Surface Mine No. 1 has $96K in proposed MSHA penalties and $6K outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
5
Years on record
2016–2024
Latest incident
Jan 2024
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2016
164
citations
39
significant & substantial
$96,439
proposed penalties
$51,367
paid to date
53% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $45,072 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.
164 citations across 2,567 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Surface Mine No. 1 has $96K in proposed MSHA penalties and $6K outstanding across 5 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.
$96K
proposed penalties
$57K
current assessed
$51K
paid to date
$6K
outstanding
164 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $65K in penalties contested before the Commission, $26K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-03-03.
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.
6citations taken to the federal commission · 4% of citations on record
Settled
4 · 67%
Stood as issued
2 · 33%
75%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 4 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
60%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$65K proposed, $26K 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 2021-10-28.
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 Surface Mine No. 1 shows 100% of 302 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: 2025-10-14
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
302
samples
1.56
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.
145 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 157 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.
Surface Mine No. 1 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ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 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 2.97 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
2025 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024 *
3.41
3.41
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018
1.34
0.00
0.000
2017
0.00
0.00
0.000
2016 *
3.44
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)
2026
4
515
2025
17
89,483
2024
27
130,994
2023
14
45,235
2022
1
2,313
2021
19
7,727
2020
21
21,372
2019
61
324,944
2018
55
347,544
2017
42
308,224
2016
23
150,372
2015
1
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Surface Mine No. 1 sits in Buchanan County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 11.2% 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.
Buchanan County, Virginia · Population 19,857
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$42,216
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
2,177
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
2,203
1
0
453.9
2025 Q4
2,288
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
10,869
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
14,544
6
1
412.5
2025 Q1
15,465
5
0
323.3
2024 Q4
9,145
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
24,574
8
0
325.5
Show 34 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
12,314
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
12,538
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
4,753
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
1,966
0
0
0.0
2023 Q2
17,019
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
12,978
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
2,547
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
0
0
0
2022 Q2
0
0
0
2022 Q1
0
1
0
2021 Q4
8,604
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
10,491
5
2
476.6
2021 Q2
2,975
0
0
0.0
2021 Q1
8,550
6
2
701.8
2020 Q4
5,037
1
0
198.5
2020 Q3
14,354
13
7
905.7
2020 Q2
800
2
1
2500.0
2019 Q4
38,824
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
40,807
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
40,272
3
0
74.5
2019 Q1
46,219
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
40,769
7
3
171.7
2018 Q3
37,909
7
1
184.7
2018 Q2
37,092
4
0
107.8
2018 Q1
33,214
10
0
301.1
2017 Q4
27,182
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
26,489
3
0
113.3
2017 Q2
29,825
5
1
167.6
2017 Q1
28,273
7
0
247.6
2016 Q4
25,639
2
0
78.0
2016 Q3
24,119
1
1
41.5
2016 Q2
7,690
3
1
390.1
2016 Q1
750
2
0
2666.7
2015 Q4
540
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
5 on file
2024 · 1 incident
January 30, 2024VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techOTHER
The mechanic stated: was attempting to step up on a handrail to remove a chain on the drill. When EE raised EE's leg EE felt this knee pop. This resulted in a partially torn tendon.
2018 · 2 incidents
September 27, 2018VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
The employee was grinding on a push arm pin in order to weld the pin. The pin rolled on to their left pointer finger, while the grinding was being done, resulting in a broken bone.
June 8, 2018VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
Kneeling underneath dozer, utilized an air nozzle to clean debris from bolts to remove final drive. Debris blew back into employees face and underneath safety glasses of right eye.
2017 · 1 incident
September 13, 2017VA · Coalwelder (non-shop)MACHINERY