Mining Incidents

Straight Creek #1: 37 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Robert L Clear
Stoney Fork, Bell County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518908

Straight Creek #1 has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K 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
2005–2006
Latest incident
Feb 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
37
citations
24
significant & substantial
$3,697
proposed penalties
$1,629
paid to date
44% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,068 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
4
inspections on record
120
inspection hours
n/a
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: 120 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Straight Creek #1 has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K 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.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$2K
outstanding
37 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-03-29.
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.
64.9%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
64.9%
reasonably likely or greater
5.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 5.4% low, 94.6% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Straight Creek #1 shows 100% of 10 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: 2006-03-23, 20 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
10
samples
0.46
dust max (mg/m3)
10 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR4
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER3
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE3

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2006-03-29, 20 years ago
21.6
silica avg (%)
2
samples
22.9
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER 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: 2006-03-23, 20 years ago
0%
over PEL
4
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER2
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1
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
2006 100% 5
2005 100% 5
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2006 20.2 1
2005 22.9 1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Calvary Coal Co Inc 2005 to 2005
  2. National Coal Corporation 2005 to 2006
  3. Robert Clear Coal Corporation 2006 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)
2007 0
2006 12 51,337
2005 1
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Straight Creek #1 sits in Bell County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.6% 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.
Bell County, Kentucky · Population 23,878
3.6%
Mining share of county employment
$32,403
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
2007 Q1 0 0 0
2006 Q4 0 0 0
2006 Q3 0 0 0
2006 Q2 7,252 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 1,153 19 10 16478.8
2005 Q4 10 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2006 · 1 incident

February 24, 2006 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
National Coal Corporation · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE was moving a Steam Jenny when the jack pin broke causing the end to fall, striking EE on top of the foot.

2005 · 1 incident

November 19, 2005 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
National Coal Corporation · Fall from machine

Employee was getting off a dozer, slip and fell causing a fracture to rt hand.