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Bluebird #1: 172 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Frank T Williams Sr
Moyock, Currituck County, NC  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 3102188

Bluebird #1 has $60K in proposed MSHA penalties and $302 outstanding across 18 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
2018–2020
Latest incident
Jul 2020
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
172
citations
57
significant & substantial
$60,187
proposed penalties
$51,339
paid to date
85% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $8,848 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Currituck Sand, Inc.'s full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2003
89
inspections on record
1,151
inspection hours
14.9
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.
172 citations across 1,151 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘ A Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2020-07-30.
On record since 2020.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Bluebird #1 has $60K in proposed MSHA penalties and $302 outstanding across 18 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.
$60K
proposed penalties
$52K
current assessed
$51K
paid to date
$302
outstanding
169 assessments are final orders; 18 contested dockets.
Of $31K in penalties contested before the Commission, $22K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-02.
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.
33.7%
significant & substantial
15.4%
high negligence or reckless
33.7%
reasonably likely or greater
56.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.1% low, 74.6% moderate, 15.4% 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.
67 citations taken to the federal commission · 39% of citations on record
  • Settled 63 · 94%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 4 · 6%
81%
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 27 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$29K proposed, $20K 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 2019-03-12.
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
SE 2013-593M Settlement Barbour 2014 $11K → $7K
SE 2004-134M Settlement Bulluck 2005 $7K → $5K
SE 2018-0236 Settlement McCarthy 2019 $3K → $2K
SE 2013-330M Settlement McCarthy 2013 $2K → $2K
SE 2004-154M Default Lesnick 2004 $1K → $1K
SE 2014-111M Settlement Lesnick 2014 $1K → $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: 2025-06-04
10%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
45
samples
10
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz121 over
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg26
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz6
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (45)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2007-09-13 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.98 0.47 2.09 Bulldozer Operator
2025-06-04 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.2 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-06-04 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2025-06-04 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2020-10-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Mechanic
2020-10-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2020-10-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2020-10-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2020-10-14 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.35 Truck Driver
2020-06-02 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2020-06-02 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2020-06-02 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.31 10 0.03 Bulldozer Operator
2020-06-02 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.43 Truck Driver
2020-06-02 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2019-02-26 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.53 Backhoe Operator
2019-02-26 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.19 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-02-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2019-02-26 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.19 0.54 0.35 Mechanic
2019-02-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2018-08-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2018-08-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2018-07-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2018-07-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.47 0.64 0.73 Truck Driver
2018-07-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 Front-end Loader Operator
2018-07-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.44 0.53 0.83 Front-end Loader Operator
2018-07-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2016-11-16 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.3 2.05 0.15 Truck Driver
2016-11-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.13 Backhoe Operator
2016-11-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2016-11-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.2 Front-end Loader Operator
2016-06-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2016-06-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2016-06-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2016-06-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2016-06-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2012-05-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2012-05-01 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.28 0.64 0.44 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-05-01 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 0.66 0.18 Front-end Loader Operator
2007-10-17 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.38 1.93 0.20 Bulldozer Operator
2007-09-13 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.36 0.95 0.38 Backhoe Operator
2007-09-13 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.24 Truck Driver
2004-10-05 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2004-10-05 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2003-02-12 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2003-02-12 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader 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.

Bluebird #1 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 North Carolina, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.14 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
2017 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2015 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2007 * 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. Currituck Sand, Inc. 2002 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 9
2025 9
2024 12
2023 10
2022 11
2021 11
2020 8
2019 8
2018 10
2017 11
2016 14
2015 13
2014 10
2013 6
2012 6
2011 6
2010 6
2009 6
2008 9
2007 17
2006 17
2005 11
2004 8
2003 5
2002 4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Bluebird #1 sits in Currituck County, North Carolina, 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.
Currituck County, North Carolina · Population 29,612
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$91,548
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 5,550 2 0 360.4
2026 Q1 5,371 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 6,121 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 7,318 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 5,696 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 5,222 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 5,683 2 1 351.9
2024 Q3 7,187 0 0 0.0
Show 87 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 7,490 1 1 133.5
2024 Q1 7,361 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 5,292 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 5,533 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 5,559 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 6,185 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 5,997 3 0 500.3
2022 Q3 7,180 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 5,951 2 0 336.1
2022 Q1 9,274 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 3,678 1 0 271.9
2021 Q3 6,768 4 4 591.0
2021 Q2 6,017 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 4,158 6 5 1443.0
2020 Q4 3,648 2 2 548.2
2020 Q3 3,733 5 3 1339.4
2020 Q2 4,140 3 0 724.6
2020 Q1 3,810 2 0 524.9
2019 Q4 3,939 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 4,005 2 0 499.4
2019 Q2 3,914 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 4,449 2 2 449.5
2018 Q4 3,739 8 0 2139.6
2018 Q3 3,354 8 5 2385.2
2018 Q2 4,101 1 0 243.8
2018 Q1 4,822 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 4,653 5 3 1074.6
2017 Q3 5,868 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 6,130 1 0 163.1
2017 Q1 5,470 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 5,137 1 1 194.7
2016 Q3 4,563 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 5,300 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 4,487 3 0 668.6
2015 Q4 4,725 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 4,641 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 6,314 5 0 791.9
2015 Q1 4,910 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 4,760 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 4,223 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 5,123 2 0 390.4
2014 Q1 3,851 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 3,620 1 0 276.2
2013 Q3 2,632 13 4 4939.2
2013 Q2 2,610 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 2,370 4 2 1687.8
2012 Q4 2,584 1 0 387.0
2012 Q3 2,456 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 2,138 6 1 2806.4
2012 Q1 2,699 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 3,022 4 1 1323.6
2011 Q3 3,222 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 2,774 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 1,835 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,888 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 2,452 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 3,157 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 3,078 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 2,492 3 0 1203.9
2009 Q3 2,498 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 2,363 2 0 846.4
2009 Q1 2,286 2 0 874.9
2008 Q4 2,193 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 2,485 3 1 1207.2
2008 Q2 2,441 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 562 2 1 3558.7
2007 Q4 7,036 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 8,133 5 1 614.8
2007 Q2 9,602 1 0 104.1
2007 Q1 7,735 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 8,964 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 9,089 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 7,257 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 6,021 8 2 1328.7
2005 Q4 3,990 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 5,503 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 6,641 6 1 903.5
2005 Q1 4,594 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 4,427 4 1 903.5
2004 Q3 3,642 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 3,853 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 4,813 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 4,886 18 8 3684.0
2003 Q3 3,924 1 0 254.8
2003 Q2 1,632 4 1 2451.0
2003 Q1 1,782 13 6 7295.2
2002 Q4 2,147 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2020 · 1 incident

July 1, 2020 NC · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator POWERED HAULAGE
Currituck Sand, Inc. · Struck against a moving object

Operator was travelling with 6445 loader from clay pile to sand pile when they accidentally let bucket to ground. Machine suddenly stopped and forced operator into steering wheel. Seat belt was on.

2019 · 2 incidents

January 18, 2019 NC · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Currituck Sand, Inc. · Struck by falling object

Clear weather, dry conditions, employee was clearing excess dirt from under conveyor belt when triangular guard fell on them and bruised chest.

2018 · 1 incident

September 26, 2018 NC · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Currituck Sand, Inc. · Fall from machine

Operator was on rear counterweight of JD 644J loader. Was checking water level in plastic reservoir when some water sprayed on ee, startled ee, and caused ee to fall to the ground.