Alma Placer: 51 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal
High Mountain Mining Company LLC
· Surface
Controlled by
Arthur D Gibson; David A Wilds
MSHA Mine ID: 0504987
Alma Placer has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 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 2011
51
citations
14
significant & substantial
$7,491
proposed penalties
$7,140
paid to date
95% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $351 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2011
20
inspections on record
370
inspection hours
n/a
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.Rate withheld: 370 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Alma Placer has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 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.$7K
proposed penalties
$7K
current assessed
$7K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
51 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-20.
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.27.5%
significant & substantial
2.0%
high negligence or reckless
27.5%
reasonably likely or greater
31.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 2.0% low, 96.1% moderate, 2.0% 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.
5
citations taken to the federal commission · 10% of citations on record
- Settled 4 · 80%
- Vacated or withdrawn 1 · 20%
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 3 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
23%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $2K 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 2013-09-16.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEST 2013-1138M | Settlement | Lesnick | 2014 | $2K → $1K |
| WEST 2012-375M | Withdrawal | Lesnick | 2012 | $100 → $0 |
| WEST 2013-1151M | Settlement | Lesnick | 2014 | $100 → $100 |
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: 2017-09-21, 8 years ago
ⓘ
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.0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
11
samples
5
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
- Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz5
- Respirable dust, <.1mg5
- Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (11)
| Date | Contaminant | Concentration | Limit | Conc / limit | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-09-21 | Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz | 0.2 | 0.96 | 0.21 | Grizzly Man |
| 2017-09-21 | Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz | 0.26 | 0.76 | 0.34 | Front-end Loader Operator |
| 2017-09-21 | Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz | 0.44 | 1.28 | 0.34 | Grizzly Man |
| 2017-09-21 | Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz | 0.16 | Laborer, Bullgang | ||
| 2017-09-21 | Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz | 0.18 | 1.11 | 0.16 | Laborer, Bullgang |
| 2011-11-17 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Utility Man | ||
| 2011-11-17 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator | ||
| 2011-11-17 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator | ||
| 2011-08-11 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Screen/Scalper Operator | ||
| 2011-08-11 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Screen/Scalper Operator | ||
| 2011-08-11 | Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz | 0.12 | 0.76 | 0.16 | Utility Man |
Area samples (mill and shop air)
Last sampled: 2016-05-20, 10 years ago1
samples
Show the individual readings (1)
| Date | Contaminant | Concentration | Limit | Conc / limit | Area sampled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-05-20 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | MP WASH/SCREEN |
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.
Ownership history
- Alma Placer Company LLC 2011 to 2011
- High Mountain Mining Company LLC 2011 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
| Year | Employees |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2014 | 7 |
| 2013 | 9 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2011 | 2 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Alma Placer sits in Park County, Colorado, 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.Park County, Colorado · Population 17,739
0.7%
Mining share of county employment
$95,450
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 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2025 Q4 | 730 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2025 Q3 | 929 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2025 Q2 | 697 | 4 | 3 | 5738.9 |
| 2025 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 Q3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 Q2 | 183 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Show 45 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 Q4 | 610 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2022 Q3 | 1,830 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2022 Q2 | 1,037 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2022 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 Q3 | 993 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 Q2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 Q3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 Q2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 Q4 | 880 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 Q3 | 1,554 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2018 Q4 | 1,841 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2018 Q3 | 2,976 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2018 Q2 | 2,435 | 2 | 0 | 821.4 |
| 2018 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 Q4 | 2,898 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2017 Q3 | 3,778 | 4 | 0 | 1058.8 |
| 2017 Q2 | 3,490 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2017 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 Q4 | 3,183 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2016 Q3 | 3,937 | 1 | 0 | 254.0 |
| 2016 Q2 | 3,709 | 6 | 1 | 1617.7 |
| 2016 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 Q4 | 2,475 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2015 Q3 | 3,082 | 6 | 2 | 1946.8 |
| 2015 Q2 | 2,305 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2015 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 Q4 | 3,640 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2014 Q3 | 5,280 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2014 Q2 | 4,583 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2014 Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 Q4 | 3,973 | 2 | 0 | 503.4 |
| 2013 Q3 | 5,593 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2013 Q2 | 4,762 | 1 | 0 | 210.0 |
| 2013 Q1 | 2,633 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2012 Q4 | 4,147 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2012 Q3 | 4,086 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2012 Q2 | 2,774 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2012 Q1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 Q4 | 100 | 1 | 0 | 10000.0 |
| 2011 Q3 | 1,558 | 2 | 1 | 1283.7 |
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.