The U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday that it issued widespread citations following impact inspections at 14 mines in 11 states.
The DOL’s Mine Safety and Health Administration found 199 violations during the inspections, which took place throughout March.
The agency, which began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion that killed 29 miners in West Virginia, said mines were cited in Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
“The results of March’s impact inspections uncovered several serious violations, including putting miners at risk of fire and explosion hazards and impeding miners’ ability to escape emergency situations,” Chris Williamson, assistant secretary for mine safety and health, said in a statement.
The agency said the mines that were inspected had poor compliance history, previous accidents, injuries and illnesses.
Of the 199 identified violations, 74 were evaluated as “significant and substantial.”
The agency said it has identified 3,333 violations through mine impact inspections since 2023.