Mining Incidents

#3: 204 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Superior Stone Inc · Surface
Controlled by (Fred) Dickie Tillman
Florence, Bell County, TX  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4104368

#3 has $114K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
0
Years on record
Latest incident
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2002
204
citations
63
significant & substantial
$113,695
proposed penalties
$110,773
paid to date
97% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,922 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2002
66
inspections on record
1,101
inspection hours
18.5
citations per 100 inspection hours
This rate is recorded citations divided by MSHA inspection hours, per 100 hours. It reflects inspection effort, not mine size or production.
204 citations across 1,101 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
A Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2017-05-31.
On record since 2017.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

#3 has $114K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1 outstanding across 1 contested dockets.

Penalty disposition
Differences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.
$114K
proposed penalties
$111K
current assessed
$111K
paid to date
$1
outstanding
202 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $19K in penalties contested before the Commission, $17K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-15.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.
Violation severity profile
Shares are computed over citations that carry the MSHA gravity and negligence coding; a small share of records are uncoded.
31.2%
significant & substantial
4.5%
high negligence or reckless
31.2%
reasonably likely or greater
39.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 7.4% low, 88.1% moderate, 4.5% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
When citations were contested
Contesting a citation before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission is a lawful right. These figures state the public outcomes of that process, from MSHA's Contested Violations file.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
  • Settled 2 · 100%
100%
S&S designation survived the contest
Counts a Significant & Substantial citation as surviving when a settlement or judge's decision kept the designation, or the contest was dismissed or defaulted so the citation stands as issued. Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.
of 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
15%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$19K proposed, $17K after decisions · industry: 39%
Source: MSHA Contested Violations file (public record), updated weekly. A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record. Latest contest filed 2022-04-03.
Contested penalties
A reduction or dismissal at the Commission is a lawful outcome of contesting a proposed penalty. Figures are the proposed amount and the amount upheld in the docket's decision.
Largest penalties this mine contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
CENT 2022-0118 Settlement 2022 $19K → $17K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
Health sampling
A sample is a point in time compliance measurement, not an individual exposure history. These figures describe MSHA sampling records and do not establish causation or personal dose.

Metal and nonmetal contaminants (personal samples)
Many samples are screening measurements of substances with no applicable exposure limit; they are counted as samples but excluded from every over-limit figure. Over-limit shares use only limit-tested samples.

Last sampled: 2025-04-23
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
27
samples
9
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg12
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz8
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz6
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (27)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2025-04-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2025-04-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2025-04-23 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.34 10 0.03 Cutting Mach Operator
2021-01-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2021-01-27 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.2 10 0.02 Crusher Oper/Worker
2018-04-25 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.25 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2018-04-25 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 1.3 2.51 0.52 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2018-04-25 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.18 Forklift Operator
2014-06-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2014-06-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2014-06-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bobcat Operator
2014-06-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Forklift Operator
2012-07-26 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.14 Cutting Mach Operator
2012-07-26 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.12 Bobcat Operator
2012-07-26 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.2 Bulldozer Operator
2009-07-08 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.34 10 0.03 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2009-07-08 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.42 10 0.04 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2009-07-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2008-09-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2008-09-11 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.26 10 0.03 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2008-09-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bobcat Operator
2007-08-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2007-08-01 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.19 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2007-08-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Forklift Operator
2003-06-04 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.16 10 0.02 Bobcat Operator
2003-06-04 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.18 10 0.02 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2003-06-04 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 4.49 10 0.45 Stone Polisher/Cutter
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly. Metal/nonmetal contaminant figures come from MSHA's Personal Health Samples and Area Samples files (public record), updated weekly.

#3 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.

Injury rate, 2025
This rate is reportable injury cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers per year, computed as 200,000 times cases divided by MSHA operator-reported employee-hours. Cases are injuries MSHA graded degree 01 through 07; accident-only events that hurt no one are excluded, and so are contractor injuries, whose hours do not attach to a single mine. Rates begin in 2000, when quarterly employment reporting starts, and are withheld below 20,000 hours in a year.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 1.65 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Texas, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.17 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year total case rate days-away fatal
2025 0.00 0.00 0.000
2024 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2023 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 0.00 0.00 0.000
2021 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 0.00 0.00 0.000
* Fewer than 100,000 employee-hours that year; the rate is less stable.
Source: injury cases from MSHA accident and injury records; employee-hours from MSHA quarterly employment reports. Rate is cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers, operator employees only.
Ownership history
  1. Superior Stone Inc 2002 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 43
2025 42
2024 36
2023 54
2022 63
2021 59
2020 47
2019 45
2018 45
2017 44
2016 41
2015 42
2014 43
2013 44
2012 37
2011 34
2010 33
2009 31
2008 42
2007 37
2006 30
2005 23
2004 20
2003 19
2002 17
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

#3 sits in Bell County, Texas, where the Census mining category is 0.7% of county employment.

Local economic context
County figures come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 5-year pooled estimates, so the 2023 vintage covers 2019 through 2023. The Census category is 'mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction', which is broader than MSHA jurisdiction and includes oil and gas workers no mine employs. These figures describe the surrounding county, not this mine, and are not a factor in any specific incident.
Bell County, Texas · Population 379,811
0.7%
Mining share of county employment
$66,051
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
Quarterly safety rates
Citations per million reported employee-hours. Rates begin in 2000, when MSHA's quarterly employment data starts; earlier incidents are counted but cannot be rate-adjusted. Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2026 Q2 29,803 6 0 201.3
2026 Q1 28,905 1 0 34.6
2025 Q4 28,020 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 30,671 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 28,342 1 0 35.3
2025 Q1 26,171 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 23,178 6 1 258.9
2024 Q3 27,357 1 0 36.6
Show 89 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 26,735 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 22,558 6 0 266.0
2023 Q4 17,140 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 43,563 4 2 91.8
2023 Q2 35,845 4 1 111.6
2023 Q1 34,746 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 37,451 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 45,389 11 4 242.3
2022 Q2 41,349 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 41,344 10 5 241.9
2021 Q4 38,856 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 42,233 4 0 94.7
2021 Q2 33,477 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 34,400 9 5 261.6
2020 Q4 36,979 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 30,869 8 3 259.2
2020 Q2 27,137 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 34,402 8 2 232.5
2019 Q4 31,138 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 34,595 4 2 115.6
2019 Q2 31,197 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 30,644 3 0 97.9
2018 Q4 26,603 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 32,627 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 34,382 4 4 116.3
2018 Q1 33,443 9 0 269.1
2017 Q4 27,690 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 31,140 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 30,717 6 3 195.3
2017 Q1 29,542 9 0 304.7
2016 Q4 29,008 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 26,909 6 2 223.0
2016 Q2 29,555 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 29,909 5 0 167.2
2015 Q4 27,039 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 30,518 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 31,867 6 1 188.3
2015 Q1 28,979 4 0 138.0
2014 Q4 29,260 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 32,307 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 30,650 4 0 130.5
2014 Q1 32,235 6 3 186.1
2013 Q4 28,594 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 33,516 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 36,461 2 1 54.9
2013 Q1 29,788 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 29,806 2 0 67.1
2012 Q3 26,198 2 1 76.3
2012 Q2 25,603 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 21,075 2 0 94.9
2011 Q4 16,996 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 23,395 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 21,452 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 18,722 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 15,482 2 1 129.2
2010 Q3 20,460 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 21,123 4 1 189.4
2010 Q1 17,827 4 0 224.4
2009 Q4 19,305 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 18,720 6 2 320.5
2009 Q2 17,550 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 17,550 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 15,210 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 27,495 1 0 36.4
2008 Q2 28,665 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 26,325 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 25,155 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 23,985 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 18,590 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 19,175 1 0 52.2
2006 Q4 16,400 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 19,305 2 2 103.6
2006 Q2 17,342 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 15,795 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 15,792 2 1 126.6
2005 Q3 15,210 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 12,900 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 12,980 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 12,980 6 2 462.2
2004 Q3 13,650 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 9,880 2 1 202.4
2004 Q1 12,740 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 15,925 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 12,740 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 13,240 9 2 679.8
2003 Q1 5,180 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 12,740 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 11,520 12 11 1041.7
2002 Q2 4,608 0 0 0.0

No reportable incidents on file.

MSHA has no recorded reportable accidents for this mine in the current dataset. New reports appear here within a week of being filed.