The review, released late last week, said both the inspection percentage and the compliance performance – which was just 70% last year – were improvements over the previous year.

At one time, Kentucky’s inspection percentage was 98%.

Officials said compliance levels were at the lowest levels in 20 years.

Natural Resources commissioner Steve Hohmann told the Lexington Herald-Leader the inspection frequency had been on the uptick because of Kentucky’s “concentrated emphasis” on logging more inspections.

In fact, statewide the frequency improved to 99% in the most recent full quarter, he said.

Of course, the danger of missing inspections was not catching the hazards and violations that could endanger both the safety of workers as well as the environment, agency executive director Tom FitzGerald told the paper.

“There are public-safety issues [and] environmental quality issues,” he said.

The OSMRE’s just-released report covers July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.

Under regulations, officials said, Kentucky had to complete one full and two partial inspections each quarter at each active mine and one full inspection on each inactive and abandoned mine.

OSMRE data shows the state performs more than 22,000 inspections each year on more than 1800 permits.

The agency told the Herald-Leader it began the 2012 fiscal year with 180 employees but a budget cut dropped that to 175.

More budget cuts by state Governor Steve Beshear for the 2012-13 year will further reduce its staff to 167.

Kentucky has been one of the hardest-hit states from an wave of production and crew cutbacks stemming from a waning economy that has left many mines across the country with amended work schedules, lower production goals and, in some cases, complete closures.