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: 523 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Belzer Pit has $25K 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.
$25K
proposed penalties
$20K
current assessed
$20K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
73 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $21K in penalties contested before the Commission, $16K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2016-06-14.
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.
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.
35citations taken to the federal commission · 47% of citations on record
Settled
32 · 91%
Stood as issued
3 · 9%
76%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 17 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
25%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$21K proposed, $15K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2015-08-20.
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.
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: 2016-06-15, 10 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
12
samples
6
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg6
Arsenic fumes3
Beryllium fumes3
Cadmium oxide fumes3
Show the individual readings (48)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2016-06-15
Zinc oxide fumes
0.11
5
0.02
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Lead fumes
0
150
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Magnesium oxide fumes
0
10
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Manganese fumes
0.01
5
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Molybdenum fumes
0
10
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Nickel fumes
0
1
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Vanadium fumes
0
50
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Arsenic fumes
0
1500
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Beryllium fumes
0
6
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Cadmium oxide fumes
0
100
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Chromium, insoluble
0
3
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Cobalt fumes
0
300
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Copper fumes
0
300
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Iron oxide fumes
0.38
20
0.02
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Lead fumes
6.43
450
0.01
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Magnesium oxide fumes
0
20
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Manganese fumes
0.09
5
0.02
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Molybdenum fumes
0
20
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Nickel fumes
0
3
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Vanadium fumes
0
50
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Zinc oxide fumes
0.02
10
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Arsenic fumes
0
1500
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Beryllium fumes
0
6
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Cadmium oxide fumes
0
100
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Chromium, insoluble
0
3
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Cobalt fumes
0
300
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Copper fumes
0
300
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Iron oxide fumes
0.55
20
0.03
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Lead fumes
0
450
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Magnesium oxide fumes
0
20
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Manganese fumes
0.12
5
0.02
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Molybdenum fumes
0
20
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Nickel fumes
0
3
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Vanadium fumes
0
50
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Zinc oxide fumes
0
10
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Arsenic fumes
0
500
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Beryllium fumes
0
2
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Cadmium oxide fumes
0
100
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Chromium, insoluble
0
1
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Cobalt fumes
0
100
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Copper fumes
0
100
0.00
Welder, etc.
2016-06-15
Iron oxide fumes
0.06
10
0.01
Welder, etc.
2016-06-14
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2016-06-14
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2009-07-09
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2009-07-09
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2002-07-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2002-07-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Washer 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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2019
0
2018
0
2017
0
2016
1
2015
2
2014
2
2013
2
2012
2
2011
2
2010
2
2009
3
2008
3
2007
3
2006
2
2005
3
2004
3
2003
3
2002
2
2001
3
2000
3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Belzer Pit sits in Valley County, Montana, where the Census mining category is 1.2% 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.
Valley County, Montana · Population 7,540
1.2%
Mining share of county employment
$64,515
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
2019 Q3
0
0
0
2019 Q2
0
0
0
2019 Q1
0
0
0
2018 Q4
0
0
0
2018 Q3
0
0
0
2018 Q2
0
0
0
2018 Q1
0
0
0
2017 Q4
0
0
0
Show 71 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2017 Q3
0
0
0
2017 Q2
0
0
0
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q3
508
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
404
8
2
19802.0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
57
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
819
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
934
4
1
4282.7
2015 Q1
157
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
55
4
0
72727.3
2014 Q3
766
33
12
43080.9
2014 Q2
611
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
0
0
0
2013 Q4
273
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
1,072
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
682
3
1
4398.8
2013 Q1
0
0
0
2012 Q4
183
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
1,334
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
1,078
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
0
0
0
2011 Q4
55
2
1
36363.6
2011 Q3
887
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
662
5
2
7552.9
2011 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
116
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
1,037
1
1
964.3
2010 Q2
912
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
317
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
933
3
1
3215.4
2009 Q2
775
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
397
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
1,199
2
0
1668.1
2008 Q2
360
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
381
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
1,068
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
856
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
2
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
1,054
1
0
948.8
2006 Q2
964
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
226
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
1,150
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
966
1
0
1035.2
2005 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
179
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
1,315
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
313
1
0
3194.9
2004 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
376
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
541
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
1,224
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2002 Q4
211
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
855
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
2
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
217
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
1,137
3
0
2638.5
2001 Q2
669
0
0
0.0
2001 Q1
2
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
218
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
1,139
3
1
2633.9
2000 Q2
725
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
1
0
0
0.0
Fatalities at this mine
1 recorded
August 2, 2014MT · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanFatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Miner was apparently adding oil to hoist of truck. Box was loaded with rock and not properly blocked. The weight of the loaded box split block and the box came down unexpectedly crushing miner between the truck frame and dump box. Although no damage was done to equipment, miner was killed.