Mining Incidents
Search Operators Mines Alerts Research Controllers Fatalgrams About
English Español
← Back to search

SHM-75: 69 MSHA citations Coal

Powelton, WV, Fayette County, WV  ·  NonProducing
MSHA Mine ID: 4003398

SHM-75 has $18K in proposed MSHA penalties and $100 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at SHM-75.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2015–2020
Latest incident
Aug 2020
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2011
69
citations
17
significant & substantial
$17,567
proposed penalties
$17,240
paid to date
98% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $327 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Panther Creek Mining LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2011
59
inspections on record
1,423
inspection hours
4.8
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.
69 citations across 1,423 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

SHM-75 has $18K in proposed MSHA penalties and $100 outstanding across 3 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.
$18K
proposed penalties
$17K
current assessed
$17K
paid to date
$100
outstanding
64 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2024-02-06.
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.
26.6%
significant & substantial
7.8%
high negligence or reckless
26.6%
reasonably likely or greater
14.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 12.5% low, 79.7% moderate, 7.8% 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.
6 citations taken to the federal commission · 9% of citations on record
  • Settled 6 · 100%
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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
16%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K 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 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
SE 2014-0372 Settlement Simonton 2015 $973 → $754
SE 2015-0179 Settlement Simonton 2015 $300 → $300
SE 2012-649 Settlement Gill 2013 $138 → $130
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at SHM-75 shows 100% of 105 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: 2025-08-27
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
105
samples
1.22
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.
105 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER27
  • AUGER OPERATOR17
  • FORKLIFT OPERATOR14

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: 2025-09-15
2%
over PEL
96
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER23
  • AUGER OPERATOR16
  • FORKLIFT OPERATOR14
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
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% 10
2023 100% 8
2022 100% 5
2021 100% 5
2020 100% 13
2018 100% 8
2017 100% 8
2016 100% 4
2015 100% 7
2014 100% 9
2013 100% 8
2012 100% 10
2011 100% 7
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2025 0% 4
2024 0% 5
2023 0% 5
2022 0% 5
2021 0% 5
2020 0% 9
2018 0% 8
2017 0% 8
2016 0% 4
2015 0% 7
2014 0% 9
2013 11% 9
2012 0% 9
2011 11% 9
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

SHM-75 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.

Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ 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
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.89 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
2025 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2024 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 5.57 5.57 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. Contract Highwall Mining, LLC 2011 to 2017
  2. Rockwell Mining LLC 2017 to 2022
  3. Blue Creek Mining LLC 2022 to 2023
  4. Panther Creek Mining LLC 2023 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 7 52,389
2025 7 74,459
2024 12 99,182
2023 11 39,283
2022 7 13,270
2021 8 45,897
2020 15 106,475
2019 9 18,860
2018 8 118,225
2017 9 115,793
2016 11 39,850
2015 8 75,232
2014 9 134,298
2013 8 106,138
2012 10 211,559
2011 8 113,408
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

SHM-75 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 7,922 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 7,809 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 5,854 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 7,033 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 7,542 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 6,371 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 7,920 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 5,793 0 0 0.0
Show 51 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 3,141 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 8,735 1 0 114.5
2023 Q4 1,619 2 2 1235.3
2023 Q3 2,736 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 1,224 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 5,760 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 1,728 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 2,368 2 0 844.6
2022 Q2 2,107 1 0 474.6
2022 Q1 4,342 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 4,168 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 6,633 2 0 301.5
2021 Q2 3,420 1 0 292.4
2021 Q1 5,278 1 0 189.5
2020 Q4 8,022 1 0 124.7
2020 Q3 10,617 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 7,565 3 0 396.6
2020 Q1 9,696 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 1,912 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 1,827 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 1,890 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 7,593 1 0 131.7
2018 Q4 7,325 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 4,589 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 3,762 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 3,143 2 1 636.3
2017 Q4 5,805 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 6,223 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 1,361 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 950 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 5,766 1 0 173.4
2016 Q3 2,142 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 2,557 2 0 782.2
2015 Q3 3,201 1 0 312.4
2015 Q2 3,612 2 0 553.7
2015 Q1 1,357 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 4,880 3 0 614.8
2014 Q3 4,950 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 5,969 3 2 502.6
2014 Q1 3,369 5 1 1484.1
2013 Q4 3,140 1 0 318.5
2013 Q3 3,644 6 2 1646.5
2013 Q2 4,613 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 3,909 3 0 767.5
2012 Q4 6,532 13 7 1990.2
2012 Q3 3,040 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 4,060 2 0 492.6
2012 Q1 6,249 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 5,561 1 0 179.8
2011 Q3 5,610 5 1 891.3
2011 Q2 2,335 1 1 428.3
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2020 · 1 incident

August 12, 2020 WV · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator POWERED HAULAGE
Rockwell Mining LLC · Struck against a moving object

Employee was operating a 980H front loader. Employee was handling coal from the SHM-75 stacker and transporting over to a stockpile area. Employee hit a hole located in the pit area and jarred the neck area.

2015 · 1 incident

September 2, 2015 WV · Coal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Contract Highwall Mining, LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was installing a shear cylinder in cutter head and the chisel dislodged while spreading yoke on shear cylinder striking employee is the left leg.