Quecreek 1 Mine

Quecreek #1 Mine is an underground coal mining operation in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, owned by Citicorp Venture Capital.

Mine Data

 * MSHA ID:	3608746
 * Operator:	Black Wolf Coal Company
 * Controller:	Citicorp Venture Capital Ltd
 * Union:
 * County:	Somerset
 * State:	PA
 * Latitude:	40.09
 * Longitude:	-79.08
 * 2007 Production (short tons):	546,826
 * Coal Type:	Bituminous
 * Mining Method:	Underground
 * Mine Status:	Active
 * Average No. of Employees:	 101

Judge upholds fine for mine flooding
In April 2011, an administrative law judge at the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission upheld a $55,000 fine for a disaster at the mine in July 2002. The ruling concerned the fine related to a citation issued to PBS Coals, a contractor at the mine, for its use of an inaccurate and outdated mine map, a move that led to Quecreek workers mining into an adjacent abandoned mine that was filled with water. Their active mine flooded, and nine Quecreek workers were trapped underground for three days. As Judge Lesnick discussed in the ruling, a similar citation issued to an engineering firm that did the mapping was thrown out by the commission (which had previously overturned Lesnick’s imposition of the $55,000 fine for PBS Coals). The mine operator, Black Wolf Mining, previously paid a $4,100 fine.

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