Shop Br.: 144 MSHA citations Coal
Knox Operating, LLC
· Underground
Controlled by
Jeffrey K Justus II
Elkhorn City,
Pike County,
KY
·
NonProducing
MSHA Mine ID: 1519866
Shop Br. has $27K in proposed MSHA penalties and $445 outstanding across 1 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 2022
144
citations
24
significant & substantial
$26,690
proposed penalties
$25,700
paid to date
96% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $990 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2019
31
inspections on record
2,143
inspection hours
6.7
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.144 citations across 2,143 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Shop Br. has $27K in proposed MSHA penalties and $445 outstanding across 1 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.$27K
proposed penalties
$26K
current assessed
$26K
paid to date
$445
outstanding
139 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-01-20.
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.17.3%
significant & substantial
4.3%
high negligence or reckless
17.3%
reasonably likely or greater
39.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 35.3% low, 60.4% moderate, 4.3% 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.
2
citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
- Settled 2 · 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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
25%
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 2025-11-19.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENT 2026-0013 | Settlement | Lewis | 2026 | $2K → $2K |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Shop Br. shows 100% of 449 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: 2025-08-07
ⓘ
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.100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
449
samples
1.20
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.75 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 374 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR145
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)136
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)95
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2025-07-245.5
silica avg (%)
23
samples
7.5
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)9
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR7
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)6
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: 2025-07-16
ⓘ
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.4%
over PEL
23
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)7
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR4
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (INTAKE SIDE)3
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% | 292 |
| 2024 | 100% | 133 |
| 2023 | 100% | 24 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year | silica avg (%) | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.1 | 14 |
| 2024 | 5.9 | 8 |
| 2023 | 7.5 | 1 |
Noise by year
| Year | over PEL | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10% | 10 |
| 2024 | 0% | 7 |
| 2023 | 0% | 6 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Shop Br. 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
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 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.08 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 |
* 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
- Banner Blue Coal Company 2019 to 2024
- Knox Operating, LLC 2024 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 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 24 | 103,835 |
| 2024 | 14 | 61,210 |
| 2023 | 5 | 2,413 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Shop Br. sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2026 Q1 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 20833.3 |
| 2025 Q4 | 1,584 | 1 | 0 | 631.3 |
| 2025 Q3 | 7,576 | 28 | 7 | 3695.9 |
| 2025 Q2 | 17,529 | 31 | 5 | 1768.5 |
| 2025 Q1 | 14,791 | 31 | 2 | 2095.9 |
| 2024 Q4 | 12,126 | 20 | 4 | 1649.3 |
| 2024 Q3 | 9,884 | 15 | 3 | 1517.6 |
Show 4 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Q2 | 4,069 | 5 | 0 | 1228.8 |
| 2024 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 Q3 | 1,856 | 3 | 0 | 1616.4 |
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.