Mining Incidents

Wallins Strip: 62 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Joseph T Bennett
Grays Knob, Harlan County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518292

Wallins Strip has $8K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2000–2003
Latest incident
Jan 2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
62
citations
17
significant & substantial
$8,267
proposed penalties
$6,986
paid to date
85% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,281 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
38
inspections on record
392
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: 392 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Wallins Strip has $8K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 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.
$8K
proposed penalties
$7K
current assessed
$7K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
62 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $7K in penalties contested before the Commission, $6K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-07-16.
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.
27.4%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
30.6%
reasonably likely or greater
8.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 8.1% low, 91.9% moderate, 0.0% 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
KENT20020259 Settlement Zielinski 2002 $3K → $2K
KENT20030117 Settlement Melick 2003 $2K → $2K
KENT20030279 Settlement Hodgdon 2003 $1K → $867
KENT20010121 Settlement Bulluck 2001 $773 → $583
KENT20010329 Settlement Hodgdon 2001 $642 → $500
KENT20010170 Settlement Schroeder 2001 $194 → $152
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Wallins Strip shows 98% of 63 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: 2003-09-30, 22 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
63
samples
2.47
dust max (mg/m3)
32 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 31 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR43
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE12
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER5

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2003-10-08, 22 years ago
7.5
silica avg (%)
12
samples
22.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR11
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR1

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: 2003-06-04, 23 years ago
0%
over PEL
16
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR7
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE5
  • 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
2003 96% 24
2002 100% 21
2001 100% 18
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2003 6.5 5
2002 6.6 4
2001 10.5 3
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2003 0% 9
2002 0% 7
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Wallins Strip recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2002.

Injury rate, 2002
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
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 6.89 and the all-US-mining average was 5.05 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 8.22 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
2002 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2001 * 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. Dixie Fuel Company, LLC 2000 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)
2011 0
2010 0
2009 0
2008 0
2007 0
2006 0
2005 0
2004 0
2003 11 59,778
2002 12 19,242
2001 11 4,816
2000 5 3,396
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Wallins Strip sits in Harlan County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.3% 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.
Harlan County, Kentucky · Population 26,185
4.3%
Mining share of county employment
$37,198
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
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
Show 34 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2009 Q2 0 0 0
2009 Q1 0 0 0
2008 Q4 0 0 0
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 0 0
2006 Q2 0 0 0
2006 Q1 0 0 0
2005 Q4 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 252 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 9,762 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 10,449 5 0 478.5
2002 Q4 9,473 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 3,151 9 2 2856.2
2002 Q2 6,039 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 5,583 11 1 1970.3
2001 Q4 3,233 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 4,412 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 6,538 13 7 1988.4
2001 Q1 5,869 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,990 21 7 7023.4
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2003 · 1 incident

January 25, 2003 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer

ON SAT 1-25-03 EE WAS HELPING TO INSTALL A STABLIZER ARM ON A DOZIER. THIS IS VERY HEAVY AND TAKES FOUR MEN. WHILE DOING THIS HEAVY LIFT IS WHEN THE INJURY OCCURED BUT EE DID NOT KNOW IT AT TH E TIME AFTER A PERIOD OF MISTREATMENT, MRI WAS DONE THAT SHOWED THE DISK PROTRUSION. HE HAS BEEN INT HE CAR OF DR SINCE THAT TIME.

2002 · 1 incident

May 7, 2002 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Dixie Fuel Company, LLC · Fall onto or against objects

EE WAS GETTING OFF END LOADER. WHILE COMING DOWN LADDER, HE SLIPPED & HIT HIS LEG AGAINST BATTERY BOX. INITIAL TREATMENT WAS FIRST AID. HE CAME TO WORK ON 5-8 WITH NO LOST TIME. WENT TO DR ON 5-13, POSSIBLE BLOOD CLOT, WAS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL.

2000 · 1 incident