Public paper · October 13, 2026 · Mining desk
MSHA Investigating October 8 Powered-Haulage Death at the Speed Mine, an Underground Coal Mine in Cabin Creek, West Virginia
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration lists an October 8, 2026 mining death at about 8:05 p.m. at the Speed Mine, an underground bituminous coal mine in Cabin Creek, Kanawha County, West Virginia, and classifies it as a powered-haulage accident — the category MSHA says caused 13 of the nation's 33 mining deaths in 2025; federal and state investigations are underway.
noticenearby.com/papers/msha-speed-mine-cabin-creek-wv-powered-haulage-fatality-oct-8.pdf
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has posted a fatality report for a miner who died on October 8, 2026 at the Speed Mine in Cabin Creek, West Virginia, in Kanawha County. MSHA lists the incident time as 8:05 p.m. and classifies it as a powered haulage accident.
MSHA had not posted a preliminary report or fatality alert with a description of what happened as of early Tuesday, October 13. Its investigation is ongoing. The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training is also investigating, according to Gov. Patrick Morrisey's statement as reported by WV News.
What MSHA has posted
- Date and time: October 8, 2026, 8:05 p.m.
- Mine: Speed Mine, Cabin Creek, West Virginia.
- Mine type: underground.
- Mined material: bituminous coal.
- Accident classification: powered haulage.
- Mine controller listed by MSHA: Sev.en Global Investments a.s.
Gov. Morrisey's statement, as quoted by WV News, referred to the site as the American Eagle Mine. MSHA's report lists it as the Speed Mine. Notice Nearby is using MSHA's name for the mine and is not naming the miner.
What "powered haulage" means
Powered haulage covers accidents involving mobile mining equipment and conveyors, such as shuttle cars, locomotives, front-end loaders and belt conveyors. On its powered-haulage safety page, MSHA says that in 2025 these accidents caused 13 of the nation's 33 mining fatalities (39%) and 426 of 4,792 nonfatal injuries (9%).
MSHA's best practices for this hazard include:
- Traffic controls, training and avoiding distractions around mobile equipment, plus collision warning and avoidance systems.
- Seat belts that are provided and worn. MSHA engineers estimate three to four miners' lives could be saved each year this way.
- Conveyor guarding, crossovers and crossunders, and locking out power and blocking motion during maintenance.
What happens next
MSHA typically follows a fatality listing with a preliminary report, then a fatality alert with prevention tips, and later a final report with root causes and any enforcement actions. Those documents are posted at msha.gov under Data and Reports, Fatality Reports.
Source
- U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, "October 8, 2026 Fatality" report page and fatality reports index (msha.gov), viewed October 13, 2026.
- MSHA, "Powered Haulage Safety" initiative page (msha.gov), for 2025 national figures and best practices.
- WV News, "UPDATE: MSHA classifies fatal West Virginia coal mining accident as powered haulage incident," October 9, 2026, for the governor's statement and the state investigation (secondary source).
Notes and sources
- Image: A coal preparation plant and barge loading operation at the Harewood mine in West Virginia's Kanawha Valley, 1970s (historical file photo; not the Speed Mine). Photo: Harry Schaefer / U.S. National Archives (Documerica) via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
- Author: Ryan Standley / Record of Sale, LLC / Notice Nearby.
- Discussed on @NoticeNearYou: (pending — fill xPostUrl after live post).
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Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).