Mining Incidents

Shamokin Refuse Bank: 231 MSHA citations Coal

Shamokin, Northumberland County, PA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3608546

Shamokin Refuse Bank has $34K in proposed MSHA penalties and $26K outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
0
Years on record
Latest incident
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
231
citations
69
significant & substantial
$34,086
proposed penalties
$8,265
paid to date
24% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $25,821 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
113
inspections on record
2,305
inspection hours
10.0
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.
231 citations across 2,305 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
A Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2011-06-30.
On record since 2011.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Shamokin Refuse Bank has $34K in proposed MSHA penalties and $26K outstanding across 4 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.
$34K
proposed penalties
$34K
current assessed
$8K
paid to date
$26K
outstanding
210 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2015-04-29.
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.
32.7%
significant & substantial
7.1%
high negligence or reckless
32.4%
reasonably likely or greater
22.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 11.0% low, 81.9% moderate, 7.1% high, 0.0% 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.
18 citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
  • Settled 15 · 83%
  • Stood as issued 3 · 17%
100%
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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $2K 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 2015-02-19.
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
PENN 2015-0070 Settlement Lesnick 2015 $1K → $1K
PENN 2015-0103 Default Lesnick 2016 $300 → $300
PENN 2013-37 Settlement Lesnick 2013 $100 → $100
PENN 2015-0142 Settlement Lesnick 2015 $100 → $100
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Shamokin Refuse Bank shows 99% of 74 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: 2015-04-13, 11 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
74
samples
1.58
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.
62 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 12 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER36
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR22
  • SCALPER-SCREEN OPERATOR8

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: 2015-01-20, 11 years ago
19%
over PEL
43
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR16
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER16
  • SCALPER-SCREEN OPERATOR5
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
2015 100% 2
2014 100% 7
2013 100% 5
2012 100% 2
2011 100% 6
2010 100% 2
2009 100% 4
2008 100% 7
2007 100% 6
2006 100% 5
2005 100% 3
2004 100% 6
2003 100% 2
2002 100% 10
2001 80% 5
2000 100% 2
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2015 0% 2
2014 20% 5
2013 0% 2
2012 0% 2
2011 33% 6
2009 0% 2
2008 25% 4
2007 50% 6
2006 0% 5
2005 0% 2
2004 0% 1
2002 0% 2
2001 50% 2
2000 0% 2
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Mid-Valley Coal Sales, Inc. 1996 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)
2018 0
2017 0
2016 0
2015 2
2014 2
2013 2
2012 2
2011 2
2010 2
2009 2
2008 2
2007 2
2006 2
2005 2
2004 2
2003 2
2002 1
2001 2 347,555
2000 2 178,901
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Shamokin Refuse Bank sits in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 0.6% 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.
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania · Population 90,925
0.6%
Mining share of county employment
$57,948
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
2018 Q1 0 0 0
2017 Q4 0 0 0
2017 Q3 0 0 0
2017 Q2 0 0 0
2017 Q1 0 0 0
2016 Q4 0 0 0
2016 Q3 0 0 0
2016 Q2 0 0 0
Show 61 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2016 Q1 0 0 0
2015 Q1 480 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 960 17 2 17708.3
2014 Q3 960 2 1 2083.3
2014 Q2 960 1 1 1041.7
2014 Q1 720 1 1 1388.9
2013 Q4 240 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 640 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 800 2 1 2500.0
2012 Q4 720 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 480 3 1 6250.0
2012 Q2 0 0 0
2012 Q1 300 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 1,015 5 2 4926.1
2011 Q3 1,020 6 4 5882.4
2011 Q2 956 10 3 10460.3
2011 Q1 1,075 14 6 13023.3
2010 Q4 1,183 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 1,253 3 2 2394.3
2010 Q2 1,384 8 5 5780.3
2010 Q1 1,052 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 1,149 5 4 4351.6
2009 Q3 1,217 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 914 2 0 2188.2
2009 Q1 762 2 1 2624.7
2008 Q4 983 1 0 1017.3
2008 Q3 321 7 3 21806.9
2008 Q2 16 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 824 6 1 7281.6
2007 Q4 897 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 965 12 0 12435.2
2007 Q2 998 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 972 7 2 7201.6
2006 Q4 981 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 996 34 5 34136.5
2006 Q2 988 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 972 7 1 7201.6
2005 Q4 1,019 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 1,088 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 946 8 4 8456.7
2005 Q1 936 7 2 7478.6
2004 Q4 960 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 960 5 3 5208.3
2004 Q2 930 5 0 5376.3
2004 Q1 960 5 2 5208.3
2003 Q4 940 1 0 1063.8
2003 Q3 940 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 360 4 0 11111.1
2003 Q1 960 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 960 2 0 2083.3
2002 Q3 480 10 5 20833.3
2002 Q2 0 0 0
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 1,298 6 1 4622.5
2001 Q3 980 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 960 2 0 2083.3
2001 Q1 960 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 1,120 6 3 5357.1
2000 Q3 640 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 640 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 180 0 0 0.0

No reportable incidents on file.

MSHA has no recorded reportable accidents for this mine in the current dataset. New reports appear here within a week of being filed.