According to the US Mine Safety and Health Administration in a statement Thursday, it has assessed Kingwood Mining's Whitetail Kittanning mine, located in Preston County, for “repeated violations” that were noted over a year. All five fell under the agency’s flagrant violation provisions of federal law.

“The result of coal dust accumulating underground could have been a catastrophic fire or explosion," said MSHA head Richard Stickler.

“It is especially troublesome that the mine operator failed to take any corrective action, despite its own records and prior notice from MSHA that clearly indicated the need for corrective actions to protect the safety of miners."

MSHA noted that prior to inspections at the mine on February 13 and April 15 of this year, it met with the operation’s management to discuss compliance issues, including those for accumulations along energised beltline.

“During both inspections, MSHA's inspector found that the belt and/or rollers had been turning in the accumulations, producing dangerous frictional heat and suspending additional combustible coal dust in the atmosphere,” federal officials said.

“Because the company failed to address the issue, despite notice of the hazard which was also documented in their own pre-shift examination reports, the MSHA inspector cited high negligence unwarrantable failure violations.”

Additionally, on a February 27 visit this year, an inspector found coal, coal dust accumulations and empty rock dust bags in contact with the belt’s moving rollers, which the agency pointed out would produce frictional heat. It issued another high negligence unwarrantable failure order at that time.

In total, MSHA said, Whitetail Kittanning received 13 unwarrantable failure violations between May 1 of last year and April 15 of this year. All of those were related to combustible material accumulation.