Black Thunder Mining, Inc.: 231 MSHA citations operator
Controlled by
George Chris Waugh
MSHA operator ID: 0102965
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Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at any Black Thunder Mining, Inc. mine.
- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 1
- Mines on record
- 1
- Years on record
- 2010
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2009
231
citations
95
significant & substantial
$146,783
proposed penalties
$0
paid to date
0% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $146,783 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2009
19
inspections on record
904
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: 904 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Penalty disposition
ⓘ
Differences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.$147K
proposed penalties
$147K
current assessed
$0
paid to date
$147K
outstanding
206 assessments are final orders; 9 contested dockets.
Of $88K in penalties contested before the Commission, $88K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2010-11-02.
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.46.1%
significant & substantial
34.0%
high negligence or reckless
46.1%
reasonably likely or greater
26.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.5% none, 3.4% low, 62.1% moderate, 34.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
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: 2010-10-28, 15 years ago
ⓘ
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.91%
within 1.5 mg/m3
33
samples
2.87
dust max (mg/m3)
25 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 8 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR6
- SCOOP CAR OPERATOR6
- CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR4
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2010-08-25, 16 years ago3.9
silica avg (%)
3
samples
5.3
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR2
- CONTINUOUS MINER 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: 2009-09-15, 16 years ago
ⓘ
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.0%
over PEL
6
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR1
- ELECTRICIAN1
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, 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.
99
citations taken to the federal commission · 43% of citations on record
- Stood as issued 99 · 100%
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 44 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$87K proposed, $87K 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 2010-10-18. Vacated and withdrawn citations are removed from the file this view attributes through, so that outcome is slightly undercounted here.
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 operator contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
| Docket | Decision | Judge | Year | Proposed / upheld |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENT 2010-1291 | Default | Lesnick | 2011 | $32K → $32K |
| KENT 2010-1361 | Default | Lesnick | 2011 | $19K → $19K |
| KENT 2011-58 | Default | Lesnick | 2011 | $12K → $12K |
| KENT 2010-1505 | Default | Lesnick | 2011 | $8K → $8K |
| KENT 2011-59 | Default | Lesnick | 2011 | $6K → $6K |
| KENT 2010-1293 | Default | Lesnick | 2011 | $4K → $4K |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
Top causes
- POWERED HAULAGE 1 non-fatal
Incident timeline
2010
1
Mines on record
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
Where Black Thunder Mining, Inc. stands on silica, penalties, and injury rate
MSHA's standard limits respirable silica to 50 micrograms per cubic metre, but MSHA publishes dust and quartz as separate files and never the silica figure itself. We derive it per sample, score it against the limit, and set the operator's injury rate against a benchmark built from the full MSHA operator record. With the 26-year penalty trail, contest posture, and fatality history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.
The federal record itself stays free on this site. What costs money, and why.