Cape Breton's Donkin coal mine fined for safety violations after fall reopening

An underground coal mine near Donkin, N.S., has been cited for a series of safety violations since reopening four months ago.

The Cape Breton mine's operator, Kameron Coal Management Ltd., has received 14 warnings, 19 compliance orders, and eight administrative penalties or fines since reopening in mid-September.

Fred Jeffers is executive director of the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration's safety division, which oversees routine inspections at the mine.

Jeffers said inspectors reported that none of the violations posed an imminent risk or hazard to workers.

"The fact that the underground mine is just a very large and complicated workplace with a lot of things on the go, is something to obviously take into consideration," Jeffers said. 

"These are these corrective actions that have to be taken when officers discover deficiencies in their inspections."

Jeffers said when immediate dangers are present, inspectors have other tools to ensure safety, such as ordering a work stoppage. 

This is not the first time Donkin has been subject to such safety violations. And some former workers have described the mine as a disaster in waiting, as employees were subjected to dangerous conditions, including ceiling cave-ins, a lack of safety equipment and lax safety practices.

In March 2020, Kameron Coal announced a shutdown due to geological conditions in the mine, which has been plagued by roof collapses for more than a year.

The Nova Scotia government later renewed an industrial license for Donkin in December 2022, allowing it to continue operating for another seven years. The Donkin mine is the only operating subsea coal mine in the world, according to the provincial government, and the only underground coal mine still operating in Nova Scotia. 

On Monday afternoon, seven members of a community group known as the Cow Bay Coalition gathered in the rain outside the gates of the Donkin mine for a rally to voice their concerns about Kameron Coal's trucking along rural roads. They've also complained of noise from a ventilation fan at the mine and mine safety. 

Calvin Thomas lives on Long Beach Road, about three kilometres from the mine. He said his biggest concern is the number of heavy trucks rolling off the site onto public roads where he and others walk. 

"It's a nice country road right by the ocean. It's a dangerous road to walk on now because the shoulder is so narrow and the trucks are so big [and] at the speed that they're going."

Catherine Fergusson, who also lives in the area, said there should be other ways to transport coal mined there. 

"The trucks are really large, so they're going over the yellow line," said Fergusson. "I really feel there should have been a transportation plan in place that was either taking the coal by rail or through a private road right from their gate."

Fergusson was shocked and disappointed by the number of safety violations handed out to Kameron Coal in the few months since they reopened their operations.

She wants more action taken by the Nova Scotia government to ensure that Kameron Coal is following regulations and addressing public concerns.

According to the government's safety officials, the following orders, warnings and penalties have been issued to Kameron Coal:

Orders: 

Sept. 21 - Failure to designate qualified personnel to trades positions.

Sept. 21 -   Failure to maintain pull cords along conveyors.

Oct. 6 - Order prohibiting the use of a piece of equipment that caused injury to an employee.

Oct. 6 - Requirement for an assessment report on a mechanical equipment failure.

Oct. 24 - Unqualified employee performing electrical work.

Nov. 1 - Employer's mobile equipment operational procedure not fully implemented.

Nov. 8 - Conditions defined in the director's approval not fully adhered to.

Nov. 8 - Operating equipment in a manner that was not in accordance with conditions set in the director's approval.

Nov. 18 - Failure to follow the conditions contained in the director's approval.

Nov. 18 - Failure to follow the conditions contained in the director's approval.

Nov. 18 - Employer's mobile equipment operational procedure not fully implemented.

Dec. 14 - Failure to follow the conditions contained in the director's approval.

Dec. 14 - Requirement for an assessment report on the ventilation system.

Dec. 21 - Unapproved electrical equipment taken into the mine.

Dec. 21 - Unapproved equipment taken in the mine that could produce heat or fire.

Dec. 21 - Failure to maintain pull cords along conveyors.

Dec. 21 - Employer's procedure for maintaining fire doors not implemented.

Dec. 21 - Failure to follow conditions set in the director's approval.

Dec. 21 - Improperly stored compressed gas cylinders.

Warnings:

Oct. 11 - A roof monitoring device found to be incorrectly installed.

Oct. 11 - Unapproved ventilation control device in use.

Oct. 11 - Minutes of the most recent [occupational safety and health] committee meeting not promptly posted.

Oct. 11 - Compliance orders not posted.

Oct. 11 - Improperly stored compressed gas cylinders.

Oct. 21 - Aerosol container improperly used.

Oct. 21 - No backup alarm on a piece of mobile equipment.

Oct. 21 - Equipment used in a manner not in accordance with employer's procedure.

Nov. 1 - Flammable gas monitor calibration records not properly maintained.

Nov. 7 - Conditions set in director's approval not fully implemented.

Nov. 7 - Ventilation equipment not located as per the approved plan.

Nov. 17 - Employer's procedure for maintaining fire door equipment not fully implemented.

Dec. 13 - Hazard on walking surface.

Dec. 13 - Cache of stone dust not maintained at conveyor drive.

Administrative penalties:

Oct. 24 - Unqualified employee performing electrical work.

Nov. 17, Nov. 22 and Dec. 15 - Failure to comply with the conditions of the director's approval.

Dec. 21 - Unapproved electrical equipment taken into the mine.

Dec. 21 - Failure to maintain pull cords along conveyors.

Dec. 21 - Failure to follow the conditions set in the director's approval.

Dec. 21 - Improperly stored compressed gas cylinders.