Mining Incidents

Red Fox Surface Mine: 6 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Douglas M Epling
Bishop, Mcdowell County, WV  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4608901

Red Fox Surface Mine has $527 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
2003
Latest incident
Sep 2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
6
citations
3
significant & substantial
$527
proposed penalties
$527
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
6
inspections on record
143
inspection hours
n/a
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.
Rate withheld: 143 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Red Fox Surface Mine has $527 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.
$527
proposed penalties
$527
current assessed
$527
paid to date
$0
outstanding
6 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-09-30.
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.
50.0%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
50.0%
reasonably likely or greater
66.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 16.7% low, 83.3% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Red Fox Surface Mine shows 100% of 8 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: 2003-09-29, 22 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
8
samples
0.50
dust max (mg/m3)
8 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER HELPER4
  • AUGER OPERATOR4

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: 2003-09-29, 22 years ago
50%
over PEL
2
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER HELPER1
  • AUGER OPERATOR1
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
2003 100% 4
2002 100% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Mountain Edge Mining Inc 2001 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)
2004 0
2003 2 18,934
2002 3 32,025
2001 3 3,622
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Red Fox Surface Mine sits in McDowell County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 13.0% 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.
McDowell County, West Virginia · Population 18,413
13.0%
Mining share of county employment
$29,980
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
2004 Q1 0 0 0
2003 Q4 433 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 816 1 0 1225.5
2003 Q2 1,244 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 570 4 2 7017.5
2002 Q4 1,168 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 2,537 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 1,189 0 0 0.0
Show 4 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2002 Q1 515 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 190 1 1 5263.2
2001 Q3 379 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2003 · 1 incident

September 10, 2003 WV · Coal auger helper

EE WAS HOISTING AUGER FLIGHT WHEN THE ALL-THREAD SECURING THE HOIST FAILED. THE HOIST DROPPED & THE HOIST CABLE STRUCK EE ON THE HEAD.