Meadows Stone Settles Past MSHA Debt Through Garnishment

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced in a press release that the Northern District of West Virginia had collected $116,183 in delinquent civil penalties from a West Virginia quarry.

The delinquent penalties were from MSHA inspections dating back to 2007 at Meadows Stone & Paving’s quarry located in Gassaway, W.Va.

A complaint was initially filed in U.S. District Court for Northern West Virginia on Aug. 2, 2012. At that time, the company had $75,211 in original civil penalties, and an additional $29, 359 in interest, additional penalties, and administrative fees.

Some of the penalties Meadow’s Stone had agreed to settle with the Solicitor’s Office, but then never paid, and others the company failed to contest.

According to MSHA records, Meadows Stone still owes $2,448 in delinquent penalties from 2005, which were not part of this case, and more recent, albeit smaller penalties of $100 from 2011 and 2012.

The company, controlled by Charles K. Meadows, still has proposed penalties against it totaling $321,226 from inspections in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Many of the penalties have been contested or are still listed as “proposed” on the MSHA DRS.

The most serious violations are complaints of fly rock on adjacent properties. According to an MSHA citation, there were fly rocks on adjacent properties to the mine, and a blasting shelter was not provided. MSHA said this was the fourth blasting citation for the same condition in a one year period. MSHA also cited the blasting company, Beckley Drilling and Blasting Services.

U.S. v. Meadows Stone & Paving Inc., 10/30/2013, US District Court, Northern West Va., No. 2:12-CV-56.

Related posts