Fatal Incident Reported at West Virginia Mine with History of Safety Violations

A coal miner with more than four decades of experience was fatally injured Thursday morning at the Lower War Eagle mine in Wyoming County, West Virginia, according to state officials. The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training identified the victim as 63-year-old Robert Martin White Jr. of Mingo County. Governor Patrick Morrisey’s office confirmed that state agencies responded immediately to the site in the Cyclone area and have launched a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.

The Lower War Eagle mine is controlled by Coronado Global Resources Inc. and operated by its subsidiary, Greenbrier Minerals LLC. According to records from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the facility has a documented history of regulatory non-compliance. Since the beginning of 2019, Greenbrier Minerals LLC has been assessed 1,635 violations for the Lower War Eagle mine. Of these citations, MSHA designated 293 as “Significant and Substantial,” a classification used for hazards reasonably likely to result in serious injury or illness.

In 2025 alone, federal regulators have issued 45 “Significant and Substantial” violations to the operator for this specific site. MSHA records indicate these citations included failures to meet federal standards regarding the adequate insulation of power wires, the guarding of exposed machine parts such as chains and gears, and the maintenance of travelways to prevent stumbling hazards. Coronado Global Resources did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the incident or the facility’s safety record.

This fatality marks the sixth mining death in West Virginia in 2025, tying the total from 2021, according to MSHA data. The Lower War Eagle mine has experienced fatal incidents previously. A final report by MSHA concluded that a 2016 incident, which resulted in the death of miner Peter Sprouse, was caused by a safety failure involving a belt drive that had not been de-energized during maintenance. Additionally, a 2017 incident at a nearby facility operated by the same subsidiary resulted in the death of a coal truck driver due to equipment safety failures involving antifreeze treatment on trailers.

Regulatory Oversight and Safety Implications

The recurrence of fatal incidents at facilities with high volumes of “Significant and Substantial” violations raises critical questions regarding the efficacy of current enforcement mechanisms and the operational culture within the extraction industry. While MSHA conducts a mandatory investigation to determine the precise cause of this latest fatality, the pattern of citations suggests systemic challenges in maintaining compliance with federal safety standards. Investigators will likely focus on whether the specific hazards cited earlier in 2025 contributed to the conditions leading to Mr. White’s death, potentially resulting in escalated enforcement actions or revised safety protocols for the region’s mining operations.