Mining Incidents

West Spring Energy: 70 MSHA citations Coal

Locust Gap, Northumberland County, PA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 3608489

West Spring Energy has $9K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
2018–2025
Latest incident
Jun 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2011
70
citations
17
significant & substantial
$8,637
proposed penalties
$8,637
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2011
55
inspections on record
2,342
inspection hours
3.0
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.
70 citations across 2,342 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: 2013-12-02.
On record since 2013.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

West Spring Energy has $9K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 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.
$9K
proposed penalties
$9K
current assessed
$9K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
67 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-06.
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.
25.0%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
25.0%
reasonably likely or greater
20.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 70.6% low, 29.4% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at West Spring Energy shows 99% of 377 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: 2026-04-07
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
377
samples
2.75
dust max (mg/m3)
4
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.
196 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 181 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR162
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR115
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE31

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2026-04-15
18.2
silica avg (%)
27
samples
44.8
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR15
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR12

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: 2026-04-06
0%
over PEL
117
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR31
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE21
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR16
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% 6
2025 100% 31
2024 100% 35
2023 100% 31
2022 100% 26
2021 100% 28
2020 100% 23
2019 100% 33
2018 100% 31
2017 98% 40
2016 100% 29
2015 94% 36
2014 100% 9
2013 100% 5
2012 100% 14
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2026 11.7 2
2025 16.4 2
2024 12.8 1
2023 26.9 1
2022 33.7 2
2020 12.5 1
2019 22.1 2
2018 44.8 1
2017 15.4 5
2016 20.5 4
2015 11.4 6
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2026 0% 1
2025 0% 5
2024 0% 18
2023 0% 11
2022 0% 14
2021 0% 8
2019 0% 15
2018 0% 8
2017 0% 9
2016 0% 14
2013 0% 5
2012 0% 9
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

West Spring Energy recorded 6.88 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.
6.88
total case rate
6.88
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 Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 2.63 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 * 6.88 6.88 0.000
2024 * 5.02 5.02 0.000
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 * 7.02 0.00 0.000
2021 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 * 6.33 6.33 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. Keystone Anthracite Company Inc 1994 to 2011
  2. West Spring Energy, LLC 2011 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)
2026 5
2025 16 88,535
2024 20 114,570
2023 16 94,019
2022 14 142,906
2021 14 120,518
2020 15 115,477
2019 16 149,649
2018 16 137,544
2017 17 175,819
2016 18 39,652
2015 20 91,488
2014 19 26,264
2013 39 67,464
2012 33 13,497
2011 3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

West Spring Energy sits in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 0.6% 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.
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania · Population 90,925
0.6%
Mining share of county employment
$57,948
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 2,712 1 0 368.7
2026 Q1 2,011 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 2,712 2 0 737.5
2025 Q3 4,903 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 10,360 1 1 96.5
2025 Q1 11,078 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 9,404 3 0 319.0
2024 Q3 10,775 0 0 0.0
Show 52 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 10,420 3 0 287.9
2024 Q1 9,259 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 8,577 3 1 349.8
2023 Q3 8,560 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 8,138 3 0 368.6
2023 Q1 7,123 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 7,058 1 1 141.7
2022 Q3 6,348 3 0 472.6
2022 Q2 7,848 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 7,235 3 0 414.7
2021 Q4 6,471 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 7,520 1 0 133.0
2021 Q2 7,538 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 6,646 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 7,272 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 7,309 1 0 136.8
2020 Q2 7,808 1 0 128.1
2020 Q1 8,576 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 8,350 1 0 119.8
2019 Q3 9,197 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 8,178 1 0 122.3
2019 Q1 7,789 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 7,050 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 8,077 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 8,240 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 8,232 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 7,729 1 0 129.4
2017 Q3 2,273 1 1 439.9
2017 Q2 7,932 1 0 126.1
2017 Q1 8,562 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 8,558 1 1 116.8
2016 Q3 8,555 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 6,955 2 1 287.6
2016 Q1 6,987 1 0 143.1
2015 Q4 8,448 3 1 355.1
2015 Q3 19,825 1 0 50.4
2015 Q2 10,414 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 9,555 1 0 104.7
2014 Q4 13,097 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 11,138 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 3,303 1 0 302.8
2014 Q1 0 0 0
2013 Q4 5,781 3 2 518.9
2013 Q3 16,497 1 0 60.6
2013 Q2 18,859 7 1 371.2
2013 Q1 18,432 1 0 54.3
2012 Q4 14,541 3 0 206.3
2012 Q3 16,728 2 2 119.6
2012 Q2 18,366 4 2 217.8
2012 Q1 7,159 3 0 419.1
2011 Q4 1,230 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 251 1 0 3984.1
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2025 · 1 incident

June 17, 2025 PA · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
West Spring Energy, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Drill rig was tracking w/tower down when drill steels fell out of top of carousel. Employee was trying to put steels back in carousel using a truck crane and come -a long when a drill steel shifted pinching EE's hand and fingers between 2 drill steels.

2024 · 1 incident

October 10, 2024 PA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
West Spring Energy, LLC · Fall from machine

Employee was exiting haul truck when lower wrung ladder broke and employee feel aprox. 3 feet to the ground.

2022 · 1 incident

June 8, 2022 PA · Coal crane operator, mobile equipment operator (meo), dragline operator, dropball operator, rigger SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
West Spring Energy, LLC · Fall from machine

working on the DEMAG and dropped a socket. EE reached in between the machine to pick it up and slipped, falling about 2 feet onto the ground. Landing on EE's feet EE felt pain in both knees, more so the left.

2018 · 1 incident

March 21, 2018 PA · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
West Spring Energy, LLC · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee was walking from mine office to EQ parking area when ee slipped & fell on Rt shoulder