Mining Incidents

Shawver Operation: 97 MSHA citations Coal

Hilltop Coal Company · Surface
Controlled by Cory Lee Shawver
Houtzdale, Clearfield County, PA  ·  Temporarily Idled
MSHA Mine ID: 3608248

Shawver Operation has $17K in proposed MSHA penalties and $6K outstanding across 0 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
97
citations
46
significant & substantial
$17,057
proposed penalties
$11,369
paid to date
67% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,688 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
83
inspections on record
1,882
inspection hours
5.2
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.
97 citations across 1,882 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Shawver Operation has $17K in proposed MSHA penalties and $6K 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.
$17K
proposed penalties
$17K
current assessed
$11K
paid to date
$6K
outstanding
97 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-02-05.
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.
47.4%
significant & substantial
7.2%
high negligence or reckless
47.4%
reasonably likely or greater
21.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 1.0% none, 11.3% low, 80.4% moderate, 7.2% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Shawver Operation shows 97% of 116 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: 2025-06-25
97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
116
samples
2.64
dust max (mg/m3)
4
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.
77 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 39 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR45
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR23
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER12

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2024-05-08
9.1
silica avg (%)
6
samples
14.6
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR4
  • 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: 2025-06-25
2%
over PEL
44
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR17
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER7
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE6
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
2025 100% 3
2024 100% 3
2023 100% 3
2022 100% 5
2019 79% 19
2018 100% 9
2017 100% 8
2016 100% 9
2015 100% 19
2014 100% 7
2013 100% 2
2012 100% 5
2011 100% 3
2010 100% 2
2009 100% 1
2008 100% 1
2006 100% 1
2005 100% 8
2004 100% 4
2003 100% 2
2002 100% 1
2001 100% 1
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2024 10.2 1
2022 7.4 1
2019 5.7 2
2018 10.8 1
2012 14.6 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2025 0% 3
2024 0% 3
2022 0% 5
2019 0% 5
2018 0% 3
2017 0% 3
2016 0% 2
2015 0% 5
2014 0% 4
2013 0% 1
2012 0% 1
2011 0% 2
2010 0% 1
2009 0% 1
2008 0% 1
2005 0% 1
2004 50% 2
2002 0% 1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Shawver Operation recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2015.

Injury rate, 2015
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
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 3.79 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.
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. Hilltop Coal Company 1991 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 4 1,460
2024 4 9,095
2023 6 8,068
2022 5 11,143
2021 2 10,259
2020 3 3,478
2019 7 15,894
2018 7 30,429
2017 7 21,251
2016 7 19,942
2015 13 47,882
2014 7 50,970
2013 4 44,370
2012 4 32,249
2011 4 26,353
2010 4 41,364
2009 3 15,762
2008 3 33,365
2007 2 18,875
2006 5 22,311
2005 6 29,539
2004 4 19,645
2003 2 11,950
2002 2 7,360
2001 1 431
2000 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Shawver Operation sits in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 1.3% 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.
Clearfield County, Pennsylvania · Population 78,902
1.3%
Mining share of county employment
$60,181
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 Q1 1,421 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 1,625 4 1 2461.5
2024 Q3 1,559 0 0 0.0
2024 Q2 1,445 2 0 1384.1
2024 Q1 975 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 2,087 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 1,847 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 1,736 0 0 0.0
Show 89 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2022 Q4 2,356 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 1,822 2 0 1097.7
2022 Q2 477 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 452 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 108 1 0 9259.3
2021 Q2 578 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 0 0 0
2020 Q4 0 0 0
2020 Q3 320 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 533 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 3,192 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 3,844 4 2 1040.6
2019 Q3 3,987 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 3,602 2 1 555.2
2018 Q4 4,481 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 4,449 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 5,613 1 0 178.2
2018 Q1 4,196 1 1 238.3
2017 Q4 3,360 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 2,512 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 2,736 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 2,789 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 1,541 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 2,885 1 0 346.6
2016 Q2 5,522 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 4,286 2 0 466.6
2015 Q4 5,796 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 6,364 1 1 157.1
2015 Q2 5,933 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 6,032 7 3 1160.5
2014 Q4 4,282 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 3,874 4 2 1032.5
2014 Q2 2,614 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 1,586 1 0 630.5
2013 Q4 1,920 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 1,935 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 1,899 2 1 1053.2
2013 Q1 1,920 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 1,811 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 1,920 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 1,133 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 1,920 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 1,762 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,884 2 1 1061.6
2011 Q2 1,872 4 2 2136.8
2011 Q1 1,690 3 2 1775.1
2010 Q4 1,728 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 1,863 2 0 1073.5
2010 Q2 1,347 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 1,380 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 1,920 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 1,120 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 0 0 0
2009 Q1 1,008 1 1 992.1
2008 Q4 1,928 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 1,540 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 1,083 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 910 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 788 2 2 2538.1
2007 Q3 841 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 680 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 360 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 60 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 2,400 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 4,400 7 6 1590.9
2006 Q1 4,032 3 1 744.0
2005 Q4 3,024 5 4 1653.4
2005 Q3 2,860 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 3,240 4 1 1234.6
2005 Q1 2,870 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 1,470 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 1,920 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 1,040 2 1 1923.1
2004 Q1 930 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 1,123 2 1 1780.9
2003 Q3 80 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 372 2 0 5376.3
2003 Q1 372 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 91 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 126 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 436 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 96 1 0 10416.7
2001 Q4 60 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 137 3 3 21897.8
2001 Q2 15 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 0 2 1
2000 Q4 0 0 0
2000 Q3 0 2 1
2000 Q1 1 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.