StarRidge Preparation Plant has $15K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
15
Years on record
2007–2023
Latest incident
Sep 2023
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
78
citations
17
significant & substantial
$15,355
proposed penalties
$14,206
paid to date
93% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,149 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.
78 citations across 1,742 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
StarRidge Preparation Plant has $15K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 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.
$15K
proposed penalties
$14K
current assessed
$14K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
75 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $3K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-06.
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.
8citations taken to the federal commission · 10% of citations on record
Settled
6 · 75%
Stood as issued
1 · 13%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 13%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 3 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
41%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$3K proposed, $2K 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 2023-04-04.
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.
MSHA sampling at StarRidge Preparation Plant shows 100% of 61 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: 2017-03-02, 9 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
61
samples
0.81
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.
58 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 3 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.
StarRidge Preparation Plant 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 Ohio, coal mining averaged 3.49 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 *
5.87
5.87
0.000
2012 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008 *
4.83
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
Year
Employees
2026
10
2025
9
2024
11
2023
9
2022
7
2021
9
2020
10
2019
10
2018
7
2017
4
2016
0
2015
5
2014
10
2013
11
2012
10
2011
11
2010
9
2009
17
2008
10
2007
6
2006
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
StarRidge Preparation Plant sits in Jefferson County, Ohio, where the Census mining category is 1.2% 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.
Jefferson County, Ohio · Population 64,855
1.2%
Mining share of county employment
$56,983
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
1,514
1
0
660.5
2026 Q1
1,560
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
1,545
2
2
1294.5
2025 Q3
1,589
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
1,500
1
1
666.7
2025 Q1
1,023
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
1,300
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
1,646
0
0
0.0
Show 71 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
1,588
1
0
629.7
2024 Q1
1,762
2
1
1135.1
2023 Q4
1,779
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
1,758
1
0
568.8
2023 Q2
1,659
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
1,796
3
2
1670.4
2022 Q4
1,723
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
1,424
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
1,404
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
1,294
2
0
1545.6
2021 Q4
1,339
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
1,297
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
1,897
1
0
527.1
2021 Q1
1,830
1
0
546.4
2020 Q4
1,889
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
1,979
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
1,838
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
2,007
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
2,078
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
1,756
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
1,818
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
2,016
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
2,038
1
0
490.7
2018 Q3
741
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
723
2
0
2766.3
2018 Q1
827
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
748
3
1
4010.7
2017 Q3
554
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
48
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
48
3
0
62500.0
2016 Q4
32
1
0
31250.0
2016 Q3
0
0
0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
0
0
0
2015 Q3
0
0
0
2015 Q2
4,701
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
7,143
1
1
140.0
2014 Q4
6,862
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
6,314
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
7,174
1
0
139.4
2014 Q1
7,377
1
0
135.6
2013 Q4
10,517
1
0
95.1
2013 Q3
10,169
3
1
295.0
2013 Q2
7,897
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
5,470
5
1
914.1
2012 Q4
4,973
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
6,230
4
0
642.1
2012 Q2
8,818
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
8,058
3
1
372.3
2011 Q4
8,074
1
0
123.9
2011 Q3
8,353
5
3
598.6
2011 Q2
7,676
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
8,010
2
0
249.7
2010 Q4
6,612
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
6,393
1
0
156.4
2010 Q2
7,808
1
0
128.1
2010 Q1
6,996
4
1
571.8
2009 Q4
8,592
2
0
232.8
2009 Q3
14,958
3
0
200.6
2009 Q2
13,163
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
15,697
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
11,427
1
0
87.5
2008 Q3
10,369
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
9,789
5
0
510.8
2008 Q1
9,806
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
4,971
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
4,449
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
1,340
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
1,091
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
15 on file
2023 · 1 incident
September 7, 2023OH · Coalbelt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was taking a trash hopper over to a dumpster to empty it and when pulling the lever to dump the hopper the employee pinched the small finger on the left hand with the handle resulting in a laceration. The injured employee received eight sutures.
2017 · 2 incidents
October 17, 2017OH · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanFIRE
While using a cutting torch to cut off mounting brackets for hydraulic lines on a Hitachi shovel hyd. fluid sprayed out and caught employees clothes on fire.
October 17, 2017OH · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanFIRE
Employee was standing in water being treated by chemicals. Cause of this injury was attitude/holes in rubber boots. Miner proficiency, PPE, and company rules was a factor. Mining equipment/systems was not a factor.
2010 · 3 incidents
October 30, 2010OH · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The miner was stepping down from the back of a MMU Bulk Truck #126. His foot slipped off the ICC bumper and fell to ground. The miner tried to cushion his fall by reaching with his right hand and broke his wrist.
At around 9:30 pm, a phone call was made to inform OhioAmerican Energy that a small fire could be seen at the Prep Plant. The mine superintendent and safety director then drove to the Prep Plant. Upon arrival, a small fire (approximately 6 feet x 6 feet) could be seen burning on the coal stockpile. A D11 dozer was utilized to spread out the coal and quickly put out the fire.
Driver was hauling coal from the pit at the mine via pit haulroad. While descending a grade, driver attempted to downshift to a lower gear. Driver missed the gear and noticed that he was drifting towards the road berm. He tried to correct his steering and at the same time the right front tire blew out. The truck upset onto the roadway and stopped.
During an inspection, a hot spot was discovered by 2 MSHA inspectors & OAEI's plant manager. There were no flames present but steam was rising from a small area on the impoundment. OAEI was not permitted to take any action to remediate the hot spot. Approx 50 minutes later, MSHA issued a "K" order. A plan had to be developed before any remediation could begin.
2008 · 2 incidents
August 26, 2008OH · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was openning the access door to the crusher to check for blockage. After removing the bolts on the upper section of the door, he started to swing the door open. The hinge pins abruptly broke and the door dropped to the floor, striking the employees foot. Employee's foot was fractured on the metatarsal area of the foot. Employee was wearing metatarsal boots.
Employee stated that he was cleaning mud from a dozer track frame with spade shovel. He said he felt a pull, then some pain with some burning in his right front shoulder. Treatment did not begin until 1/15/08 after evaluation by doctor's MRI. Employee continues to work while undergoing some untrasound treatments for a shoulder strain. Employee did not miss any workdays.