Mining Incidents

SHM-14: 91 MSHA citations Coal

Coal-Mac MET, LLC · Surface
Controlled by John Mitch Potter
Kincaid, Fayette County, WV  ·  NonProducing
MSHA Mine ID: 4003353

SHM-14 has $16K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2015–2019
Latest incident
Apr 2019
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2009
91
citations
21
significant & substantial
$15,880
proposed penalties
$10,096
paid to date
64% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,784 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2009
61
inspections on record
1,439
inspection hours
6.3
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.
91 citations across 1,439 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

SHM-14 has $16K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K 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.
$16K
proposed penalties
$15K
current assessed
$10K
paid to date
$5K
outstanding
88 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-08-21.
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.
23.3%
significant & substantial
5.6%
high negligence or reckless
23.3%
reasonably likely or greater
17.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 15.6% low, 78.9% moderate, 5.6% 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.
9 citations taken to the federal commission · 10% of citations on record
  • Settled 9 · 100%
67%
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 3 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
27%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $1K 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 2024-05-15.
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
SE 2012-117 Settlement McCarthy 2013 $785 → $312
SE 2010-325 Settlement Lesnick 2010 $452 → $452
WEVA 2024-0114 Settlement Sullivan 2024 $341 → $341
WEVA 2024-0293 Settlement Paez 2024 $147 → $147
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at SHM-14 shows 99% of 111 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: 2024-12-09
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
111
samples
1.52
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.
97 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 14 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • GROUNDMAN31
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER27
  • AUGER OPERATOR23

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2019-09-11, 6 years ago
3.1
silica avg (%)
2
samples
5.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • GROUNDMAN2

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: 2024-12-09
5%
over PEL
100
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER25
  • AUGER OPERATOR22
  • GROUNDMAN17
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
2024 100% 8
2023 100% 10
2022 100% 9
2019 100% 10
2018 88% 8
2017 100% 4
2016 100% 11
2015 100% 10
2014 100% 5
2013 100% 12
2012 100% 8
2010 100% 8
2009 100% 8
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2019 5.0 1
2016 1.2 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2024 0% 5
2023 0% 7
2022 0% 4
2019 0% 8
2018 25% 4
2017 14% 7
2016 0% 5
2015 0% 7
2014 0% 4
2013 10% 21
2012 0% 7
2010 0% 8
2009 8% 13
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

SHM-14 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2023.

Injury rate, 2023
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 3.17 and the all-US-mining average was 2.10 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.54 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
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 * 0.00 0.00 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. Kopper Glo Mining, LLC 2009 to 2021
  2. Wilson Creek Energy, LLC 2014 to 2019
  3. Civil, LLC 2021 to 2025
  4. Coal-Mac MET, LLC 2025 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)
2026 0
2025 3 21,518
2024 5 114,043
2023 9 66,600
2022 10 50,645
2021 0
2020 1 9,058
2019 2 29,037
2018 4 41,751
2017 4 10,095
2016 4 23,943
2015 4 39,956
2014 4 36,678
2013 5 98,355
2012 5 41,713
2011 5 51,795
2010 5 89,560
2009 6 21,028
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

SHM-14 sits in Fayette County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 3.0% 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.
Fayette County, West Virginia · Population 39,987
3.0%
Mining share of county employment
$52,672
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
2026 Q2 0 0 0
2026 Q1 0 0 0
2025 Q4 0 0 0
2025 Q3 0 1 0
2025 Q2 768 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 3,527 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 4,303 2 0 464.8
2024 Q3 4,579 0 0 0.0
Show 57 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 5,628 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 4,359 1 0 229.4
2023 Q4 4,531 2 0 441.4
2023 Q3 4,667 2 0 428.5
2023 Q2 5,110 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 5,904 2 0 338.8
2022 Q4 6,687 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 6,566 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 5,112 1 0 195.6
2022 Q1 9,060 9 2 993.4
2021 Q4 0 0 0
2021 Q1 0 0 0
2020 Q4 0 0 0
2020 Q3 0 0 0
2020 Q2 0 0 0
2020 Q1 634 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 866 3 0 3464.2
2019 Q3 1,156 4 0 3460.2
2019 Q2 191 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 2,084 1 0 479.8
2018 Q3 2,464 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 2,435 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 2,627 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 2,308 2 0 866.6
2017 Q3 0 0 0
2017 Q2 583 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 4,479 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 2,882 2 1 694.0
2016 Q3 2,310 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 796 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 0 0 0
2015 Q4 1,050 2 0 1904.8
2015 Q3 565 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 1,616 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 1,562 2 1 1280.4
2014 Q4 2,018 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 1,905 2 0 1049.9
2014 Q2 2,305 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 1,758 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 2,827 1 0 353.7
2013 Q3 2,485 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 3,213 1 1 311.2
2013 Q1 3,079 5 1 1623.9
2012 Q4 1,734 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 2,011 9 2 4475.4
2012 Q2 1,426 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 3,173 1 1 315.2
2011 Q4 623 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 3,651 9 2 2465.1
2011 Q2 3,651 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 4,610 3 2 650.8
2010 Q4 3,404 2 1 587.5
2010 Q3 2,633 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 2,663 5 2 1877.6
2010 Q1 1,955 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 2,099 4 3 1905.7
2009 Q3 3,209 10 1 3116.2
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2019 · 1 incident

April 11, 2019 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kopper Glo Mining, LLC · Fall from ladders

The injured employee was on a small ladder working on the highwall miner hose reel. The base of the ladder kicked out and the employee fell injuring right shoulder.

2015 · 1 incident

November 9, 2015 WV · Coal outside foreman, leadman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Wilson Creek Energy, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was helping change a cutter chain on the highwall miner. Employee was using a pry bar to line up the holes in the chain for the pin to be installed when his pry bar slipped and he smashed his finger between the pry bar and the shear arm. The employee received several stitches as a result of the incident.