Mining Incidents

Rausch Creek Coal Mining Branchdale LLC: 34 MSHA citations Coal

Rausch Creek Coal Mining Branchdale LLC · Facility
Controlled by Robert Rivkin
Branchdale, Schuylkill County, PA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3609178

Rausch Creek Coal Mining Branchdale LLC has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $118 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
2016
Latest incident
Aug 2016
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2004
34
citations
8
significant & substantial
$3,665
proposed penalties
$3,547
paid to date
97% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $118 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2004
58
inspections on record
1,496
inspection hours
2.3
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.
34 citations across 1,496 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Rausch Creek Coal Mining Branchdale LLC has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $118 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.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$118
outstanding
34 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2018-12-03.
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.
23.5%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
23.5%
reasonably likely or greater
14.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 52.9% low, 47.1% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Rausch Creek Coal Mining Branchdale LLC shows 100% of 125 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: 2019-04-22, 7 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
125
samples
1.09
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.
92 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 33 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR36
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER35
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR17

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2018-05-04, 8 years ago
3.4
silica avg (%)
2
samples
4.4
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR2

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: 2018-12-04, 7 years ago
1%
over PEL
71
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER25
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR12
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR12
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% 3
2018 100% 18
2017 100% 19
2016 100% 26
2015 100% 14
2014 100% 7
2013 100% 7
2012 100% 4
2011 100% 7
2010 100% 1
2009 100% 3
2008 100% 3
2007 100% 3
2006 100% 4
2005 100% 2
2004 100% 4
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2018 4.4 1
2017 2.4 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2018 0% 6
2017 0% 12
2016 0% 21
2014 0% 3
2013 0% 8
2012 0% 3
2011 0% 4
2010 0% 1
2009 0% 2
2008 0% 3
2007 0% 2
2006 0% 2
2005 0% 1
2004 33% 3
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Rausch Creek Coal Mining Branchdale LLC recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2018.

Injury rate, 2018
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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.34 and the all-US-mining average was 2.33 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 4.27 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
2018 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2017 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2016 * 5.17 5.17 0.000
2015 * 0.00 0.00 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.
Ownership history
  1. Michael Coal Company 2003 to 2019
  2. Rausch Creek Coal Mining Branchdale LLC 2019 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)
2025 0
2024 0
2023 0
2022 0
2021 0
2020 1
2019 6 11,171
2018 11 43,101
2017 15 77,058
2016 17 119,327
2015 12 51,466
2014 7
2013 5
2012 5
2011 4
2010 3
2009 4
2008 3
2007 3
2006 2
2005 3
2004 3
2003 2
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Rausch Creek Coal Mining Branchdale LLC sits in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 1.1% 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.
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania · Population 143,259
1.1%
Mining share of county employment
$66,901
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
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 0 0 0
2024 Q2 0 0 0
2024 Q1 0 0 0
Show 81 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2023 Q4 0 0 0
2023 Q3 0 0 0
2023 Q2 0 0 0
2023 Q1 0 0 0
2022 Q4 0 0 0
2022 Q3 0 0 0
2022 Q2 0 0 0
2022 Q1 0 0 0
2021 Q4 0 0 0
2021 Q3 0 0 0
2021 Q2 0 0 0
2021 Q1 0 0 0
2020 Q4 0 0 0
2020 Q3 0 0 0
2020 Q2 0 0 0
2020 Q1 600 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 0 0 0
2019 Q3 0 0 0
2019 Q2 2,392 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 6,853 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 5,473 1 0 182.7
2018 Q3 6,216 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 5,604 1 0 178.4
2018 Q1 6,953 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 6,898 1 0 145.0
2017 Q3 8,408 1 0 118.9
2017 Q2 7,863 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 10,542 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 9,386 1 0 106.5
2016 Q3 10,416 1 0 96.0
2016 Q2 9,772 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 9,116 1 0 109.7
2015 Q4 10,902 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 9,173 4 3 436.1
2015 Q2 2,547 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 3,785 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 3,703 1 0 270.1
2014 Q3 3,149 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 3,657 1 0 273.4
2014 Q1 2,407 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 3,339 1 0 299.5
2013 Q3 2,279 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 3,075 2 1 650.4
2013 Q1 2,595 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 2,238 1 1 446.8
2012 Q3 1,858 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 2,389 1 0 418.6
2012 Q1 2,747 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 2,582 2 0 774.6
2011 Q3 1,936 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 1,661 1 1 602.0
2011 Q1 1,718 1 1 582.1
2010 Q4 1,579 3 1 1899.9
2010 Q3 610 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 760 2 0 2631.6
2010 Q1 863 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 754 1 0 1326.3
2009 Q3 389 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 650 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 1,120 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 737 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 889 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 700 1 0 1428.6
2008 Q1 455 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 882 1 0 1133.8
2007 Q3 635 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 905 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 710 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 1,040 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 1,000 1 0 1000.0
2006 Q2 1,040 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 1,240 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 720 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 550 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 1,320 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,560 1 0 641.0
2004 Q4 2,194 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 960 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 1,760 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1,040 1 0 961.5
2003 Q4 1,040 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2016 · 1 incident

August 2, 2016 PA · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Michael Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Working on dragline climbing down the ladder to put tools away ladder kicked out grabbed a hold of the railing pulled the muscles in shoulder tried to work 5 more months on therapy, pain got too bad went for surgery 1-25-17 still out.