Mining Incidents

BECKER GRAVEL PIT: 78 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by David K Stark
Shirley, Mclean County, IL  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 1102999

BECKER GRAVEL PIT has $21K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
2007–2016
Latest incident
Jun 2016
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
78
citations
12
significant & substantial
$20,617
proposed penalties
$14,597
paid to date
71% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $6,020 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
37
inspections on record
592
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: 592 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

BECKER GRAVEL PIT has $21K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 5 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.
$21K
proposed penalties
$15K
current assessed
$15K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
78 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $15K in penalties contested before the Commission, $8K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-29.
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.
15.4%
significant & substantial
11.5%
high negligence or reckless
15.4%
reasonably likely or greater
34.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 32.1% low, 56.4% moderate, 11.5% 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.
39 citations taken to the federal commission · 50% of citations on record
  • Settled 37 · 95%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 2 · 5%
75%
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 8 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
42%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$15K proposed, $8K 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 2015-12-06.
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
LAKE 2011-273M Settlement Tureck 2012 $6K → $4K
LAKE 2016-0099 Settlement Barbour 2016 $5K → $650
LAKE 2011-274M Settlement Tureck 2012 $3K → $2K
LAKE 2010-815M Settlement 2011 $600 → $600
LAKE 2012-347M Settlement Lesnick 2012 $508 → $338
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: 2024-03-27
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
11
samples
2
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg7
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (11)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2024-03-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2024-03-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2018-10-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2018-10-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2016-06-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dredge/Barge Operator
2016-06-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-04-22 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.16 Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-04-22 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.14 Washer Operator
2010-04-22 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.47 0.82 0.57 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-04-22 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.51 0.82 0.62 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-04-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dredge/Barge Operator
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.

BECKER GRAVEL PIT recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2010.

Injury rate, 2010
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
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 2.68 and the all-US-mining average was 3.20 cases per 100 workers.
In Illinois, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 3.24 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
2010 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2007 * 7.80 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. Stark Materials Company Inc 1997 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 3
2025 3
2024 3
2023 3
2022 3
2021 3
2020 3
2019 3
2018 3
2017 3
2016 4
2015 4
2014 3
2013 4
2012 10
2011 9
2010 11
2009 9
2008 10
2007 11
2006 10
2005 7
2004 6
2003 5
2002 3
2001 6
2000 6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

BECKER GRAVEL PIT sits in McLean County, Illinois, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
McLean County, Illinois · Population 170,882
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$78,329
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 2,171 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 197 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 2,097 1 0 476.9
2025 Q3 2,169 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 2,342 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 945 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 2,999 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 3,803 0 0 0.0
Show 97 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 3,706 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 3,262 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 2,791 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 2,615 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 2,721 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 2,365 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 2,264 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 2,862 1 0 349.4
2022 Q2 2,660 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 1,787 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 2,073 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 1,740 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 1,291 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 968 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 1,742 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 1,697 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 1,604 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 1,217 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 2,037 4 0 1963.7
2019 Q3 1,556 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 1,516 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 127 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 1,579 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 1,578 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 2,122 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 370 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 1,570 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 1,445 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 302 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 1,422 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 1,598 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 1,677 1 0 596.3
2016 Q1 175 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,287 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 1,676 1 0 596.7
2015 Q2 1,629 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 497 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 1,818 1 0 550.1
2014 Q3 1,606 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 1,347 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 54 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 1,158 1 1 863.6
2013 Q3 2,267 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 1,869 2 0 1070.1
2013 Q1 419 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 4,286 3 0 700.0
2012 Q3 5,336 5 1 937.0
2012 Q2 5,258 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 3,756 3 0 798.7
2011 Q4 4,350 3 1 689.7
2011 Q3 5,092 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 5,087 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 2,842 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 5,514 27 4 4896.6
2010 Q3 5,894 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 5,918 7 1 1182.8
2010 Q1 3,002 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 4,060 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 5,422 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 4,816 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 2,150 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 4,170 5 0 1199.0
2008 Q3 5,645 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 5,977 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 4,035 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 5,706 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 7,682 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 7,571 6 3 792.5
2007 Q1 4,685 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 6,392 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 5,396 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 4,853 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 3,155 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 2,887 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 3,381 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 3,433 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 3,084 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 2,777 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 3,213 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 3,505 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 2,462 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 3,730 2 0 536.2
2003 Q3 2,237 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 3,609 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 2,496 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 2,422 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 2,614 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 1,922 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 1,902 4 0 2103.0
2001 Q3 4,850 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 5,045 1 1 198.2
2001 Q1 2,431 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 3,860 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 5,069 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 3,624 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 1,103 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

6 on file

2016 · 1 incident

June 23, 2016 IL · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Stark Materials Company Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Experienced miner was using a pocket knife to cut a zip-tie and cut right hand in between the thumb and index finger. First-aid was administered initially followed by 5 stitches at an occupational health clinic.

2015 · 1 incident

September 19, 2015 IL · Metal/Non-Metal trespasser POWERED HAULAGE
Stark Materials Company Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Two Trespassers were in an ATV when they drove over an 8-ft. embankment and landed in approximately 3-ft. of water. When the ATV landed it rolled over on one of the trespassers, resulting in his death.

2012 · 1 incident

July 24, 2012 IL · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Stark Materials Company Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Miner was repairing a PTO unit that has been removed from the plant when he was adjusting a part, the part slipped, struck his finger and he sustained a contusion to his right middle finger.

2011 · 1 incident

November 14, 2011 IL · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Stark Materials Company Inc · Fall onto or against objects

Miner was using a torch to cut a rusted bolt on a dredge pipe flange when a corroded area of the pipe broke and pushed miner back into the edge of pipe float.

2009 · 1 incident

May 12, 2009 IL · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Stark Materials Company Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE was leaning out on platform of loader to clean windshields, when he slipped, grabbed hand rail and stained right shoulder.

2007 · 1 incident

October 18, 2007 IL · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech OTHER
Stark Materials Company Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was working on door at trailer when a gust of wind caught door and a small edge of the door caused a small laceration on employee's right hand.