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Whitley Fork Surface Mine: 5 MSHA citations Coal

Pardee, Wise County, VA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4406921

Whitley Fork Surface Mine has $483 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
13
Years on record
1999–2001
Latest incident
Nov 2001
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
5
citations
2
significant & substantial
$483
proposed penalties
$483
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Mill Branch Coal Corp's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
15
inspections on record
273
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: 273 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Whitley Fork Surface Mine has $483 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.
$483
proposed penalties
$483
current assessed
$483
paid to date
$0
outstanding
5 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2001-06-26.
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.
40.0%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
40.0%
reasonably likely or greater
20.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 20.0% low, 80.0% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Whitley Fork Surface Mine shows 100% of 15 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: 2001-06-26, 25 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
15
samples
0.65
dust max (mg/m3)
15 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR4
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE4
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER3

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2001-02-14, 25 years ago
19.8
silica avg (%)
2
samples
23.3
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR2
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: 2001-06-27, 25 years ago
0%
over PEL
9
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER3
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR2
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR2
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
2001 100% 7
2000 100% 8
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2001 23.3 1
2000 16.2 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2001 0% 5
2000 0% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Whitley Fork Surface Mine recorded 11.64 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2001.

Injury rate, 2001
ⓘ 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.
11.64
total case rate
11.64
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 6.94 and the all-US-mining average was 5.26 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, 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
2001 * 11.64 11.64 0.000
2000 5.94 4.46 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. Tri-State Leasing Corp 1998 to 2012
  2. Mill Branch Coal Corp 2013 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)
2002 5
2001 34 317,716
2000 53 579,119
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Whitley Fork Surface Mine 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
2002 Q2 212 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 2,715 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 15,005 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 18,448 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 24,897 2 0 80.3
2001 Q1 27,587 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 34,215 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 30,101 0 0 0.0
Show 2 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2000 Q2 37,460 2 2 53.4
2000 Q1 32,805 1 0 30.5
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

13 on file

2001 · 5 incidents

November 2, 2001 VA · Coal miner, nec HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

STEAM CLEANING A PICKUP TRUCK, HIS CLEANING HOSE HAD GOT DOWN INT HE MUD AROUND THE TRUCK, HE JERKED THE HOSE TO GET IT OUT OF THE MUD, CAUSING A CRICK IN HIS NECK.

April 13, 2001 VA · Coal truck driver HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE HE WAS TRYING TO MOVE A ROCK FROM UNDER HIS HAULER HE GOT HIS FOOT IN A STRAIN AND SPRAINED A MUSCLE.

April 5, 2001 VA · Coal greaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oiler HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

HE WAS SERVICING A 992G AND WAS GIVING TO DRAIN THE ENGINE OIL. WHEN HE TRIED TO LOOSEN THE PLUG THE RATCHET SLIPPED AND HIT HIM IN THE MOUTH ADN BROKE HIS TOOTH.

March 22, 2001 VA · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS EXITING HIS LOADER AT THE END OF THE SHIFT WHEN HIS KNEE GAVE AWAY

February 28, 2001 VA · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Over-exertion in lifting objects

WHILE UNLOADING PALLETS EE TWISTED AROUND TO THROW ONE OFF THE TRUCK AND TWISTED HIS ANKLE.

2000 · 5 incidents

December 8, 2000 VA · Coal auger operator, auger crew supervisor MACHINERY
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Struck by falling object

A ROCK FELL OFF THE HIGHWALL AND STRUCK EE'S RIGHT ARM.

October 25, 2000 VA · Coal coal/ore shovel operator, shoveler, power shoveler SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Fall from machine

HE WAS GETTING ON THE EXCAVATOR WHEN HIS RIGHT KNEE GAVE OUT ON HIM AND CAUSED HIM TO FALL.

October 2, 2000 VA · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Fall from machine

OPERATOR WAS EXITING MACHINE, DESCENDING FRONT LADDER WHEN HE SLIPPED. THIS RESULTED IN A FALL OF APPROX 8' TO THE GROUND, WHERE HE LANDED ON HIS BACK, ARM AND HIP. FOREMAN TRANSPORTED OPERATO R TO NORTON COMMUNITY HOSPITAL WHERE DR EXAMINED AND RELEASED HIM. AN APPOINTMENT WITH OCCUMED WAS SCHEDULED 10/3/00.

September 19, 2000 VA · Coal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS TRIMMING A CONE TO BE USED IN A DRILL HOLE. HE WAS HOLDING THE CONE BETWEEN HIS LEGS, WHEN HIS HAND SLIPPED & THE KNIFE CUT HIS THIGH

January 18, 2000 VA · Coal transit man, surveyor/transit worker HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

PINCHED LITTLE FINGER ON RIGHT HAND IN LEGS OF SURVEYING INSTRUMENT. CAUSED DEEP LACERATION REQUIRING 8 STITCHES TO CLOSE THE WOUND. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE TRYING TO SET UP SURVEYING TRIPOD.

1999 · 3 incidents

April 29, 1999 VA · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Tri-State Leasing Corp · Struck against a moving object

HAD LIGHT RAIN AT BEGINNING OF SHIFT. WEATHER HAD CLEARED & ROAD HAD BEEN DRIED UP. HAULERS WERE BACKING UP RAMP PUTTING WALL BACK. DOZER HAS PUSHING LOADS OFF DUMP. AFTER HAULER DUMPED DOZER PUSHING LOAD AND A ROCK FELL INTO TRACK BEHIND DOZER. OPERATOR DID NOT SEE THE ROCK, BACKED UP DOZER, CLIMBED UP ON ROCK AND SLID OFF SIDE OF ROCK JARRING OPERATOR.