Fatality Reports
MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares the following documents to alert the mining community and prevent similar occurrences.
- Fatality Alert - describes the accident and lists best practices that may have prevented it
- Preliminary Report - initial report with brief description
- Final Report - investigative findings, including root causes and enforcement actions
Related Fatality Information
Some deaths on mining property are determined to be unrelated to mining activity and are not included in MSHA’s fatality statistics - See recent “non-chargeable” fatalities:
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc - Greenley Arizona
Mine Controller: Freeport-McMoRan Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Copper Ore NEC
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Ouachita Rock Potable - Polk, Arkansas
Mine Controller: Danny Hansbrough
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Ohio County Mine - Marshall, West Virginia
Mine Controller: ACNR Holdings Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Colmar - Bell, Kentucky
Mine Controller: Thomas R Hamilton
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: 1366 Laurel - Fayette, Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: Arcosa Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Oaktown Fuels Mine No. 1 - Knox, Indiana
Mine Controller: Hallador Energy Company
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Liberty Ranch - Liberty, Texas
Mine Controller: Norvarem S A U
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Sand Common
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Whitestone Mine #4 - Pickens, Georgia
Mine Controller: Imerys S A
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Marble
Accident Classification: Confined Space
Location: Palm Beach Aggragates LLC - Palm Beach, Florida
Mine Controller: PBA Holdings Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: River View Mine - Union, Kentucky
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Brooksville Quarry - Hernando, Florida
Mine Controller: Cemex S A
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: East Coast Mines Ltd - Suffolk, New York
Mine Controller: John B Tintle
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Mountaineer II Mine - Logan, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Arch Resources Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Wegenhoft Plant - La Grange, Texas
Mine Controller: Summit Materials LLC
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Buckingham Mine - Perry, Ohio
Mine Controller: Charles C Ungurean
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Handling Material
Location: Ovyn #1 Pit - Taylor, Wisconsin
Mine Controller: Dennis Ovyn
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Bonito Pit - Valencia, New Mexico
Mine Controller: Robert Caldwell; Dale Armstrong
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Confined Space
Location: Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc - Morenci, Arizona
Mine Controller: Freeport-McMoRan Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Copper Ore NEC
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Butte Gulch - Shoshone, Idaho
Mine Controller: Randy L Rice
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Gold
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Star Bridge Preparation Plant-Rail Load - Mill Creek, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Metinvest B V
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Marfork Processing - Raleigh, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Chargeback Date: 8/4/2021
On August 4, 2021, a miner was injured in a slip or fall of person accident at Marfork Processing, Marfork Coal Company, LLC. The miner died on August 8, 2021. Because of the circumstances surrounding the accident, MSHA referred the accident to the Agency’s Chargeability Review Committee (Committee). On August 23, 2023, the Committee determined that the death should be chargeable to the mining industry.
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Bridgeport Stone Plant - Wise, Texas
Mine Controller: Martin Marietta Materials Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Inundation
Location: Gentry Mine #3 - Emery, Utah
Mine Controller: Patrick Peterson
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Boyd/Echols Mill North - Elbert, Georgia
Mine Controller: David W Dye; Randy K Smith
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Dimension Stone NEC
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Hercules Cement LP - Northmpton Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: Buzzi Unicem S P A
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Black Thunder - Campbell, Wyoming
Mine Controller: Arch Resources Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Immel Mine - Knox, Tennessee
Mine Controller: Nyrstar NV
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Zinc
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Stillwater Mine - Stillwater, Montana
Mine Controller: Sibanye Stillwater Limited
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Platinum Group Ore
Accident Classification: Handling Material
Location: Plant #10 - Crosby, Texas
Mine Controller: Brian T Etchison; Ralph E Janes IV
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Horse Creek Eagle - Raleigh, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)