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.
477 citations across 2,441 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2017-08-29.
On record since 2017.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Tipple #1 has $217K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 11 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.
$217K
proposed penalties
$172K
current assessed
$169K
paid to date
$3K
outstanding
467 assessments are final orders; 11 contested dockets.
Of $114K in penalties contested before the Commission, $68K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-09.
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.
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.
38citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
Settled
37 · 97%
Stood as issued
1 · 3%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 30 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
40%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$114K proposed, $68K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2017-10-31.
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 Tipple #1 shows 99% of 168 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: 2026-04-14
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
168
samples
1.71
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.
168 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER56
WEIGHMAN26
LABORER/BLACKSMITH13
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
4
2025
4
2024
4
2023
4
2022
4
2021
4
2020
4
2019
4
2018
4
2017
5
2016
5
2015
6
2014
3
2013
4
2012
5
2011
5
2010
6
2009
6
2008
5
2007
3
2006
4
2005
5
2004
4
2003
4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Tipple #1 sits in Wise County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 5.9% 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.
Wise County, Virginia · Population 35,727
5.9%
Mining share of county employment
$50,740
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
2,383
2
2
839.3
2026 Q1
2,243
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
2,544
4
3
1572.3
2025 Q3
2,467
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
2,423
0
0
0.0
2025 Q1
2,341
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
2,427
1
0
412.0
2024 Q3
2,440
0
0
0.0
Show 84 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
2,370
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
2,288
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
2,429
1
0
411.7
2023 Q3
2,301
0
0
0.0
2023 Q2
2,437
2
2
820.7
2023 Q1
2,380
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
2,591
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
2,561
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
2,378
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
2,347
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
2,324
1
0
430.3
2021 Q3
2,180
0
0
0.0
2021 Q1
2,272
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
2,174
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
2,469
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
2,289
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
2,281
2
2
876.8
2019 Q4
2,305
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
2,305
10
0
4338.4
2019 Q2
2,391
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
2,331
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
2,491
6
2
2408.7
2018 Q2
33
9
5
272727.3
2018 Q1
2,134
16
13
7497.7
2017 Q4
2,529
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
2,652
9
6
3393.7
2017 Q2
2,781
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
2,812
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
2,582
3
2
1161.9
2016 Q3
2,604
9
1
3456.2
2016 Q2
2,653
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
2,685
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
2,553
7
1
2741.9
2015 Q3
2,630
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
2,440
5
2
2049.2
2015 Q1
2,293
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
1,746
2
1
1145.5
2014 Q3
1,508
2
0
1326.3
2014 Q2
1,673
1
0
597.7
2014 Q1
2,015
4
1
1985.1
2013 Q4
2,270
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
2,156
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
2,020
2
2
990.1
2013 Q1
1,995
9
6
4511.3
2012 Q4
3,040
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
2,309
2
1
866.2
2012 Q2
2,652
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
2,698
3
0
1111.9
2011 Q4
3,696
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
3,244
1
0
308.3
2011 Q2
2,757
1
0
362.7
2011 Q1
3,622
3
0
828.3
2010 Q4
3,101
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
3,579
1
0
279.4
2010 Q2
4,201
6
2
1428.2
2010 Q1
3,937
7
5
1778.0
2009 Q4
4,059
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
3,025
10
1
3305.8
2009 Q2
3,108
29
19
9330.8
2009 Q1
3,362
9
3
2677.0
2008 Q4
4,159
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
3,124
13
8
4161.3
2008 Q2
2,494
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
2,467
20
11
8107.0
2007 Q4
2,431
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
1,748
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
1,790
8
4
4469.3
2007 Q1
1,478
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
2,139
25
11
11687.7
2006 Q3
2,387
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
2,692
7
1
2600.3
2006 Q1
2,681
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
2,346
3
3
1278.8
2005 Q3
2,257
5
4
2215.3
2005 Q2
2,741
18
11
6566.9
2005 Q1
2,824
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
2,565
11
9
4288.5
2004 Q3
1,553
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
1,387
14
8
10093.7
2004 Q1
905
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
1,544
1
0
647.7
2003 Q3
1,609
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
1,518
2
1
1317.5
2003 Q1
1,225
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
4 on file
2009 · 1 incident
April 15, 2009VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
EE prepared to lift the radial sucker belt for repairs to be made on legs of stacker. When he started lifting stacker the turn table on the crane that sat on the international truck sheared the bolts and the crane hit injured as it broke away.
1996 · 2 incidents
December 19, 1996VA · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS