EX-95.1 6 d398535dex951.htm EX-95.1 EX-95.1

Exhibit 95.1

SunCoke Energy, Inc.

Mine Safety Disclosures for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2012

We are committed to maintaining a safe work environment and working to ensure environmental compliance across all of our operations. The health and safety of our employees and limiting the impact to communities in which we operate are critical to our long-term success. We believe that we employ industry best practices and conduct routine training programs equal to or greater than current regulatory requirements. We also focus additional effort and resources each day and each shift to help ensure that our employees are focused on safety. Furthermore, we employ a structured safety and environmental process that provides a robust framework for managing, monitoring and improving safety and environmental performance.

We have consistently operated our metallurgical coke operations within or near the top quartile for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s recordable injury rates as measured and reported by the American Coke and Coal Chemicals Institute. We also have worked to maintain low injury rates reportable to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”) and won the Sentinels of Safety award for 2008 from MSHA for having the mine with the most employee hours worked without experiencing a lost-time injury in that mine’s category.

The following table presents the information concerning mine safety violations and other regulatory matters that we are required to report in accordance with Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Whenever MSHA believes that a violation of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (the “Mine Act”), any health or safety standard, or any regulation has occurred, it may issue a citation which describes the violation and fixes a time within which the operator must abate the violation. In these situations, MSHA typically proposes a civil penalty, or fine, that the operator is ordered to pay. In evaluating the following table regarding mine safety, investors should take into account factors such as: (1) the number of citations and orders will vary depending on the size of a coal mine, (2) the number of citations issued will vary from inspector to inspector, mine to mine and MSHA district to district and (3) citations and orders can be contested and appealed, and during that process are often reduced in severity and amount, and are sometimes dismissed.

The mine data retrieval system maintained by MSHA may show information that is different than what is provided in the table below. Any such difference may be attributed to the need to update that information on MSHA’s system or other factors. Orders and citations issued to independent contractors who work at our mine sites are not reported in the table below. All section references in the table below refer to provisions of the Mine Act.

 

Mine or Operating

Name/MSHA

Identification

Number(1)

   Section
104 S&S
Citations
(#)(2)		     Section
104(b)
Orders
(#)(3)		     Section
104(d)
Citations
and
Orders
(#)(4)		     Section
110(b)(2)
Violations
(#)(5)		     Section
107(a)
Orders
(#)(6)		     Total Dollar
Value of
MSHA
Assessments
Proposed ($)(7)		     Total
Number  of
Mining
Related
Fatalities
(#)		     Received
Notice of
Pattern of
Violations
Under
Section
104(e)
(yes/no)(8)		     Received
Notice of
Potential
to Have
Pattern
Under
Section
104(e)
(yes/no)(9)
     Legal
Actions
Pending
as of
Last
Day of
Period
(#)(10)(11)		     Legal
Actions
Initiated
During
Period
(#)(12)		     Legal
Actions
Resolved
During
Period
(#)(13)		  

4407220/Dominion 44

     45        —          —          —          —        $ 10,308.00        —          No        No        53        17        8   

4406839/Dominion 34

     5        —          —          —          —        $ 3,188.00        —          No        No        21        7        2   

4406748/Dominion 30

     17        —          —          —          —        $ 13,436.00        —          No        No        104        21        2   

4406718/Dominion 26

     16        —          —          —          —        $ 8,135.00        —          No        No        30        1        —     

4406499/Dominion 7

     7        —          —          —          —        $ 6,071.00        —          No        No        133        13        7   

4406759/Dominion 36

     28        —          —          —          —        $ 46,989.00        —          No        No        291        54        —     

4400649/Preparation Plant 2

     16        —          —          —          —        $ 1,936.00        —          No        No        —          —          —     

4407058/Heavy Equipment Shop

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          No        No        —          —          —     

4406716/Central Shop

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          No        No        —          —          —     

4407239/Flat Rock

     6        —          —          —          —        $ 1,056.00        —          No        No        —          —          —     

4407142/Flat Rock Preparation Plant

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          No        No        —          —          —     

4404296/Gardner

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          No        No        —          —          —     

4407080/Pine Creek

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          No        No        —          —          —     

4406860/Raven

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          No        No        —          —          —     

Total

     140        —          —          —          —        $ 91,119.00        —          —          —          632        113        19   

 

(1) The table does not include the following: (i) facilities which have been idle or closed unless they received a citation or order issued by MSHA, (ii) permitted mining sites where we have not begun operations or (iii) mines that are operated on our behalf by contractors who hold the MSHA numbers and have the MSHA liabilities.
(2) Alleged violations of mandatory health or safety standards that could significantly and substantially contribute to the cause and effect of a coal or other mine safety or health hazard.

 

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(3) Alleged failures to totally abate a citation within the period of time specified in the citation.
(4) Alleged unwarrantable failure (i.e., aggravated conduct constituting more than ordinary negligence) to comply with a mining safety standard or regulation.
(5) Alleged flagrant violations issued.
(6) Alleged conditions or practices which could reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm before such condition or practice can be abated.
(7) Amounts shown include assessments proposed during the quarter ended September 30, 2012 and do not necessarily relate to the citations or orders reflected in this table. Assessments for citations or orders reflected in this table may be proposed by MSHA after September 30, 2012.
(8) Alleged pattern of violations of mandatory health or safety standards that are of such nature as could have significantly and substantially contributed to the cause and effect of coal or other mine health or safety hazards.
(9) Alleged potential to have a pattern of violations of mandatory health or safety standards that are of such nature as could have significantly and substantially contributed to the cause and effect of coal or other mine health or safety hazards.
(10) This number reflects legal proceedings which remain pending before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (the “FMSHRC”) as of September 30, 2012. The pending legal actions may relate to the citations or orders issued by MSHA during the reporting period or to citations or orders issued in prior periods. The FMSHRC has jurisdiction to hear not only challenges to citations, orders, and penalties but also certain complaints by miners. The number of “pending legal actions” reported here reflects the number of contested citations, orders, penalties or complaints which remain pending as of September 30, 2012.
(11) The legal proceedings which remain pending before the FMSHRC as of September 30, 2012 are categorized as follows in accordance with the categories established in the Procedural Rules of the FMSHRC:

 

Mine or Operating Name/MSHA

Identification Number

    Contests of
Citations  and
Orders
(#)		      Contests of
Proposed
Penalties
(#)		      Complaints  for
Compensation
(#)		      Complaints  for
Discharge,
Discrimination  or
Interference
Under Section
105
(#)		      Applications  for
Temporary
Relief
(#)		      Appeals  of
Judges’
Decisions  or
Orders
(#)		  

4407220/Dominion 44

      9         50         —           —           —           —     

4406839/Dominion 34

      2         21         —           —           —           —     

4406748/Dominion 30

      4         101         —           —           —           —     

4406718/Dominion 26

      —           30         —           —           —           —     

4406499/Dominion 7

      4         133         —           —           —           —     

4406759/Dominion 36

      28         289         —           —           —           —     

4400649/Preparation Plant 2

      —           —           —           —           —           —     

4407058/Heavy Equipment Shop

      —           —           —           —           —           —     

4406716/Central Shop

      —           —           —           —           —           —     

4407239/Flat Rock

      —           —           —           —           —           —     

4407142/Flat Rock Preparation Plant

      —           —           —           —           —           —     

4404296/Gardner

      —           —           —           —           —           —     

4407080/Pine Creek

      —           —           —           —           —           —     

4406860/Raven

      —           —           —           —           —           —     

Total

      47         624         —           —           —           —     

 

(12) This number reflects legal proceedings initiated before the FMSHRC during the quarter ended September 30, 2012. The number of “initiated legal actions” reported here may not have remained pending as of September 30, 2012.
(13) This number reflects legal proceedings before the FMSHRC that were resolved during the quarter ended September 30, 2012.

 

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