75% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $7,079,280 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
2,315
inspections on record
220,514
inspection hours
10.2
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.
22,448 citations across 220,514 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.
$28.8M
proposed penalties
$22.8M
current assessed
$21.7M
paid to date
$1.1M
outstanding
21,752 assessments are final orders; 921 contested dockets.
Of $18.1M in penalties contested before the Commission, $11.6M was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-07-08.
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, 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.
4.53
total case rate
1.31
days-away rate
0.119
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.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2026
1.52
0.51
0.253
2025
4.53
1.31
0.119
2024
2.99
1.31
0.000
2023
5.29
1.68
0.000
2022
5.31
2.32
0.000
2021
4.16
3.39
0.154
2020
4.75
3.49
0.000
2019
5.51
2.57
0.000
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: 2026-08-20
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
52,198
samples
13.97
dust max (mg/m3)
129
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.
10,289 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 41,909 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.
4,444citations taken to the federal commission · 20% of citations on record
Settled
4,164 · 94%
Stood as issued
246 · 6%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 0%
Still open
33 · 1%
72%
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 2,709 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
34%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$17.5M proposed, $11.5M 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 2026-08-02. 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.
April 2, 2026WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Marfork Coal Company · Struck by falling object
Employee was setting timbers for the next retreat mining lift inby spad 21417 when the slab cut entry that was previously cut fell to the roof bolts causing draw rock to strike the employee. Employee was coherent and alert while being transported outside. During transportation to medical facility they suffered a cardiac arrest. Incident remains under investigation.
August 26, 2025WV · Coalelectrician, linemanFatality · HOISTING
Marfork Coal Company, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee received crushing fatal injuries while assisting MSHA inspection of elevator inside of Preparation Plant.
Marfork Coal Company, LLC · Struck by falling object
EE had been jack hammering to set a water trap for seals and traded off with coworker to take a break went over to rib sat down when rib roll 68"L x 24" W x 8" T came off at spad #3002/7483 on EE striking EE in the chest and abdomen area.
August 4, 2021WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorFatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Marfork Coal Company, LLC · Struck by powered moving object
Employee was crossing intersection and was struck by the left center shuttle car resulting in fatal injuries.
October 23, 2017WV · Coalexaminer, fire boss, pre-shift examiner, mine examinerFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Marfork Coal Company, LLC · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects
Investigation indicates that the employee was attempting to cross a moving belt or cross a belt that had just started, when employee was pulled down the belt line and later recovered at the raw coal stockpile at the plant.
February 2, 2001WV · Coalmotorman, motor person, swamper, switchman, locomotive operatorFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Marfork Coal Company, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING A SUPPLY LOCOMOTIVE. THE LOCOMOTIVE WAS PULLING TWO SUPPLY CARS LOADED WITH CINDER BLOCKS AND WIRE MESH FROM ELLIS PORTALTO THE #1 SECTION. EMPLOYEE APPARENTLY LOST CONT ROL OF THE MOTOR WHILE ASCENDING A 0-4% GRADE (APPROX. 2,500' LONG) AND DESCENDED THE GRADE IN A RUNAWAY MODE. HE WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE GRADE WITH THE WRECKAGE.
September 18, 1995WV · Coalcontinuous miner operator, coal mole operatorFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Marfork Coal Company Inc · Struck by falling object
EMPLOYEE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING NUMBER 3 CROSS CUT RIGHT WHEN A PIECE OF ROCK APPROXIMATELY 8' LONG BY 5' WIDE AND 10" THICK FELL AND STRUCK EMPLOYEE. EMPLOYEE WAS FOUND UNDERNEATH THE ROCK WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 FOOT INBY THE LAST PERMANENT ROOF SUPPORT.
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
Where Marfork Coal Company, 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.