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Skull Fork: 43 MSHA citations Coal

Kentucky May Mining · Underground
Controlled by Progress Energy Inc
Kite, Knott County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518186

Skull Fork has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
2000–2001
Latest incident
May 2001
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
43
citations
14
significant & substantial
$3,089
proposed penalties
$3,089
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Kentucky May Mining's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
27
inspections on record
695
inspection hours
n/a
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.
Rate withheld: 695 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Skull Fork has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$3K
proposed penalties
$3K
current assessed
$3K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
43 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2001-07-12.
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.
32.6%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
32.6%
reasonably likely or greater
4.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 14.0% low, 86.0% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Skull Fork shows 92% of 92 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: 2001-07-16, 25 years ago
92%
within 1.5 mg/m3
92
samples
5.48
dust max (mg/m3)
51 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 41 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR30
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR13
  • SCOOP CAR OPERATOR11

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2001-07-18, 25 years ago
6.2
silica avg (%)
7
samples
10.1
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR3
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR1
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2001-07-11, 25 years ago
0%
over PEL
5
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • COAL DRILL OPERATOR1
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR1
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)1
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
2001 94% 49
2000 91% 43
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2001 2.9 3
2000 8.7 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Kentucky May Mining 1999 to 2000
  2. 3-D Mining Inc 1999 to 1999
  3. Straight Fork Mining Inc 2000 to 2001
  4. Kentucky May Mining 2001 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)
2002 0
2001 9 42,884
2000 10 56,539
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Skull Fork sits in Knott County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.8% 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.
Knott County, Kentucky · Population 14,046
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$37,736
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
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 0 0 0
2001 Q3 0 3 1
2001 Q2 7,970 4 0 501.9
2001 Q1 9,662 14 7 1449.0
2000 Q4 6,135 10 4 1630.0
2000 Q3 0 0 0
2000 Q1 10,228 5 2 488.9
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

6 on file

2001 · 4 incidents

May 16, 2001 KY · Coal cutting machine operator, ripper, universal operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Straight Fork Mining Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EE WAS PULLING ON CUTTING MACHINE CABLE, HE PULLED A MUSCLE IN THE UPPER RT. ARM.

May 14, 2001 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Straight Fork Mining Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects

EE WORKING ON FEEDER, BUSTING ROCK, HE WENT TO TURN ROCK OVER, HURT HIS BACK.

March 21, 2001 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Straight Fork Mining Inc · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS PUTTING UP BOLTS WHEN HIS FINGER GOT CAUGHT.

March 8, 2001 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Straight Fork Mining Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMP WAS TAKING HOSE OFF BOLTER AND POPPED HIS WRIST.

2000 · 2 incidents

March 2, 2000 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Unknown operator · Struck by falling object

DRAW ROCK FELL STRIKING EE RIGHT RING FINGER.

February 22, 2000 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Unknown operator · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

ROOF BOLT WRENCH CAME OUT OF THE BOLTER POT STRIKING EE ON THE FOREARM.