Sunrise Coal, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Injured was found in entry 11, caught between the left rib and the horn of the miner.
Sunrise Coal, LLC: 2 recorded fatalities operator
Controlled by
Hallador Energy Company
MSHA operator ID: 0051576
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Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
6,245
citations
1,284
significant & substantial
$3,503,803
proposed penalties
$3,233,844
paid to date
92% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $269,959 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
3,140
inspections on record
146,854
inspection hours
4.3
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.6,245 citations across 146,854 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.$3.5M
proposed penalties
$3.2M
current assessed
$3.2M
paid to date
$4K
outstanding
6,056 assessments are final orders; 48 contested dockets.
Of $696K in penalties contested before the Commission, $427K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-07-10.
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.21.0%
significant & substantial
2.6%
high negligence or reckless
21.1%
reasonably likely or greater
18.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.1% none, 23.1% low, 74.2% moderate, 2.6% high, 0.0% reckless.
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.4.79
total case rate
2.39
days-away rate
0.000
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 | 4.75 | 2.97 | 0.000 |
| 2025 | 4.79 | 2.39 | 0.000 |
| 2024 | 7.49 | 4.02 | 0.000 |
| 2023 | 4.63 | 2.32 | 0.000 |
| 2022 | 4.66 | 3.37 | 0.099 |
| 2021 | 5.66 | 3.47 | 0.000 |
| 2020 | 4.67 | 2.88 | 0.000 |
| 2019 | 5.18 | 2.73 | 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
ⓘ
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.98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
38,215
samples
6.61
dust max (mg/m3)
145
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.5,611 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 32,604 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)15,258
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR9,763
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)8,110
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2026-08-113.1
silica avg (%)
2,262
samples
21.1
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)852
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR661
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)488
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: 2026-07-21
ⓘ
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.9%
over PEL
1,607
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)419
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR226
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)165
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.
103
citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
- Settled 92 · 89%
- Stood as issued 8 · 8%
- Still open 3 · 3%
83%
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 87 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
38%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$693K proposed, $427K 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 2026-07-28. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAKE 2012-24 | Settlement | Harner | 2012 | $59K → $59K |
| LAKE 2016-0199 | Settlement | Moran | 2017 | $56K → $33K |
| LAKE 2011-124 | Settlement | Zielinski | 2012 | $52K → $38K |
| LAKE 2025-0148 | Settlement | Young | 2025 | $45K → $11K |
| LAKE 2009-199 | Settlement | Barbour | 2011 | $43K → $34K |
| LAKE 2023-0206 | Settlement | Bulluck | 2024 | $40K → $26K |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
Top causes
- MACHINERY 1 fatality · 103 non-fatal
- POWERED HAULAGE 1 fatality · 69 non-fatal
- HANDLING OF MATERIALS 244 non-fatal
- FALL OF ROOF OR BACK 201 non-fatal
- SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON 112 non-fatal
- HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) 62 non-fatal
Incident timeline
2026
19
2025
40
2024
67
2023
62
2022
59 (1f)
2021
51
2020
38
2019
66
2018
36 (1f)
2017
27
2016
42
2015
54
2014
41
2013
34
2012
22
2011
35
2010
39
2009
26
2008
33
2007
23
2006
29
2005
6
Mines on record
Fatalities under this operator
2 recorded
March 16, 2018
IN · Coal
maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech
Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Sunrise Coal, LLC · Struck against a moving object
A mine mechanic was operating a diesel mantrip along the M5 Travelway when it appears the vehicle struck the coal rib and rolled on its side. The mechanic was partially ejected from the ride and the canopy fell on ee chest.
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
Where Sunrise Coal, 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.
The federal record itself stays free on this site. What costs money, and why.