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Sassafras Mine: 2 reportable incidents Coal

Controlled by La Rosa Corp
420 Buckhannon Pike, Lewis County, WV  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4607586

Sassafras Mine has had no fatalities among 2 reportable incidents since 1990.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
1990
Latest incident
Dec 1990
Ownership history
  1. Superior Mining Company 1988 to 1990
  2. La Rosa Fuel Company Inc 1990 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)
1996 0
1994 0
1993 0
1992 0
1991 4 1,510
1990 7 10,657
1989 17 76,049
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly; years before 2000 come from MSHA's archived Part 50 employment files.

Sassafras Mine sits in Lewis County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 8.1% 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.
Lewis County, West Virginia · Population 16,808
8.1%
Mining share of county employment
$52,279
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

1990 · 2 incidents

December 10, 1990 WV · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
La Rosa Fuel Company Inc · Fall from machine

INJURED THOUGH HE HAD A FUEL LEAK.HE SMELLED FUEL ODORS.HE STOPPED THE DOZER CLIMBED DOWN ON THE TRACKS TO CHECK FOR A LEAK AND TO CHECK THE OVERFLOW.HIS FOOR SLIPPED.HE FELL STRIKING HIS BACK

October 10, 1990 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
La Rosa Fuel Company Inc · Struck against stationary object

EMPL WAS USING AIR WRENCH & OPEN END WRENCH TO TIGHT BOLT ON DRILL. HE WAS USING OPEN END WRENCH TO HOLD BOTTOM NUT & APPLIED AIR WRENCH TO TOP NUT. AIR WRENCH SLIPPED OFF NUT & HAND HIT DRILL HEAD CUTTING FINGER REQUIRING STITCHES.