The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced that federal inspectors issued 163 citations and five orders during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and seven metal and nonmetal mines in December 2015.
MSHA conducted special impact inspections at mines in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
MSHA issued 95 citations and five orders at metal/nonmetal plants in December, including inspections at a Graymont lime plant, a Lafarge plant, an Ash Grove quarry and a Cementos Portland Valderrivas cement plant.
Monthly impact inspections began in force in April 2010 at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to their poor compliance history or particular compliance concerns. Since then, MSHA inspectors have conducted 1,081 impact inspections and issued 15,695 citations, 1,299 orders and 57 safeguards.