instead of putting the steel into the other steel, he put it in the drill head and tried to connect the steel. Once the steel came together, it slapped back into his right thumb and index finger.
2008 · 3 incidents
September 18, 2008WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Injured was bent over when he lifted the cable up his chest popped and took his breath. A knot came out on the lower part of his chest. He went to the Doctor and was reported as being off Aug 1, 2008 for the accident.
Injured was walking to drop curtain and stepped on a nail that went thru his boot and punctured his right foot. He went to Welch Medical and was treated for a puncture wound.