Trammel, Dickenson County,
VA
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4407272
Smith Gap Surface Mine has $36K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
5
Years on record
2011–2013
Latest incident
Jun 2013
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2011
50
citations
14
significant & substantial
$36,098
proposed penalties
$28,972
paid to date
80% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $7,126 gap.
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: 815 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2013-07-15.
On record since 2013.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Smith Gap Surface Mine has $36K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 5 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.
$36K
proposed penalties
$29K
current assessed
$29K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
49 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $29K in penalties contested before the Commission, $22K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-03-17.
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.
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.
10citations taken to the federal commission · 20% of citations on record
Settled
10 · 100%
90%
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 10 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
25%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$29K proposed, $22K 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 2014-04-14.
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.
MSHA sampling at Smith Gap Surface Mine shows 100% of 54 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: 2015-06-24, 11 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
54
samples
1.00
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.
52 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 2 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
BULLDOZER OPERATOR13
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER9
REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE9
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.
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.
Smith Gap Surface Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2014.
Injury rate, 2014
ⓘ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 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 2.93 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.11 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
2014 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
4.03
2.01
0.000
2012
1.61
1.61
0.000
2011 *
5.55
2.77
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.
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)
2015
1
2014
12
46,159
2013
48
163,242
2012
55
285,614
2011
33
171,626
2010
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Smith Gap Surface Mine sits in Dickenson County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 9.8% 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.
Dickenson County, Virginia · Population 13,920
9.8%
Mining share of county employment
$43,831
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
993 loader was in the process of loading the 785 hauler when he approached the hauler with a bucket of material. His right side tire fell in deep mine break causing the bucket to hit the bed of the hauler the employee was in. This resulted in the hauler employee straining his neck/upper body. Was taken off work by doctor on 6/27/13.
April 9, 2013VA · Coalblaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkeyDUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Received a CWP diagnosis on 5/13/2014. Employee was termed on 4/9/2013 and is no longer employed with the company. Accident date of 4/9/2013 is to accommodate online reporting per MSHA (Denver) instructions.
2012 · 1 incident
January 5, 2012VA · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was in the process of taking off hydraulic cap on excavator when he lost his balance. He fell off of the track of the excavator. The excavator track is 42" from the ground. When he fell he landed on his left arm resulting in a fracture.
Maxxim Rebuild employee was kneeling on ground and turned his body to pick up chock blocks and felt his leg snap and fell to ground. Fracture was on the left leg above his ankle.
Related mines
Other mines operated by Paramont Coal Company Virginia, LLC.