Mining Incidents

Slope #2: 115 MSHA citations Coal

S & J Coal Mine · Underground
Controlled by Kerry Harris
Pottsville, Schuylkill County, PA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 3609963

Slope #2 has $362K in proposed MSHA penalties and $120K 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
2014
Latest incident
Mar 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2011
115
citations
21
significant & substantial
$361,570
proposed penalties
$43,978
paid to date
12% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $317,592 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2011
156
inspections on record
5,713
inspection hours
2.0
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.
115 citations across 5,713 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Slope #2 has $362K in proposed MSHA penalties and $120K 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.
$362K
proposed penalties
$164K
current assessed
$44K
paid to date
$120K
outstanding
111 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $346K in penalties contested before the Commission, $148K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-20.
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.
18.8%
significant & substantial
7.1%
high negligence or reckless
18.8%
reasonably likely or greater
20.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 35.7% low, 57.1% moderate, 2.7% high, 4.5% 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 · 8% of citations on record
  • Settled 9 · 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 9 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
57%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$346K proposed, $148K 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 2013-04-04.
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
PENN 2013-198 Settlement Harner 2015 $181K → $140K
PENN 2013-199 Settlement Harner 2015 $158K → $6K
PENN 2013-26 Settlement Harner 2015 $6K → $1K
PENN 2013-27 Settlement Harner 2015 $1K → $600
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Slope #2 shows 100% of 893 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: 2026-08-27
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
893
samples
1.36
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.
263 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 630 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • HAND LOADERS688
  • LABORER55
  • HOIST ENGINEER/OPERATOR49

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2024-02-01
1.4
silica avg (%)
8
samples
3.2
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • HAND LOADERS8

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: 2026-04-20
0%
over PEL
66
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HOIST ENGINEER/OPERATOR19
  • LABORER18
  • HAND LOADERS15
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
2026 100% 55
2025 100% 50
2024 100% 11
2023 100% 74
2022 100% 77
2021 100% 59
2020 100% 72
2019 100% 76
2018 100% 76
2017 100% 80
2016 100% 65
2015 100% 47
2014 100% 41
2013 100% 54
2012 100% 51
2011 100% 5
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2024 0.7 1
2020 0.6 2
2018 2.0 1
2017 3.2 1
2016 1.2 2
2014 1.6 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2026 0% 1
2025 0% 6
2024 0% 1
2023 0% 9
2022 0% 2
2021 0% 6
2019 0% 10
2017 0% 4
2016 0% 4
2015 0% 5
2014 0% 4
2013 0% 11
2012 0% 3
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Slope #2 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2013.

Injury rate, 2013
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 3.94 and the all-US-mining average was 2.99 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 4.76 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. D & F Deep Mine 2011 to 2013
  2. S & J Coal Mine 2013 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 4 2,700
2025 3 1,690
2024 4 3,322
2023 8 22,417
2022 6 14,568
2021 6 10,087
2020 6 10,281
2019 5 7,498
2018 5 9,049
2017 5 10,487
2016 8 9,865
2015 8 11,729
2014 8 13,537
2013 10 19,185
2012 9 10,408
2011 5 1,410
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Slope #2 sits in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 1.1% 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.
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania · Population 143,259
1.1%
Mining share of county employment
$66,901
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 1,920 1 0 520.8
2026 Q1 1,920 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 1,440 1 0 694.4
2025 Q3 144 2 0 13888.9
2025 Q2 240 1 0 4166.7
2025 Q1 1,440 1 0 694.4
2024 Q4 360 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 200 0 0 0.0
Show 50 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q1 1,280 1 0 781.2
2023 Q4 4,470 1 0 223.7
2023 Q3 4,260 1 0 234.7
2023 Q2 4,375 1 0 228.6
2023 Q1 3,430 1 0 291.5
2022 Q4 3,193 1 0 313.2
2022 Q3 3,453 1 0 289.6
2022 Q2 3,310 1 0 302.1
2022 Q1 2,960 3 0 1013.5
2021 Q4 2,780 1 0 359.7
2021 Q3 3,045 1 0 328.4
2021 Q2 2,210 1 0 452.5
2021 Q1 3,220 2 0 621.1
2020 Q4 2,940 3 1 1020.4
2020 Q3 2,535 1 0 394.5
2020 Q2 2,172 5 1 2302.0
2020 Q1 2,410 1 0 414.9
2019 Q4 2,326 1 0 429.9
2019 Q3 2,500 1 0 400.0
2019 Q2 2,435 5 1 2053.4
2019 Q1 2,150 1 0 465.1
2018 Q4 1,856 1 0 538.8
2018 Q3 2,440 1 0 409.8
2018 Q2 1,920 2 0 1041.7
2018 Q1 3,290 1 0 304.0
2017 Q4 2,335 1 1 428.3
2017 Q3 2,995 3 0 1001.7
2017 Q2 3,010 1 0 332.2
2017 Q1 3,262 2 0 613.1
2016 Q4 3,840 2 0 520.8
2016 Q3 3,540 2 0 565.0
2016 Q2 3,250 8 1 2461.5
2016 Q1 3,700 1 0 270.3
2015 Q4 3,580 1 0 279.3
2015 Q3 4,071 6 1 1473.8
2015 Q2 3,653 3 0 821.2
2015 Q1 3,500 2 0 571.4
2014 Q4 4,155 1 0 240.7
2014 Q3 3,275 3 2 916.0
2014 Q2 4,427 1 0 225.9
2014 Q1 4,549 5 1 1099.1
2013 Q4 5,873 1 0 170.3
2013 Q3 5,813 1 0 172.0
2013 Q2 5,138 2 1 389.3
2013 Q1 5,025 1 0 199.0
2012 Q4 4,356 1 0 229.6
2012 Q3 4,200 1 0 238.1
2012 Q2 2,160 15 9 6944.4
2012 Q1 2,688 1 0 372.0
2011 Q4 2,256 4 2 1773.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2014 · 2 incidents

March 3, 2014 PA · Coal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
S & J Coal Mine · Struck by falling object

Piece of loose slate on roof fell, before timber was properly secure against top.

March 3, 2014 PA · Coal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
S & J Coal Mine · Struck by falling object

Piece of loose slate on roof fell before timber was properly secure against top.