Over the month of September, federal inspectors visited a total of nine coal operations and one metal/nonmetal operation across all US coalfields.

As a result, 130 citations and 13 orders were issued.

Among the most alarming, MSHA said, was its September 17 visit to Red River Coal’s No. 1 prep plant in Wise County, Virginia during the evening shift.

As a result of its review of the preparation plant and load-out facility, it issued 25 104(a) citations and 13 104(d)(2) orders.

It was the first impact inspection of the mine.

Among the federal citations received: a failure to conduct adequate on-shift examinations and to record, report and correct hazardous conditions.

Also, MSHA inspectors cited numerous hazardous conditions that should have been identified, recorded and corrected by mine officials and crews.

“The violations pointed to management’s inattention to safety precautions and lack of maintenance at the preparation plant and load-out facility,” the agency said as it detailed what it witnessed.

“The area within 25 feet of a utility pole and the area surrounding a 200-gallon bulk diesel storage tank in the raw coal dump area were not kept free of combustible materials, posing a fire risk.

“Fire extinguishers in the raw coal dump were not examined within the last six months.

“Guarding on a conveyor was not secured and exposed personnel to moving machine parts that could result in serious bodily injury, amputations or death.”

MSHA inspectors also discovered a metal walkway at the facility with holes through which a miner could fall into a coal stockpile and the escapeway for the clean coal tunnel was not maintained.

A 72-inch section of the escapeway bottom and a 43-inch section on the escapeway floor were rusted through with sharp edges and refuse materials and washed coal were allowed to accumulate up to 3 inches deep and 14ft wide along the entire width of the walkway behind the transfer belt.

While MSHA did not indicate if it stopped operations, it did say the load-out facility’s risk of fire and coal dust explosions caused it great concern.

“Inspectors found thick coatings of coal dust accumulated all around the inside of the load-out tunnel escapeway and the ventilation pipe connecting the escapeway and the load-out tunnel,” inspectors said.

“The top clean coal load-out reclaim tunnel had coal accumulations up to three inches deep underneath and along the backside of the belt and one inch deep around the tail drive roller guards and on the belt structure.”

The agency’s special impact inspections began in April 2010 following an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia in which 29 workers were killed.

The push involved mines that warranted increased attention and enforcement by the agency due to a poor compliance history or particular compliance concerns.

These included high numbers of violations or closure orders; indications of operator tactics, such as advance notification of inspections that prevented inspectors from observing violations; frequent hazard complaints or hotline calls; plan compliance issues; inadequate workplace examinations; a high number of accidents, injuries or illnesses; fatalities; and adverse conditions such as increased methane liberation, faulty roof conditions and inadequate ventilation.

Since April 2010, MSHA has conducted 666 impact inspections and issued 11,133 citations, 1031 orders and 46 safeguards.