Big Mountain 16 Mine

From Global Energy Monitor

Big Mountain No 16 is an underground coal mining operation in Boone County, West Virginia, operated by Pine Ridge Coal Company and owned by Patriot Coal.

In early December 2011, Big Mountain 16 Mine, along with 7 other mines in the United States, was put on notice by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for having a pattern of violations. As a result, the mine and will face more scrutiny in the future from MSHA.[1]

On February 2, 2012, Patriot said it was idling the Big Mountain mining complex, citing low demand. The company had just posted its fourth straight quarterly loss, and forecast lower sales volumes for the year.[2]

Loading map...

Mine Data

  • MSHA ID: 4607908
  • Operator: Pine Ridge Coal Company LLC
  • Controller: Patriot Coal Corporation
  • Union: UMWA
  • County: Boone
  • State: WV
  • Latitude: 38.01
  • Longitude: -81.64
  • 2007 Production (short tons): 995,212
  • Coal Type: Bituminous
  • Mining Method: Underground
  • Mine Status: Active
  • Average No. of Employees: 156

Safety Violation

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced its order charging Pine Ridge Coal Co. with committing an "unwarrantable failure" to comply with the law was upheld by Administrative Law Judge Thomas McCarthy in May 2011. The order stemmed from the operator’s violation of 30 C.F.R. § 50.10, which requires mine operators to notify MSHA of any reportable roof falls without delay once the operator knows or should know that a reportable accident has occurred.

According to MSHA, Pine Ridge waited four days to notify MSHA of the roof collapse that took place at the Big Mountain No. 16 mine, and notified MSHA only after the fall was discovered by an MSHA inspector and the violation cited. McCarthy found the operator’s delay was unreasonable and resulted from reckless disregard for its obligations under the Mine Act. The judge, according to MSHA, found that Pine Ridge did not have an objective good faith belief that the roof fall was not reportable, particularly given that the accident required the operator to abandon the mine entry altogether and to block off access to prevent travel through that section of the mine. The judge also held that the roof fall had impaired ventilation and had impeded passage in the mine. The judge tripled the penalty proposed by MSHA, requiring the operator to pay $6,000 for the violations.[3]

Articles and resources

Related GEM.wiki articles

To see a listing of coal mines in a particular state, click on the map:

Category:Existing coal mines in AlabamaCategory:Existing coal mines in AlaskaCategory:Existing coal mines in ArizonaCategory:Existing coal mines in ArkansasCategory:Existing coal mines in CaliforniaCategory:Existing coal mines in ColoradoCategory:Existing coal mines in ConnecticutCategory:Existing coal mines in DelawareCategory:Existing coal mines in FloridaCategory:Existing coal mines in GeorgiaCategory:Existing coal mines in HawaiiCategory:Existing coal mines in IdahoCategory:Existing coal mines in IllinoisCategory:Existing coal mines in IndianaCategory:Existing coal mines in IowaCategory:Existing coal mines in KansasCategory:Existing coal mines in KentuckyCategory:Existing coal mines in LouisianaCategory:Existing coal mines in MaineCategory:Existing coal mines in MarylandCategory:Existing coal mines in MassachusettsCategory:Existing coal mines in MichiganCategory:Existing coal mines in MinnesotaCategory:Existing coal mines in MississippiCategory:Existing coal mines in MissouriCategory:Existing coal mines in MontanaCategory:Existing coal mines in NebraskaCategory:Existing coal mines in NevadaCategory:Existing coal mines in New HampshireCategory:Existing coal mines in New JerseyCategory:Existing coal mines in New MexicoCategory:Existing coal mines in New YorkCategory:Existing coal mines in North CarolinaCategory:Existing coal mines in North DakotaCategory:Existing coal mines in OhioCategory:Existing coal mines in OklahomaCategory:Existing coal mines in OregonCategory:Existing coal mines in PennsylvaniaCategory:Existing coal mines in Rhode IslandCategory:Existing coal mines in South CarolinaCategory:Existing coal mines in South DakotaCategory:Existing coal mines in TennesseeCategory:Existing coal mines in TexasCategory:Existing coal mines in UtahCategory:Existing coal mines in VermontCategory:Existing coal mines in VirginiaCategory:Existing coal mines in Washington StateCategory:Existing coal mines in West VirginiaCategory:Existing coal mines in WisconsinCategory:Existing coal mines in WyomingCategory:Existing coal mines in DelawareCategory:Existing coal mines in MarylandCategory:Existing coal mines in New HampshireCategory:Existing coal mines in New JerseyCategory:Existing coal mines in MassachusettsCategory:Existing coal mines in ConnecticutCategory:Existing coal mines in West VirginiaCategory:Existing coal mines in VermontCategory:Existing coal mines in Rhode IslandMap of USA with state names.png
About this image

References

External links