Three Forks Load-Out: 34 MSHA citations Coal
Three Forks Load-Out has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Three Forks Load-Out.
- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 0
- Years on record
- —
- Latest incident
- —
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
34
citations
14
significant & substantial
$3,337
proposed penalties
$3,337
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
29
inspections on record
384
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: 384 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Three Forks Load-Out has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.$3K
proposed penalties
$3K
current assessed
$3K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
34 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $195 in penalties contested before the Commission, $195 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2005-06-06.
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.41.2%
significant & substantial
5.9%
high negligence or reckless
41.2%
reasonably likely or greater
52.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 23.5% low, 70.6% moderate, 5.9% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEVA20010116 | Settlement | Barbour | 2001 | $195 → $195 |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Three Forks Load-Out shows 100% of 13 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: 2005-06-06, 21 years ago
ⓘ
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.100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
13
samples
0.30
dust max (mg/m3)
13 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CAR DROPPER7
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER3
- CAR TRIMMER/CAR LOADER1
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: 2005-06-06, 21 years ago
ⓘ
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.0%
over PEL
11
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- CAR DROPPER4
- COAL TRUCK DRIVER2
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER2
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100% | 2 |
| 2004 | 100% | 5 |
| 2003 | 100% | 3 |
| 2002 | 100% | 3 |
Noise by year
| Year | over PEL | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 0% | 2 |
| 2004 | 0% | 5 |
| 2003 | 0% | 4 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
- Bay Star Coal Company Inc 1991 to 2001
- Postar Coal Company Inc 2001 to 2001
- Bluestone Coal Corp. 2001 to 2003
- Little Ben Trucking Co., Inc. 2003 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
| Year | Employees |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2006 | 8 |
| 2005 | 7 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2001 | 8 |
| 2000 | 0 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Three Forks Load-Out sits in McDowell County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 13.0% 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.McDowell County, West Virginia · Population 18,413
13.0%
Mining share of county employment
$29,980
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 Q2 | 3,109 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2007 Q1 | 5,000 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q4 | 3,898 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q3 | 3,044 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q2 | 4,201 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q1 | 2,855 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2005 Q3 | 2,909 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2005 Q2 | 1,726 | 2 | 2 | 1158.7 |
Show 19 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Q1 | 2,500 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2004 Q4 | 1,829 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2004 Q3 | 1,726 | 2 | 0 | 1158.7 |
| 2004 Q2 | 1,097 | 2 | 2 | 1823.2 |
| 2004 Q1 | 1,468 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2003 Q4 | 1,688 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2003 Q3 | 1,572 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2003 Q1 | 775 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2002 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 Q3 | 2,602 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2002 Q2 | 2,251 | 6 | 2 | 2665.5 |
| 2002 Q1 | 4,169 | 10 | 1 | 2398.7 |
| 2001 Q4 | 7,388 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2001 Q3 | 5,482 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2001 Q2 | 2,778 | 3 | 2 | 1079.9 |
| 2000 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 Q3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 Q2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No reportable incidents on file.
MSHA has no recorded reportable accidents for this mine in the current dataset. New reports appear here within a week of being filed.