Mining Incidents

Spring Mountain Operation: 42 MSHA citations Coal

Jeansville, Luzerne County, PA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3609501

Spring Mountain Operation has $5K 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
2
Years on record
2015
Latest incident
Oct 2015
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2007
42
citations
12
significant & substantial
$4,818
proposed penalties
$4,818
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2007
47
inspections on record
1,689
inspection hours
2.5
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.
42 citations across 1,689 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Spring Mountain Operation has $5K 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.
$5K
proposed penalties
$5K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
41 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2020-02-12.
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.
28.6%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
28.6%
reasonably likely or greater
9.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 42.9% low, 57.1% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Spring Mountain Operation shows 100% of 125 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: 2020-02-12, 6 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
125
samples
1.38
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.
102 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 23 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR32
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE19
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR17

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2017-07-13, 9 years ago
24.5
silica avg (%)
10
samples
41.7
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR2

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: 2020-02-12, 6 years ago
1%
over PEL
81
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR14
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE14
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR9
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
2020 100% 1
2019 100% 5
2018 100% 1
2017 100% 11
2016 100% 10
2015 100% 17
2014 100% 1
2013 100% 10
2012 100% 12
2011 100% 20
2010 100% 2
2009 100% 25
2008 100% 10
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2017 14.4 1
2016 23.2 1
2015 31.9 1
2013 21.7 1
2012 24.7 1
2011 26.7 1
2009 24.9 3
2008 28.0 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2020 0% 1
2019 0% 2
2018 0% 1
2017 0% 9
2016 0% 3
2015 0% 6
2013 0% 9
2012 9% 11
2011 0% 6
2009 0% 22
2008 0% 11
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Spring Mountain Operation recorded 12.69 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2015.

Injury rate, 2015
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.
12.69
total case rate
6.35
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 3.79 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
2015 * 12.69 6.35 0.000
2012 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2011 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2009 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2008 * 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
  1. Latona Mining LLC 2007 to 2022
  2. Pagnotti Enterprises, Inc. 2022 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)
2019 1 499
2018 2 1,411
2017 5 6,188
2016 3 6,903
2015 13 43,072
2014 3 7,473
2013 11 25,473
2012 17
2011 17
2010 6
2009 18
2008 11
2007 9
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Spring Mountain Operation sits in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 0.2% 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.
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania · Population 325,978
0.2%
Mining share of county employment
$62,321
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
2019 Q4 0 0 0
2019 Q3 0 0 0
2019 Q2 0 1 0
2019 Q1 1,697 1 0 589.3
2018 Q4 0 0 0
2018 Q3 0 0 0
2018 Q2 2,201 1 0 454.3
2018 Q1 2,251 0 0 0.0
Show 43 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2017 Q4 2,391 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 3,148 1 0 317.7
2017 Q2 3,009 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 2,497 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 0 0 0
2016 Q3 0 5 1
2016 Q2 2,920 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 5,178 1 0 193.1
2015 Q4 7,511 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 7,817 1 0 127.9
2015 Q2 8,478 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 7,707 1 0 129.8
2014 Q4 3,818 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 0 0 0
2014 Q2 0 0 0
2014 Q1 469 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 160 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 2,568 3 3 1168.2
2013 Q2 9,168 1 0 109.1
2013 Q1 7,153 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 12,393 3 0 242.1
2012 Q3 11,744 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 12,328 2 1 162.2
2012 Q1 10,524 1 0 95.0
2011 Q4 11,022 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 10,994 2 2 181.9
2011 Q2 9,276 2 1 215.6
2011 Q1 6,489 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,007 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 132 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 711 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 3,882 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 8,210 1 0 121.8
2009 Q3 8,625 2 1 231.9
2009 Q2 7,766 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 8,789 6 2 682.7
2008 Q4 8,912 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 8,030 3 0 373.6
2008 Q2 8,194 1 0 122.0
2008 Q1 6,628 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 1,764 1 0 566.9
2007 Q3 1,777 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 468 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2015 · 2 incidents

October 9, 2015 PA · Coal welder (non-shop) HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Latona Mining LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Worker struck tip of right hand thumb with a 3lb hammer. Damage: Distal phalange fracture of right thumb subungual hematoma of right thumb

August 24, 2015 PA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Latona Mining LLC · Over-exertion in lifting objects

Picked up pieces of 300 lb steel with co-worker.