Data / Mines / Illinois / Coal mines
Coal mines in Illinois: 26 open mines and MSHA citations
MSHA lists 26 open coal mines in Illinois, run by 20 operators and employing 1,868 people. Since January 1, 2022 its inspectors issued 8,957 citations and orders there with $9,566,531 in proposed penalties, and operators reported 870 injury or illness cases, 2 of them fatal. The operators with the most open mines are Knight Hawk Coal LLC; Hamilton County Coal, LLC; Responsible Energy Operations. Data from MSHA, November 6, 2026.
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- Open mines
- 26
- Operators
- 20
- Employees
- 1,868
- Active
- 16
- NonProducing
- 6
- New Mine
- 3
- Temporarily Idled
- 1
- Citations and orders since January 1, 2022
- 8,957
- Significant and substantial
- 1,871 (20.9%)
- Closure orders
- 159
- High negligence or reckless
- 481
- Proposed penalties
- $9,566,531
- Amount paid so far
- $5,745,055
- Inspections
- 2,578
- Inspector hours on site
- 96,253
- Citations per inspection
- 3.47 (all mines 2.30)
- Accident reports
- 978
- Injury and illness cases
- 870
- Fatalities
- 2
- Latest MSHA record
- November 5, 2026
Operators with the most open mines in Illinois
Ranked by open mines, then by citations. Sole proprietors and individuals are not listed.
| Operator | Open mines | Employees | Citations since 2022 | Proposed penalties | Injury cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight Hawk Coal LLC | 5 | 321 | 1,839 | $1,446,528 | 115 |
| Hamilton County Coal, LLC | 2 | 374 | 925 | $536,422 | 106 |
| Responsible Energy Operations | 2 | 34 | 67 | $36,996 | 8 |
| M-Class Mining LLC | 1 | 197 | 1,353 | $1,416,260 | 108 |
| Peabody Gateway North Mining, LLC | 1 | 185 | 1,345 | $1,504,818 | 56 |
| Prairie State Generating Company LLC | 1 | 293 | 1,253 | $1,182,815 | 130 |
| Mach Mining LLC | 1 | 231 | 1,247 | $1,383,038 | 206 |
| Patton Mining LLC | 1 | 167 | 583 | $1,627,807 | 122 |
| ICG-Illinois, LLC | 1 | 2 | 297 | $416,760 | 12 |
| Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC | 1 | 31 | 22 | $3,979 | 3 |
| BC Recovery, LLC | 1 | 1 | 13 | $1,911 | 0 |
| Big Ridge, Inc. | 1 | 1 | 4 | $1,645 | 0 |
| MaRyan Mining LLC | 1 | 2 | 4 | $6,583 | 0 |
| Watco Trans Loading LLC | 1 | 25 | 4 | $793 | 1 |
| Illinois Land Resources, Inc. | 1 | 2 | 1 | $177 | 3 |
| Akin Energy LLC | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| Cheyenne Resources, Inc. | 1 | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| Coulterville Coal Company LLC | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| North Canton LLC | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| White County Coal, LLC | 1 | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
Operators with the most citations in Illinois
Citations and orders issued since January 1, 2022 at their open mines here.
| Operator | Open mines | Employees | Citations since 2022 | Proposed penalties | Injury cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight Hawk Coal LLC | 5 | 321 | 1,839 | $1,446,528 | 115 |
| M-Class Mining LLC | 1 | 197 | 1,353 | $1,416,260 | 108 |
| Peabody Gateway North Mining, LLC | 1 | 185 | 1,345 | $1,504,818 | 56 |
| Prairie State Generating Company LLC | 1 | 293 | 1,253 | $1,182,815 | 130 |
| Mach Mining LLC | 1 | 231 | 1,247 | $1,383,038 | 206 |
| Hamilton County Coal, LLC | 2 | 374 | 925 | $536,422 | 106 |
| Patton Mining LLC | 1 | 167 | 583 | $1,627,807 | 122 |
| ICG-Illinois, LLC | 1 | 2 | 297 | $416,760 | 12 |
| Responsible Energy Operations | 2 | 34 | 67 | $36,996 | 8 |
| Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC | 1 | 31 | 22 | $3,979 | 3 |
| BC Recovery, LLC | 1 | 1 | 13 | $1,911 | 0 |
| Big Ridge, Inc. | 1 | 1 | 4 | $1,645 | 0 |
| MaRyan Mining LLC | 1 | 2 | 4 | $6,583 | 0 |
| Watco Trans Loading LLC | 1 | 25 | 4 | $793 | 1 |
| Illinois Land Resources, Inc. | 1 | 2 | 1 | $177 | 3 |
| Akin Energy LLC | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| Cheyenne Resources, Inc. | 1 | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| Coulterville Coal Company LLC | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| North Canton LLC | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| White County Coal, LLC | 1 | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
Mines with the most citations
Open mines, ranked by citations and orders since January 1, 2022.
| Mine | Operator | County | Main commodity | Employees | Citations since 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Eagle-Underground | Knight Hawk Coal LLC | Perry County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 290 | 1,762 |
| MC#1 Mine | M-Class Mining LLC | Franklin County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 197 | 1,353 |
| Gateway North Mine | Peabody Gateway North Mining, LLC | Randolph County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 185 | 1,345 |
| Lively Grove Mine | Prairie State Generating Company LLC | Washington County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 293 | 1,253 |
| Mach #1 Mine | Mach Mining LLC | Williamson County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 231 | 1,247 |
| Mine No. 1 | Hamilton County Coal, LLC | Hamilton County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 334 | 911 |
| Deer Run Mine | Patton Mining LLC | Montgomery County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 167 | 583 |
| Viper Mine | ICG-Illinois, LLC | Sangamon County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 2 | 297 |
| Friendsville Mine | Responsible Energy Operations | Wabash County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 30 | 61 |
| Prairie Eagle | Knight Hawk Coal LLC | Perry County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 27 | 49 |
| Preparation Plant | Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC | Randolph County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 31 | 22 |
| Hawkeye Mine | Knight Hawk Coal LLC | Randolph County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 1 | 16 |
| Hamilton County Coal Processing | Hamilton County Coal, LLC | Hamilton County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 40 | 14 |
| BCR Mine #1 | BC Recovery, LLC | Perry County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 1 | 13 |
| Red Hawk | Knight Hawk Coal LLC | Perry County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 1 | 9 |
| Friendsville Prep Plant | Responsible Energy Operations | Wabash County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 4 | 6 |
| Watco Transloading/ Cahokia Terminals | Watco Trans Loading LLC | St Clair County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 25 | 4 |
| Shay #1 Mine | MaRyan Mining LLC | Macoupin County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 2 | 4 |
| Willow Lake Central Preparation Plant | Big Ridge, Inc. | Saline County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 1 | 4 |
| Black Hawk | Knight Hawk Coal LLC | Randolph County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 2 | 3 |
| New Era Mine | Illinois Land Resources, Inc. | Saline County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 2 | 1 |
| Cheyenne Saline Co. #1 | Cheyenne Resources, Inc. | Gallatin County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 1 | 0 |
| Pattiki | White County Coal, LLC | White County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 1 | 0 |
| Mine #11 | Coulterville Coal Company LLC | Christian County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 0 | 0 |
| North Canton Mine | North Canton LLC | Fulton County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 0 | 0 |
| Akin Mine | Akin Energy LLC | Franklin County, IL | Coal (bituminous) | 0 | 0 |
Citations and injury cases by year
Calendar years since 2022; 2026 runs to the date of the MSHA files.
| Year | Citations and orders | Significant and substantial | Proposed penalties | Injury and illness cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,609 | 372 | $1,691,364 | 177 |
| 2023 | 1,816 | 377 | $2,448,269 | 181 |
| 2024 | 2,014 | 421 | $2,012,365 | 186 |
| 2025 | 1,704 | 336 | $1,555,182 | 182 |
| 2026 | 1,814 | 365 | $1,859,351 | 144 |
Standards cited most at coal mines in Illinois
Sections of Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations named on the citations, with the part each belongs to.
| Standard | What the part covers | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 30 CFR 75.400 | Underground coal mines, safety | 1,170 |
| 30 CFR 75.503 | Underground coal mines, safety | 670 |
| 30 CFR 75.370 | Underground coal mines, safety | 631 |
| 30 CFR 75.202 | Underground coal mines, safety | 510 |
| 30 CFR 75.220 | Underground coal mines, safety | 471 |
| 30 CFR 75.342 | Underground coal mines, safety | 389 |
| 30 CFR 75.512 | Underground coal mines, safety | 370 |
| 30 CFR 75.1731 | Underground coal mines, safety | 358 |
| 30 CFR 75.1909 | Underground coal mines, safety | 290 |
| 30 CFR 75.333 | Underground coal mines, safety | 289 |
| 30 CFR 75.517 | Underground coal mines, safety | 272 |
| 30 CFR 75.403 | Underground coal mines, safety | 194 |
| 30 CFR 75.1910 | Underground coal mines, safety | 173 |
| 30 CFR 75.604 | Underground coal mines, safety | 158 |
| 30 CFR 75.1107-16 | Underground coal mines, safety | 126 |
Injury and illness cases at coal mines in Illinois
Accident reports by degree of injury, as the operator reported them to MSHA.
| Degree | Cases |
|---|---|
| Fatality | 2 |
| Permanent disability | 13 |
| Days away from work or restricted activity | 589 |
| No lost time, or an occupational illness | 266 |
What the accident reports at coal mines in Illinois describe
Accident classification, as MSHA codes the circumstances that contributed most directly.
| Classification | Reports |
|---|---|
| Handling of materials | 316 |
| Slip or fall of person | 134 |
| Fall of roof or back | 107 |
| Machinery | 96 |
| Handtools (nonpowered) | 84 |
| Disorders (repeated trauma) | 69 |
| Powered haulage | 64 |
| Other | 20 |
| Fire | 19 |
| Striking or bumping | 16 |
Equipment named in accident reports at coal mines in Illinois
| Equipment | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hand tools (not powered) | 88 |
| Rock or roof bolting machine | 81 |
| Load-haul-dump | 32 |
| Shuttle car | 16 |
| Elevator | 13 |
| Continuous miner | 13 |
| Mancar | 11 |
| Bulldozer | 10 |
| Ore haulage trucks - off highway trucks | 6 |
| Front-end loader | 6 |
Updated November 6, 2026. Read from US Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Open Government Data Sets. US government work, public domain. Counts come from the MSHA files published on November 6, 2026. An open mine is one MSHA lists as Active, Intermittent, New Mine, Temporarily Idled or NonProducing; 13,673 were open that day. Citations, penalties, inspections and accident reports run from January 1, 2022. A citation is an inspector's allegation and an operator can contest it; the penalty is the amount MSHA first proposed, before any contest or settlement. An operator is the legal entity MSHA assesses, and a parent company is its controller. Mines run by sole proprietors or by individuals are counted in every total and are not named. This page uses MSHA data and is not endorsed or certified by MSHA. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0. Spot a wrong value? Write to [email protected] with the link to this page.