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TUG FORK PREPARATION PLANT: 217 MSHA citations Coal

Edgarton, Mingo County, WV  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4608626

TUG FORK PREPARATION PLANT has $53K in proposed MSHA penalties and $516 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
5
Years on record
2014–2025
Latest incident
Jan 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
217
citations
56
significant & substantial
$52,688
proposed penalties
$45,453
paid to date
86% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $7,235 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See APPALACHIAN RESOURCE WEST VIRGINIA, LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
145
inspections on record
3,628
inspection hours
6.0
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.
217 citations across 3,628 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

TUG FORK PREPARATION PLANT has $53K in proposed MSHA penalties and $516 outstanding across 3 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.
$53K
proposed penalties
$46K
current assessed
$45K
paid to date
$516
outstanding
210 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $12K in penalties contested before the Commission, $5K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-11-05.
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.
26.2%
significant & substantial
1.4%
high negligence or reckless
26.2%
reasonably likely or greater
22.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 52.3% low, 46.3% moderate, 1.4% 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.
5 citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
  • Settled 5 · 100%
60%
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 5 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
57%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$12K proposed, $5K 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 2022-09-20.
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
WEVA 2012-693 Settlement Simonton 2013 $10K → $4K
WEVA 2022-0554 Settlement Moran 2023 $1K → $511
WEVA 2012-701 Settlement Lesnick 2013 $540 → $270
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at TUG FORK PREPARATION PLANT shows 98% of 239 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: 2026-08-12
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
239
samples
2.77
dust max (mg/m3)
2
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.
139 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 100 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR151
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE18
  • CLEANING PLANT OPERATOR15

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2025-05-27
2.5
silica avg (%)
24
samples
8.9
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR24
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: 2026-07-28
0%
over PEL
74
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR25
  • UTILITY MAN12
  • CLEANING PLANT OPERATOR10
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
2026 100% 11
2025 96% 23
2024 100% 22
2023 91% 22
2022 100% 15
2021 93% 14
2020 100% 18
2019 100% 13
2018 100% 23
2017 100% 19
2016 94% 18
2015 100% 18
2014 100% 10
2013 100% 5
2012 100% 8
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2025 1
2024 2.5 3
2023 3.0 1
2022 3.6 3
2021 4.5 1
2020 2.2 3
2018 1.8 6
2017 0.8 2
2016 2.9 1
2015 3.5 3
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2026 0% 5
2025 0% 5
2024 0% 10
2023 0% 5
2022 0% 5
2021 0% 5
2020 0% 5
2018 0% 10
2017 0% 5
2016 0% 4
2015 0% 4
2014 0% 4
2013 0% 2
2012 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

TUG FORK PREPARATION PLANT recorded 8.29 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.
8.29
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.89 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 * 8.29 0.00 0.000
2024 * 6.75 6.75 0.000
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2021 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 8.06 8.06 0.000
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 * 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. Old Ben Coal Company 1997 to 2005
  2. LCC West Virginia, LLC 2005 to 2007
  3. CAM Mining LLC 2007 to 2020
  4. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC 2020 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 8
2025 9
2024 10
2023 9
2022 9
2021 9
2020 12
2019 12
2018 9
2017 11
2016 8
2015 7
2014 8
2013 8
2012 6
2011 0
2010 0
2009 0
2008 0
2007 0
2006 1
2005 0
2004 0
2003 0
2000 1
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

TUG FORK PREPARATION PLANT sits in Mingo County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 15.0% 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.
Mingo County, West Virginia · Population 22,979
15.0%
Mining share of county employment
$39,527
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 5,922 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 6,108 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 4,757 1 0 210.2
2025 Q3 5,584 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 6,628 2 0 301.8
2025 Q1 7,155 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 5,240 1 0 190.8
2024 Q3 7,569 0 0 0.0
Show 84 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 7,993 3 0 375.3
2024 Q1 8,809 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 7,361 2 0 271.7
2023 Q3 7,692 5 0 650.0
2023 Q2 7,143 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 7,059 8 2 1133.3
2022 Q4 5,436 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 6,444 2 0 310.4
2022 Q2 7,387 7 2 947.6
2022 Q1 7,010 48 19 6847.4
2021 Q4 5,440 20 6 3676.5
2021 Q3 5,324 11 2 2066.1
2021 Q2 6,011 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 8,035 4 1 497.8
2020 Q4 6,076 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 5,680 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 6,105 3 1 491.4
2020 Q1 6,965 3 0 430.7
2019 Q4 11,338 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 8,622 5 1 579.9
2019 Q2 7,614 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 8,571 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 7,883 3 1 380.6
2018 Q3 7,385 12 2 1624.9
2018 Q2 7,817 1 0 127.9
2018 Q1 11,417 1 0 87.6
2017 Q4 10,741 2 0 186.2
2017 Q3 10,564 5 1 473.3
2017 Q2 11,126 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 9,409 7 4 744.0
2016 Q4 7,150 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 5,428 1 0 184.2
2016 Q2 4,462 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 5,024 1 0 199.0
2015 Q4 4,464 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 3,793 1 0 263.6
2015 Q2 4,615 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 5,315 1 0 188.1
2014 Q4 5,420 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 5,482 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 6,021 2 1 332.2
2014 Q1 4,895 5 1 1021.5
2013 Q4 4,652 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 5,430 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 9,055 5 1 552.2
2013 Q1 5,675 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 6,470 2 0 309.1
2012 Q3 7,160 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 2,279 1 1 438.8
2012 Q1 410 2 0 4878.0
2011 Q4 0 7 2
2011 Q3 0 0 0
2011 Q2 0 0 0
2011 Q1 0 0 0
2010 Q4 0 0 0
2010 Q3 0 0 0
2010 Q2 0 0 0
2010 Q1 0 0 0
2009 Q4 0 0 0
2009 Q3 0 0 0
2009 Q2 0 1 0
2009 Q1 0 0 0
2008 Q4 0 4 1
2008 Q3 0 0 0
2008 Q2 0 0 0
2008 Q1 0 0 0
2007 Q4 0 0 0
2007 Q3 0 0 0
2007 Q2 0 0 0
2007 Q1 0 0 0
2006 Q4 0 0 0
2006 Q3 0 2 0
2006 Q2 0 0 0
2006 Q1 749 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 0 0 0
2005 Q2 0 0 0
2005 Q1 0 0 0
2004 Q4 0 0 0
2004 Q3 0 0 0
2004 Q2 0 0 0
2004 Q1 0 0 0
2003 Q4 0 0 0
2000 Q2 760 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 660 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

5 on file

2025 · 1 incident

January 27, 2025 WV · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was entering the cab of dozer putting lunch box and hard hat behind the seat. EE didn't realize their hand was in door jam and dozer door closed on EE's thumb.

2024 · 1 incident

December 31, 2024 WV · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC · Struck against a moving object

Operating a Komatsu articulator truck coming from mud cell front tire dropped in a hole in the roadway and twisted the operators back.

2021 · 1 incident

October 16, 2021 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC · Struck against stationary object

Was doing maintenance on water pump. Was moving suction line and it had an exposed wire on the bottom side. Punctured hand.

2020 · 1 incident

May 22, 2020 WV · Coal refuse truck driver, backfill truck driver, stock pile truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
CAM Mining LLC · Fall to the walkway or working surface

EE had cleaned the floc strainer area and was washing the excess floc from the floor of the Refuse Building. EE slipped and fell on EE's left side. EE returned to work on 5/26/2020 but EE's doctor took EE off work on 5/29/2020.

2014 · 1 incident

September 22, 2014 WV · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
CAM Mining LLC · Fall onto or against objects

Employee was exiting the cab of an excavator and when he stepped on the track his feet slid out from under him. He tried to catch himself and his right middle finger was caught in the door latch area. Employee sustained a dislocated finger.