Mining Incidents

Coastal Coal-West Virginia Llc: 1 recorded fatality operator

Controlled by El Paso Energy Corp
MSHA operator ID: P24023

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
714
Mines on record
14
Years on record
1983–2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
817
citations
249
significant & substantial
$89,598
proposed penalties
$81,758
paid to date
91% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $7,840 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
472
inspections on record
15,850
inspection hours
5.2
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.
817 citations across 15,850 inspection hours.
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.
$90K
proposed penalties
$82K
current assessed
$82K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
801 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $45K in penalties contested before the Commission, $31K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-01-30.
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.
30.9%
significant & substantial
7.6%
high negligence or reckless
31.0%
reasonably likely or greater
14.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.1% none, 7.7% low, 84.6% moderate, 7.6% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
Injury rate, 2003
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.
12.70
total case rate
12.70
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 5.87 and the all-US-mining average was 4.43 cases per 100 workers.
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
2003 * 12.70 12.70 0.000
2002 9.68 5.51 0.000
2001 7.37 3.95 0.000
2000 10.08 7.56 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.
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: 2003-02-13, 23 years ago
92%
within 1.5 mg/m3
2,291
samples
7.68
dust max (mg/m3)
1,119 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 1,172 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR1,127
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)220
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)149

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2002-12-31, 23 years ago
5.9
silica avg (%)
250
samples
48.3
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR138
  • BELT MAN/CONVEYOR MAN1
  • MECHANIC1

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: 2002-05-07, 24 years ago
31%
over PEL
105
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)19
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)15
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR14
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, 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 operator contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
WEVA20000102 Settlement Weisberger 2001 $40K → $30K
WEVA20030022 Settlement Weisberger 2003 $4K → $150
WEVA20030015 Settlement Schroeder 2003 $1K → $500
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

Top causes

Incident timeline

2003
7
2002
173
2001
155
2000
72
1999
60 (1f)
1998
53
1997
30
1996
41
1995
35
1994
20
1993
13
1992
7
1991
7
1990
9
1989
12
1988
4
1987
3
1986
7
1985
4
1984
1
1983
1

Mines on record

Fatalities under this operator

1 recorded
December 17, 1999 WV · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Coastal Coal-West Virginia Llc · Struck by falling object

ON THE SUB MAINS #4 PANEL, #2 HEADING, AN EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING A CONTINUOUS MINER WHEN A ROOF RIB BROKE AND FELL COVERING UP THE EMPLOYEE. FIVE PEOPLE WERE REMOVED FROM UNDER THE ROCK. THERE WERE MUTIPLE INJURIES AND NO VITAL SIGNS FOUND WHEN THE EMPLOYEE WAS CHECKED BY AN E.M.T.

For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants

Where Coastal Coal-West Virginia Llc 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.

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