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River Fork Powellton #1: 161 MSHA citations Coal

Naoma, Raleigh County, WV  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4608914

River Fork Powellton #1 has $66K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 11 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
12
Years on record
2005–2007
Latest incident
Mar 2007
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
161
citations
51
significant & substantial
$65,635
proposed penalties
$62,027
paid to date
95% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,608 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Marfork Coal Company, Inc.'s full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
16
inspections on record
1,010
inspection hours
15.9
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.
161 citations across 1,010 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

River Fork Powellton #1 has $66K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 11 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.
$66K
proposed penalties
$62K
current assessed
$62K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
153 assessments are final orders; 11 contested dockets.
Of $56K in penalties contested before the Commission, $50K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2007-05-03.
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.
32.9%
significant & substantial
4.5%
high negligence or reckless
36.1%
reasonably likely or greater
26.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 7.7% low, 87.7% moderate, 3.9% high, 0.6% reckless.
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.
27 citations taken to the federal commission · 17% of citations on record
  • Settled 26 · 96%
  • Stood as issued 1 · 4%
75%
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 24 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
10%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$56K proposed, $50K 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 2008-08-27.
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.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
WEVA 2008-1371 Dismissal Lesnick 2012 $40K → $40K
WEVA 2008-1768 Settlement Paez 2010 $5K → $4K
WEVA 2007-352 Settlement Zielinski 2007 $2K → $2K
WEVA 2007-204 Settlement Feldman 2007 $2K → $1K
WEVA 2007-323 Settlement Barbour 2007 $1K → $900
WEVA 2006-862 Settlement Feldman 2007 $1K → $637
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at River Fork Powellton #1 shows 79% of 150 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: 2007-02-21, 19 years ago
79%
within 1.5 mg/m3
150
samples
5.94
dust max (mg/m3)
71 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 79 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR68
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)23
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)12

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2006-08-04, 20 years ago
5.8
silica avg (%)
14
samples
15.5
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR8
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.
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
2007 100% 13
2006 68% 84
2005 92% 53
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2006 5.8 10
2005 5.7 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

River Fork Powellton #1 recorded 10.30 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2006.

Injury rate, 2006
ⓘ 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.
10.30
total case rate
6.18
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.87 and the all-US-mining average was 3.91 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.26 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
2006 * 10.30 6.18 0.000
2005 * 8.00 5.33 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. Performance Coal Company 2001 to 2005
  2. Marfork Coal Company, Inc. 2005 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)
2007 13 60,572
2006 41 293,990
2005 30 385,987
2002 0
2001 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

River Fork Powellton #1 sits in Raleigh County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 4.0% 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.
Raleigh County, West Virginia · Population 73,666
4.0%
Mining share of county employment
$52,055
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
2007 Q2 652 1 1 1533.7
2007 Q1 21,247 19 10 894.2
2006 Q4 21,503 23 5 1069.6
2006 Q3 23,615 38 4 1609.1
2006 Q2 24,714 21 3 849.7
2006 Q1 27,272 15 9 550.0
2005 Q4 25,204 8 5 317.4
2005 Q3 26,061 15 6 575.6
Show 5 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2005 Q2 20,860 12 2 575.3
2005 Q1 2,878 3 1 1042.4
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 0 0 0
2001 Q3 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

12 on file

2007 · 2 incidents

March 20, 2007 WV · Coal INUNDATION
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Accident type, without injuries

While mining through a barrier block water was cut into on the cut through. No injuries occurred.

January 19, 2007 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Struck by falling object

Drilling hole when a piece of draw rock fell out drill out throwing a piece of rock into mouth hitting tooth. On 1/31/07 the safety dept was notified that this individual had sought dental repair.

2006 · 7 incidents

May 30, 2006 WV · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Was walking around feeder when his foot became stuck in the mud, causing him to twist knee. He visited Raleigh General Hospital where x-rays were negative. He was instructed to remain off work for 6 days and referred to Dr. Levins for an MRI. His first shift off due to injury was on 5-31-2006.

May 16, 2006 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was attempting to disasemble 2 joints of 4" plastic water line as it came apart a joint of it swung hitting him on the nose.

May 10, 2006 WV · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee was marking up belt hanger positions for a belt move while looking up at the top, EE stepped on rock causing him to fall landing on his side causing him to fracture his hip and a fracture to his femur.

March 21, 2006 WV · Coal discontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operator STRIKING OR BUMPING
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Struck against stationary object

While attempting to walk around the left S/C setting at the feeder employee stated that he struck his head on a piece of J-Channel that was hanging down 2" from the roof. EE continued to work until 8:30PM. He transported himself to Rleigh General Hospital X-rays were negative. Attending Physcian gave EE a Doctors excuse to come back on 3/24/2006

March 17, 2006 WV · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Accident type, without injuries

Roof fall was discovered during weekly exam. Fall was 1 break inby spad #116, 2500' outby section. Size of fall was 60' X 15' X 8'. Fall did not disturb ventilation. Fall was dangered off from all approaches. No injuries were reported. Notified MSHA Asst. Dist. Manager at 10:15 AM about fall.

February 6, 2006 WV · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Setting a timber at the #8 Seal , employee was hammering a wedge in place. He missed the wedge striking his left ring finger with a hammer causing a fracture.

2005 · 3 incidents

December 21, 2005 WV · Coal discontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Struck against stationary object

Employee was lapping up belt, he turned and struck a roof strap cutting his lip. He drove himself to the hospital and receivced stitches to his upper lip. Marfork Safety was notified on 1-5-06 about the injury.

August 29, 2005 WV · Coal electrician, lineman ELECTRICAL
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Contact with electrical current

EE WAS OPERATING RT. CONT. MINER IN THE #5 ENTRY & RIBBED OUT THE STANDOFF DAMAGING THE CABLE & KNOCKING THE BREAKER AT THE POWER CENTER. ATTEMPT TO RESET THE BREAKER, POWER OUTSIDE. ELEC. WAS INFORMED OF THE SITUATION, EXAMINED THE CABLE & TRAVELED TO THE POWER CENTER TO DE-ENERGIZE THE CIRCUIT & BLOCKED & TAGGED THE WRONG CATHEAD. POWER WAS RESTORED & HE GOT ELEC BURNS

May 18, 2005 WV · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Marfork Coal Company, Inc. · Struck by falling object

WHILE SERVICING THE CONTINUOUS MINER, A PIECE OF ROCK FELL (28" LONG X 7" WIDE X 2.5" TALL), HITTING EE ON THE HEAD AND CAUSING A CERVICAL SPRAIN.