Spurlock #2 Surface Mine has $120K in proposed MSHA penalties and $7K outstanding across 13 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
2008–2018
Latest incident
Mar 2018
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
176
citations
62
significant & substantial
$120,357
proposed penalties
$81,473
paid to date
68% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $38,884 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.
176 citations across 1,445 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Spurlock #2 Surface Mine has $120K in proposed MSHA penalties and $7K outstanding across 13 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.
$120K
proposed penalties
$89K
current assessed
$81K
paid to date
$7K
outstanding
174 assessments are final orders; 13 contested dockets.
Of $92K in penalties contested before the Commission, $60K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2017-11-29.
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.
48citations taken to the federal commission · 27% of citations on record
Settled
48 · 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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 22 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
34%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$92K proposed, $60K 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 2015-04-14.
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 Spurlock #2 Surface Mine shows 99% of 98 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: 2017-12-18, 8 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
98
samples
1.52
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.
91 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 7 by the operator.
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.
Spurlock #2 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 Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.63 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 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012 *
2.11
2.11
0.000
2008 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2007 *
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.
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
0
2018
6
2017
10
51,141
2016
0
2015
5
65,683
2014
22
188,868
2013
36
312,160
2012
35
300,891
2011
28
149,963
2010
0
2009
0
2008
11
2007
12
27,196
2006
20
52,258
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Spurlock #2 Surface Mine sits in Floyd County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.4% 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.
Floyd County, Kentucky · Population 35,342
4.4%
Mining share of county employment
$41,582
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 Q1
0
0
0
2018 Q3
3,107
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
3,639
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
5,555
1
0
180.0
2017 Q3
10,331
2
0
193.6
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q3
0
0
0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
Show 34 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
1,148
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
1,608
1
0
621.9
2015 Q2
2,005
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
5,955
4
1
671.7
2014 Q4
11,523
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
11,930
11
1
922.0
2014 Q2
8,368
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
21,057
13
2
617.4
2013 Q4
18,877
2
2
105.9
2013 Q3
17,895
16
1
894.1
2013 Q2
18,206
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
18,617
10
5
537.1
2012 Q4
22,533
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
19,273
15
4
778.3
2012 Q2
17,643
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
35,395
5
1
141.3
2011 Q4
20,860
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
22,256
9
1
404.4
2011 Q2
5,320
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
0
0
0
2009 Q4
0
0
0
2009 Q3
0
0
0
2009 Q2
0
0
0
2009 Q1
0
0
0
2008 Q4
0
1
0
2008 Q3
14,922
11
9
737.2
2008 Q2
12,698
6
4
472.5
2008 Q1
0
0
0
2007 Q4
11,282
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
8,954
8
3
893.5
2007 Q2
5,746
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
2,024
8
7
3952.6
2006 Q3
10,368
15
7
1446.8
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
6 on file
2018 · 1 incident
March 13, 2018KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Driver was assisting in towing of delivery driver when he was moving out of the way he slipped and fell into a ditch line causing a strain in his left leg.
2012 · 1 incident
August 6, 2012KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Mechanic was removing the wheel cover from a loader when the cover slipped contacting the middle and ring fingers on his right hand and causing a laceration requiring 6 stitches on his middle finger.
Mechanic hammering a bolt with his right hand while holding a wrench with his left hand. Left hand slipped and was struck by the hammer on his left ring finger.