MSHA Levies Two Large Fines for Safety Lapses

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has proposed large fines against mining companies based in Perry County, Ky., and St. Louis for workplace safety violations, as follows:

• $220,000 fine against Perry County Coal Corp. following a serious electrical accident in February 2007 at its E4-1 Mine in Hazard, Ky. A miner received electrical burns while attempting to reinstall a high-voltage box.

• $163,000 fine against St. Louis-based Doe Run Co. following a fatal accident in April 2007 at its Brushy Creek Mine and Mill in Bunker, Mo. A truck driver was killed when the haul truck he was driving left the road and overturned at the lead-zinc mine.