84% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $584,877 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
2,266
inspections on record
104,130
inspection hours
5.7
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.
5,890 citations across 104,130 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.
$3.7M
proposed penalties
$3.3M
current assessed
$3.1M
paid to date
$210K
outstanding
5,682 assessments are final orders; 173 contested dockets.
Of $1.5M in penalties contested before the Commission, $1.1M was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2017-09-12.
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.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
Injury rate, 2017
ⓘ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.
6.22
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.79 and the all-US-mining average was 2.48 cases per 100 workers.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2017
6.22
0.00
0.000
2016
2.11
0.94
0.234
2015
1.94
0.22
0.000
2014
1.75
0.39
0.000
2013
1.17
0.98
0.195
2012
2.47
1.03
0.000
2011
2.29
0.57
0.000
2010
2.19
1.00
0.199
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: 2017-09-13, 8 years ago
94%
within 1.5 mg/m3
12,462
samples
9.31
dust max (mg/m3)
12
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.
5,100 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 7,362 by the operator.
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.
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.
488citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
Settled
271 · 56%
Stood as issued
217 · 44%
92%
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 319 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
26%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1.4M proposed, $1.0M 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 2018-02-12. 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.
Lone Mountain Processing LLC · Struck by rolling or sliding object
While workers were cleaning up material that was removed from a new coal transfer borehole using a continuous miner, a section of rib/brow fell from the inby portion of the entry and continued outby pulling rib bolts. The material rolled down the rib and struck the miner operator causing fatal crushing injuries to chest and abdomen.
Lone Mountain Processing LLC · Struck by flying object
While conducting retreat mining on 6-Left Panel off B-4 Mains, a coal/rock outburst occurred inby break #35. The outburst involved the continuous miner operator who suffered fatal blunt force injuries to his head, chest, and legs.
While directing activities to re-support ribs in an intersection, a rib roll struck a standing roof support which in turn struck the foreman in the head causing fatal injuries.
April 21, 2006KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · MACHINERY
Lone Mountain Processing LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was found pinned between the #4 mobile bridge unit and the section lo-lo conveyor belt structure. He was apparently troubleshooting a report of weak tramming on the left side of the mobile unit. There were no witnesses to the accident.
Lone Mountain Processing LLC · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)
THE VICTIM WAS HAULING REFUSE FINES -100 MESH TO THE IMPOUNDMENT. HE WAS BACKING THE TRUCK TO THE DUMPING POINT WHEN FOR SOME REASON. HE TURNED THE TRUCK THROUGH THE BERM. THE TRUCK TURNED TO THE LEFT SIDE AND SLID DOWN THE EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO REST ON IT'S LEFT SIDE, SUBMERGING THE CAB INTO THE IMPOUNDMENT MATERIALS.
May 21, 2002KY · Coalelectrician, linemanFatality · ELECTRICAL
Lone Mountain Processing LLC · Contact with electrical current
EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING ON A POWER DISTRIBUTION BOXTO DETERMINE WHY A CIRCUIT BREAKER WOULD NOT OPERATE. HE APPARENTLY CAME IN CONTACT WITH AN ENERGIZED CIRCUIT DURING THE TROUBLE SHOOTING PROCES S.
January 31, 2002KY · Coallaborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Lone Mountain Processing LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
EMPLOYEE WAS FOUND LAYING ON THE MINE FLOOR, APPROXIMATELY 25'INBY SPAD #15181 IN THE #4 ENTRY ON THE 3 RIGHT PANEL, 001 RETREAT MINING SECTION. HE HAD APPARENTLY BEEN RAN OVER BY A BATTERY POWERED COAL HAULER.
October 10, 1998KY · Coalcontinuous miner operator, coal mole operatorFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Lone Mountain Processing LLC · Struck by falling object
EMPLOYEE (MINER OPERATOR) WAS OPERATING A REMOTE CONTROL CONTINUOUS MINER ON THE 002-0 SECTION IN #4 ENTRY ON RETREAT MINING WHEN 3 ROOF BOLTS AND STRAPS BROKE RELEASING A PIECE OF ROCK APPROX 7' X 11' X 8" THICK THAT FELL ON EMPLOYEE WITHOUT WARNING. THE ROCK WAS STRAPPED AND BOLTED WITH 48" FULLY GROUTED RESIN BOLTS.
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
Where Lone Mountain Processing 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.