Mining Incidents

Alsea Quarries: 97 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Alsea Quarries 1 LLC · Surface
Alsea, Benton County, OR  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 3500454

Alsea Quarries has $14K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Alsea Quarries.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
5
Years on record
1988–1991
Latest incident
Oct 1991
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
97
citations
22
significant & substantial
$13,800
proposed penalties
$11,713
paid to date
85% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,087 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
50
inspections on record
591
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: 591 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Alsea Quarries has $14K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 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.
$14K
proposed penalties
$12K
current assessed
$12K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
96 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $6K in penalties contested before the Commission, $4K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-06.
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.
22.9%
significant & substantial
3.1%
high negligence or reckless
22.9%
reasonably likely or greater
67.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 2.1% none, 18.8% low, 76.0% moderate, 3.1% 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.
23 citations taken to the federal commission · 24% of citations on record
  • Settled 19 · 83%
  • Stood as issued 3 · 13%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 1 · 4%
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 9 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
40%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$5K proposed, $3K 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 2012-04-30.
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 2008-1156M Prevail Barbour 2011 $2K → $200
WEST 2009-972M Prevail Barbour 2011 $2K → $2K
WEST 2004-382M Settlement Barbour 2005 $750 → $375
WEST 2003-378-M Settlement Barbour 2003 $510 → $510
WEST 2004-376-M Settlement Barbour 2005 $443 → $368
WEST 2012-858M Default Lesnick 2013 $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: 2021-09-10, 5 years ago
4
samples
0
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg2
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (4)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2021-09-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2013-08-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-02-11 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.23 Crusher Oper/Worker
2004-02-11 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.2 Truck Driver
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
  1. Alsea Lumber Company 1950 to 1979
  2. Philomath Construction Inc 1979 to 1981
  3. Alsea Quarries 1981 to 2010
  4. Lloyd S Hockema Inc 1997 to 2000
  5. Alsea Quarries 1 LLC 2010 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 3
2025 4
2024 3
2023 1
2022 3
2021 4
2019 4
2018 3
2017 3
2016 3
2015 3
2014 3
2013 3
2012 3
2011 4
2010 3
2009 3
2008 3
2007 4
2006 3
2005 3
2004 3
2003 3
2002 3
2001 3
2000 4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Alsea Quarries sits in Benton County, Oregon, where the Census mining category is 0.0% 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.
Benton County, Oregon · Population 96,359
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$76,011
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 480 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 928 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 585 4 0 6837.6
2025 Q3 591 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 857 2 0 2333.7
2025 Q1 661 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 665 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 0 0 0
Show 91 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 703 3 0 4267.4
2024 Q1 649 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 0 0 0
2023 Q3 189 3 0 15873.0
2023 Q2 184 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 0 0 0
2022 Q4 264 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 216 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 264 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 168 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 184 6 1 32608.7
2021 Q2 520 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 280 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 288 1 0 3472.2
2019 Q2 1,020 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 392 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 152 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 607 4 1 6589.8
2018 Q1 565 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 180 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 1 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 292 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 316 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 281 7 2 24911.0
2016 Q3 232 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 391 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 374 3 0 8021.4
2015 Q4 330 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 332 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 603 1 0 1658.4
2015 Q1 664 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 680 1 0 1470.6
2014 Q3 717 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 586 2 0 3413.0
2014 Q1 1,137 4 2 3518.0
2013 Q4 1,132 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 982 1 1 1018.3
2013 Q2 1,138 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 1,124 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 1,147 1 0 871.8
2012 Q3 1,226 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 1,271 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 1,213 1 0 824.4
2011 Q4 1,690 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,884 2 2 1061.6
2011 Q2 1,088 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 975 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,370 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 1,503 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 1,231 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 599 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 991 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 1,022 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 1,184 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 1,324 18 6 13595.2
2008 Q4 1,765 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 1,221 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 1,244 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 1,166 1 1 857.6
2007 Q4 1,552 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 1,335 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 1,664 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 1,751 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 1,702 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 1,643 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 1,014 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 1,596 3 0 1879.7
2005 Q4 1,316 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 1,443 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 1,917 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,651 1 0 605.7
2004 Q4 1,256 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 1,422 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 1,400 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1,614 5 2 3097.9
2003 Q4 1,913 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 2,176 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 1,906 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 1,812 9 3 4966.9
2002 Q4 1,458 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 1,434 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 1,427 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 1,290 5 0 3876.0
2001 Q4 1,194 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 1,360 2 0 1470.6
2001 Q2 1,168 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 1,123 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 652 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 1,575 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 1,450 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 1,522 5 1 3285.2
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

5 on file

1991 · 3 incidents

October 18, 1991 OR · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Alsea Quarries · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

HE WAS REACHING INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF PICK UP TRUCK TO DISCONNECT A RADIATOR HOSE. HE HEARD A POP AND FELT SHARP PAIN IN HIS RIB CAGE AREA.

March 11, 1991 OR · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Alsea Quarries · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

SHE WAS MOVING ROCK WITH A LONG BAR AND FELT A STRAINING SENSATION ON RIGHT SIDE OF HER BACK.

February 20, 1991 OR · Metal/Non-Metal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Alsea Quarries · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE SPUN A SOCKET WRENCH IN HIS PALM WHILE WORKING ON AIR HAMMER.

1988 · 2 incidents

August 19, 1988 OR · Metal/Non-Metal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Alsea Quarries · Over-exertion in lifting objects

WHILE DOING MAINTGENANCE WORK I.NAME LIFTED A 24IN.CRESCENT WRENCH & WRENCHED HIS SHOULDER

January 5, 1988 OR · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator MACHINERY
Alsea Quarries · Struck by flying object

I NAME WAS WORKING NEAR CRUSHER WHILE IT WAS IN OPERATION WHEN A SMALL ROCK FELW UP AND HIT HIM ABOVE THE LEFT EYE.