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Sugarloaf Mine No. 1: 80 MSHA citations Coal

Locust Grove, Inc. · Surface
Controlled by Edward L Clemons Estate
Prestonsburg, Floyd County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518867

Sugarloaf Mine No. 1 has $45K in proposed MSHA penalties and $250 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
7
Years on record
2007–2009
Latest incident
Mar 2009
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
80
citations
38
significant & substantial
$45,315
proposed penalties
$45,065
paid to date
99% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $250 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Locust Grove, Inc.'s full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
16
inspections on record
642
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: 642 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Sugarloaf Mine No. 1 has $45K in proposed MSHA penalties and $250 outstanding across 2 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.
$45K
proposed penalties
$45K
current assessed
$45K
paid to date
$250
outstanding
80 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2010-07-09.
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.
47.5%
significant & substantial
3.8%
high negligence or reckless
48.8%
reasonably likely or greater
22.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 32.5% low, 63.8% moderate, 3.8% high, 0.0% reckless.
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.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
  • Settled 1 · 50%
  • Stood as issued 1 · 50%
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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K 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 2009-06-16.
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.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
KENT 2008-1286 Default Lesnick 2010 $2K → $2K
KENT 2008-1580 Settlement 2011 $207 → $207
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Sugarloaf Mine No. 1 shows 98% of 66 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: 2009-08-27, 16 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
66
samples
1.53
dust max (mg/m3)
42 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 24 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR37
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE12
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER10

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2009-03-18, 17 years ago
22.3
silica avg (%)
13
samples
41.5
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR10
  • ROTARY BUCKET EXCAVATOR OPERATOR3
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2009-03-11, 17 years ago
4%
over PEL
28
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER8
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE7
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
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
2009 100% 12
2008 100% 23
2007 93% 15
2006 100% 9
2005 100% 7
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2009 37.4 1
2008 41.5 1
2007 33.6 2
2006 16.0 9
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2009 0% 7
2007 8% 12
2006 0% 9
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Sugarloaf Mine No. 1 recorded 10.02 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2009.

Injury rate, 2009
ⓘ 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.
10.02
total case rate
10.02
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.16 and the all-US-mining average was 3.36 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.04 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
2009 * 10.02 10.02 0.000
2008 * 9.34 9.34 0.000
2007 * 11.77 11.77 0.000
2006 * 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. Locust Grove, Inc. 2005 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)
2010 2
2009 17 67,955
2008 26 255,475
2007 14 107,055
2006 8 80,222
2005 14 107,459
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Sugarloaf Mine No. 1 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
2010 Q4 0 0 0
2010 Q3 0 1 0
2010 Q2 3,055 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 3,257 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 3,487 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 6,894 2 1 290.1
2009 Q2 13,462 1 1 74.3
2009 Q1 16,063 5 1 311.3
Show 15 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2008 Q4 21,688 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 15,917 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 14,753 14 6 949.0
2008 Q1 11,880 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 11,763 15 7 1275.2
2007 Q3 11,256 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 7,002 16 7 2285.1
2007 Q1 3,966 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 608 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 1,207 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 11,001 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 14,086 3 0 213.0
2005 Q4 13,012 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 13,248 8 5 603.9
2005 Q2 6,553 8 5 1220.8
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

7 on file

2009 · 2 incidents

January 19, 2009 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Locust Grove, Inc. · Struck against a moving object

Employee was in the grease truck when it slid over an embankment and turned over hurting his lower back.

2008 · 3 incidents

October 15, 2008 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman MACHINERY
Locust Grove, Inc. · Flash burns (welding)

EE was working near the welder, when he got flash in his eyes.

February 18, 2008 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Locust Grove, Inc. · Fall onto or against objects

Employee was climbing down off 777 rock truck when a step broke causing him to hit his right knee and leg on the bumper

2007 · 2 incidents

June 22, 2007 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Locust Grove, Inc. · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee got in an argument with another employee and was pushed to the ground hurting his right shoulder.

January 23, 2007 KY · Coal outside foreman, leadman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Locust Grove, Inc. · Fall onto or against objects

Employee was walking when he slipped and fell on a large rock, bruising his ribs.