Montana coal mine fined $1M for violating safety regulations

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A central Montana coal mine has been fined $1 million for failing to report worker injuries and improperly disposing of mine waste. Signal Peak Energy pleaded guilty in October to violating federal regulations at its underground coal mine near the community of Roundup. Federal prosecutors said mine managers in 2013 and 2015 improperly disposed of mine waste called slurry by pumping it into abandoned sections of the mine. They also say mine managers twice tried to cover up work injuries in 2018 by encouraging employees to report they had been hurt at home. Mine officials have said a small group of employees broke the law without the company’s knowledge.