Mining Incidents

ALTO BONITO GRAVEL PIT: 1 recorded fatality Metal/Non-Metal

South Texas Sand & Gravel LLC · Surface
Controlled by EF Sand and Gravel LLC
McAllen, Starr County, TX  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4103140

ALTO BONITO GRAVEL PIT has $132K in proposed MSHA penalties and $978 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
4
Years on record
1986–2012
Latest incident
Apr 2012
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
233
citations
80
significant & substantial
$131,933
proposed penalties
$103,182
paid to date
78% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $28,751 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
81
inspections on record
977
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: 977 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

ALTO BONITO GRAVEL PIT has $132K in proposed MSHA penalties and $978 outstanding across 2 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.
$132K
proposed penalties
$104K
current assessed
$103K
paid to date
$978
outstanding
226 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $34K in penalties contested before the Commission, $6K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-01-15.
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.
34.9%
significant & substantial
13.5%
high negligence or reckless
34.9%
reasonably likely or greater
45.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 3.1% low, 83.4% moderate, 13.5% 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.
4 citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
  • Settled 4 · 100%
33%
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%
82%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$34K proposed, $6K 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 2012-02-02.
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 2010-1062M Settlement Lesnick 2011 $21K → $5K
CENT 2011-1242M Settlement Lesnick 2013 $13K → $1K
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: 2026-07-29
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
10
samples
1
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg9
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (10)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-07-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2026-07-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2024-04-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2024-04-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Tractor Operator
2013-08-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2013-08-28 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 1.42 0.08 Crusher Oper/Worker
2013-08-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cleanup Man
2010-05-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2010-05-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2010-05-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cleanup Man
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.

ALTO BONITO GRAVEL PIT 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.
Under 100,000 employee-hours were reported that year, so a single case moves the rate by two or more. Read the figure as approximate.
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. Alto Bonito Gravel Plant 1982 to 1999
  2. Starr Aggregates Llc 1999 to 2019
  3. South Texas Sand & Gravel LLC 2019 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 23
2025 21
2024 24
2023 22
2022 24
2021 21
2020 18
2019 16
2018 16
2017 14
2016 10
2015 11
2014 10
2013 11
2012 14
2011 14
2010 16
2009 16
2008 17
2007 15
2006 15
2005 13
2004 13
2003 13
2002 9
2001 8
2000 8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

ALTO BONITO GRAVEL PIT sits in Starr County, Texas, where the Census mining category is 3.2% 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.
Starr County, Texas · Population 65,809
3.2%
Mining share of county employment
$38,182
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 17,810 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 18,480 1 0 54.1
2025 Q4 16,869 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 16,120 1 0 62.0
2025 Q2 12,132 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 12,120 3 2 247.5
2024 Q4 19,810 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 19,320 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 19,058 7 2 367.3
2024 Q1 16,380 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 15,820 12 2 758.5
2023 Q3 20,160 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 15,990 4 1 250.2
2023 Q1 16,520 2 1 121.1
2022 Q4 13,992 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 15,600 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 12,288 3 2 244.1
2022 Q1 17,160 9 3 524.5
2021 Q4 12,870 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 15,340 4 1 260.8
2021 Q2 13,531 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 11,400 6 2 526.3
2020 Q4 8,640 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 10,070 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 9,805 9 0 917.9
2020 Q1 9,022 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 9,010 7 3 776.9
2019 Q3 7,260 6 1 826.4
2019 Q2 8,320 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 8,166 5 1 612.3
2018 Q4 8,120 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 7,490 3 2 400.5
2018 Q2 7,750 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 8,865 3 2 338.4
2017 Q4 9,040 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 6,320 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 6,864 2 0 291.4
2017 Q1 6,658 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 4,803 4 3 832.8
2016 Q3 5,678 9 4 1585.1
2016 Q2 5,622 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 5,205 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 5,794 11 4 1898.5
2015 Q3 5,289 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 4,967 4 2 805.3
2015 Q1 4,869 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 4,618 2 0 433.1
2014 Q3 4,203 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 5,058 8 4 1581.7
2014 Q1 4,966 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 5,091 7 4 1375.0
2013 Q3 5,115 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 5,131 1 1 194.9
2013 Q1 4,687 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 4,985 4 2 802.4
2012 Q3 5,006 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 6,311 4 2 633.8
2012 Q1 5,834 5 2 857.0
2011 Q4 5,474 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 5,211 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 5,920 4 1 675.7
2011 Q1 4,983 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 6,752 6 2 888.6
2010 Q3 7,187 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 8,403 5 0 595.0
2010 Q1 7,532 5 1 663.8
2009 Q4 8,583 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 10,498 14 5 1333.6
2009 Q2 8,508 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 6,864 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 8,011 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 9,308 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 9,969 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 8,600 5 4 581.4
2007 Q4 8,690 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 9,377 3 1 319.9
2007 Q2 8,868 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 7,921 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 7,963 4 1 502.3
2006 Q3 8,259 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 8,383 2 0 238.6
2006 Q1 8,637 5 3 578.9
2005 Q4 7,805 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 7,158 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 7,337 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 6,028 3 2 497.7
2004 Q4 7,269 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 7,644 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 7,264 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 6,190 4 2 646.2
2003 Q4 6,187 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 9,694 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 7,457 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 7,238 7 2 967.1
2002 Q4 5,171 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 5,238 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 5,358 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 4,338 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 4,035 2 1 495.7
2001 Q3 4,832 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 5,382 5 0 929.0
2001 Q1 3,639 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 3,066 5 1 1630.8
2000 Q3 4,897 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 5,057 2 1 395.5
2000 Q1 5,160 0 0 0.0

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
March 28, 1986 TX · Metal/Non-Metal Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Alto Bonito Gravel Plant · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

ON THE ABOVE D5TE THE DECEASED IS PRESUMED TO HAVE INJURED HIMSELF FATALLY BY OPERATING A FRONT END LOADER WITHOUT PERMISSION OR ANY KNOWNLEDGE BY PLANT PERSONAL. THE DECEASED WAS FOUND LAYIN G ON THE GROUN8 NEAR THE LOADER & THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACTUAL ACCIDENT.

Reportable incidents

3 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2012 · 1 incident

April 13, 2012 TX · Metal/Non-Metal inspector SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Starr Aggregates Llc · Fall from machine

Miner was at work collecting samples of material and chose to ride on the tailgate of the work truck instead of inside truck while it was moving and he lost his balance and fell to the ground onto his arm. We took him to the hospital and had him treated and his accident ins. we provide covered his treatment and gave him extra money for work days lost.

1987 · 1 incident

May 29, 1987 TX · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Alto Bonito Gravel Plant · Struck by falling object

WHILE THEY WERE3WORKING ON THE JAW CRUSHER'S RETAINING WEDGE, PLLING IT OUT, THERE WAS TENSION ON A CHAIN TO HELP PULL IT OUT. I,NAME WAS HITTING WEDGE, WHEN IT CAME LOOSE, OUT OF IT'S PLACE, AND LANDED ON 2IGH RIGHT FOOT.

1986 · 1 incident

March 27, 1986 TX · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Alto Bonito Gravel Plant · Unclassified, insufficient data

ON THE ABOVE S7ATED DATE EMP WAS MAKING REPAIRS ON CONVEYOR BELT WHEN HE INJURED HIS FINGER