EX-99.8 9 usas40fex99-8.htm MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021

Exhibit 99.8

 

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

 

The following table sets out the information concerning mine safety violations or other regulatory matters required by Section 1503(a) of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act for the period January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 covered by this report:

 

Mine 

Section 

104(a) 

S&S 

Citations1 

(#) 

Section 

104(b) 

Orders2 

(#) 

Section 

104(d) 

Citations 

and 

Orders3 

(#) 

Section 

110(b)(2) 

Violations

(#) 

Section 

107(a) 

Orders5 

(#) 

Total 

Dollar 

Value of 

MSHA 

Assess- 

ments 

Proposed6 

($) 

Total 

Number 

of 

Mining 

Related 

Fatalities 

(#) 

Received 

Notice of 

Pattern of 

Violations 

or 

Potential 

Thereof 

Under 

Section 

104(e)7 

(yes/no)

Legal 

Actions 

Pending 

as of 

Last 

Day of 

Period8 

(#) 

Legal 

Actions 

Initiated 

During 

Period 

(#) 

Legal 

Actions 

Resolved 

During 

Period 

(#) 

Galena 6 0 0 0 0 12,919 0 No 0 1 1

Relief

Canyon

Mine

2 0 0 0 0 $2,018.00 0 0 0 0 0

 

  1. Citations and Orders are issued under Section 104 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 814) (the “Act”) for violations of the Act or any mandatory health or safety standard, rule, order or regulation promulgated under the Act. A Section 104(a) “Significant and Substantial” or “S&S” citation is considered more severe than a non-S&S citation and generally is issued in a situation where the conditions created by the violation do not cause imminent danger, but the violation is of such a nature as could significantly and substantially contribute to the cause and effect of a mine safety or health hazard. It should be noted that, for purposes of this table, S&S citations that are included in another column, such as Section 104(d) citations, are not also included as Section 104(a) S&S citations in this column.
     
  2. A Section 104(b) withdrawal order is issued if, upon a follow up inspection, an MSHA inspector finds that a violation has not been abated within the period of time as originally fixed in the violation and determines that the period of time for the abatement should not be extended. Under a withdrawal order, all persons, other than those required to abate the violation and certain others, are required to be withdrawn from and prohibited from entering the affected area of the mine until the inspector determines that the violation has been abated.
     
  3. A citation is issued under Section 104(d) where there is an S&S violation and the inspector finds the violation to be caused by an unwarrantable failure of the operator to comply with a mandatory health or safety standard. Unwarrantable failure is a special negligence finding that is made by an MSHA inspector and that focuses on the operator’s conduct. If during the same inspection or any subsequent inspection of the mine within 90 days after issuance of the citation, the MSHA inspector finds another violation caused by an unwarrantable failure of the operator to comply, a withdrawal order is issued, under which all persons, other than those required to abate the violation and certain others, are required to be withdrawn from and prohibited from entering the affected area until the inspector determines that the violation has been abated.
     
  4. A flagrant violation under Section 110(b)(2) is a violation that results from a reckless or repeated failure to make reasonable efforts to eliminate a known violation of a mandatory health or safety standard that substantially and proximately caused, or reasonable could have been expected to cause, death or serious bodily injury.

 

  5. An imminent danger order under Section 107(a) is issued when an MSHA inspector finds that an imminent danger exists in a mine. An imminent danger is the existence of any condition or practice which could reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm before such condition or practice can be abated. Under an imminent danger order, all persons, other than those required to abate the condition or practice and certain others, are required to be withdrawn from

 

 

 

 

and are prohibited from entering the affected area until the inspector determines that such imminent danger and the conditions or practices which caused the imminent danger no longer exist.

 

  6. These dollar amounts include the total amount of all proposed assessments from MSHA under the Act relating to any type of violation during the period, including proposed assessments for non-S&S citations that are not specifically identified in this exhibit, regardless of whether the Company has challenged or appealed the assessment.
     
  7. A Notice is given under Section 104(e) if an operator has a pattern of S&S violations. If upon any inspection of the mine within 90 days after issuance of the notice, or at any time after a withdrawal notice has been given under Section 104(e), an MSHA inspector finds another S&S violation, an order is issued, under which all persons, other than those required to abate the violation and certain others, are required to be withdrawn from and prohibited from entering the affected area until the inspector determines that the violation has been abated.
     
  8. There were no legal actions pending before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission as of the last day of the period covered by this report. In addition, there were no pending actions that are (a) contests of citations and orders referenced in Subpart B of 29 CFR Part 2700, (b) complaints for compensation referenced in subpart D of 29 CFR Part 2700; (c) complaints of discharge, discrimination or interference referenced in Subpart E of 29 CFR Part 2700; (d) applications for temporary relief referenced in Subpart F of 29 CFR Part 2700; or (e) appeals of judges’ decisions or orders to the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission referenced in Subpart H of 29 CFR Part 2700.