A former coal dust examiner employed by Kentucky's Black Diamond Coal Company has been handed a six-month prison term for manipulating dust samples and misleading federal authorities. The company itself has been given two years' probation for submitting these falsified samples to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
Regulations mandate that miners wear coal dust sampling equipment while working underground. However, Black Diamond Coal Company circumvented this requirement by taking measurements from a monitor situated above ground in a first aid trailer, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
MSHA inspectors discovered the improperly placed monitor during an on-site visit to Black Diamond's No. 1 mine on October 8, 2020. They also noted that the submitted dust sampling levels were suspiciously low. Inhaling coal dust can lead to pneumoconiosis, commonly known as black lung disease, making dust level control a critical safety measure in mining operations.
45-year-old Walter Perkins, who was trained to accurately monitor dust levels, falsely claimed to investigators that the monitor was malfunctioning. Following his six-month prison sentence, Perkins will face an additional six months of home confinement.
In addition to a $200,000 fine, Black Diamond Coal Company has been ordered to provide $400 in restitution to any former employee no longer in the mining industry to facilitate medical screenings for black lung disease.
