Mining Incidents

Chino Pit: 149 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Arthur C Mc Mains
Mesa, Yavapai County, AZ  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 0202913

Chino Pit has $32K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1K outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
5
Years on record
2006–2022
Latest incident
Aug 2022
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
149
citations
43
significant & substantial
$31,710
proposed penalties
$23,860
paid to date
75% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $7,850 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
76
inspections on record
1,043
inspection hours
14.3
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.
149 citations across 1,043 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Chino Pit has $32K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1K outstanding across 4 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.
$32K
proposed penalties
$25K
current assessed
$24K
paid to date
$1K
outstanding
139 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $16K in penalties contested before the Commission, $9K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-28.
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.
30.9%
significant & substantial
5.0%
high negligence or reckless
31.7%
reasonably likely or greater
59.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.1% low, 84.9% moderate, 5.0% 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.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
  • Settled 2 · 100%
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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
8%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$217 proposed, $200 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 2010-06-18.
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
WEST20020394M Settlement Manning 2002 $14K → $7K
WEST20010482M Default Barbour 2001 $1K → $1K
WEST20010260M Default Cetti 2002 $777 → $777
WEST 2010-1403M Settlement Lesnick 2011 $217 → $200
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: 2026-05-28
31%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
38
samples
16
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz165 over
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg22
Show the individual readings (38)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2023-12-14 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.41 0.19 2.16 Crusher Oper/Worker
2023-09-21 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.51 0.28 1.82 Crusher Oper/Worker
2018-06-27 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.27 0.25 1.08 Front-end Loader Operator
2003-05-07 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.33 0.21 1.57 Laborer, Bullgang
2003-05-07 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.31 0.28 1.11 Crusher Oper/Worker
2026-05-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2026-05-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-10-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-10-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2025-10-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2024-01-19 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2023-12-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2023-12-14 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 0.2 0.65 Front-end Loader Operator
2023-09-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2023-09-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-05-07 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2019-05-07 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-05-07 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-05-07 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Shovel Operator
2018-06-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2015-07-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2015-07-28 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.25 0.28 0.89 Front-end Loader Operator
2015-07-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Supervisor, Co. Official
2010-10-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2007-10-18 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.21 0.29 0.72 Crusher Oper/Worker
2006-05-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 0.32 0.38 Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2006-05-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.28 0.36 0.78 Supervisor, Co. Official
2006-05-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2006-05-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2005-05-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.28 0.66 0.42 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-05-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.22 0.36 0.61 Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-05-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.34 0.56 0.61 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-05-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2004-01-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2004-01-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-01-14 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 0.42 0.29 Supervisor, Co. Official
2003-05-07 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.29 0.4 0.73 Bulldozer Operator
2003-05-07 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.33 0.38 0.87 Laborer, Bullgang
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.

Chino Pit recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2004.

Injury rate, 2004
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 3.73 and the all-US-mining average was 4.33 cases per 100 workers.
In Arizona, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 3.80 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
2004 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2003 * 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. Central Mountain Materials Llc 2000 to 2001
  2. Arrowhead Mining & Materials LLC 2001 to present
  3. Arrowhead Materials 2007 to 2012
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 15
2025 14
2024 13
2023 10
2022 9
2021 9
2020 8
2019 8
2018 8
2017 7
2016 7
2015 7
2014 6
2013 4
2012 5
2011 4
2010 4
2009 5
2008 8
2007 10
2006 11
2005 14
2004 15
2003 16
2002 4
2001 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Chino Pit sits in Yavapai County, Arizona, 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.
Yavapai County, Arizona · Population 241,656
1.2%
Mining share of county employment
$66,106
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 5,811 1 0 172.1
2026 Q1 5,518 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 4,897 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 5,026 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 4,652 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 4,764 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 4,520 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 4,628 0 0 0.0
Show 92 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 4,924 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 4,142 1 0 241.4
2023 Q4 4,339 1 1 230.5
2023 Q3 4,158 3 2 721.5
2023 Q2 4,141 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 3,229 1 0 309.7
2022 Q4 3,731 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 3,482 6 0 1723.1
2022 Q2 4,229 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 3,739 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 3,877 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 3,408 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 3,465 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 3,323 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 3,325 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 3,840 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 3,601 2 0 555.4
2020 Q1 3,295 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 3,633 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 3,670 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 4,084 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 3,045 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 3,548 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 3,681 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 3,880 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 3,660 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 3,457 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 2,859 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 3,016 2 0 663.1
2017 Q1 2,911 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 3,017 3 1 994.4
2016 Q3 2,932 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 3,232 3 0 928.2
2016 Q1 3,073 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 2,989 5 0 1672.8
2015 Q3 3,375 1 0 296.3
2015 Q2 3,473 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 2,658 2 0 752.4
2014 Q4 2,485 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 2,471 1 0 404.7
2014 Q2 2,333 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 2,046 8 2 3910.1
2013 Q4 1,980 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 1,888 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 1,559 1 0 641.4
2013 Q1 1,117 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 2,438 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 1,599 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 1,671 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 1,485 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 1,175 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,291 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 1,325 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 1,668 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,320 1 0 757.6
2010 Q3 1,376 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 1,371 2 1 1458.8
2010 Q1 1,324 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 1,137 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 1,878 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 2,573 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 2,773 4 0 1442.5
2008 Q4 3,534 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 3,670 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 3,941 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 4,100 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 4,032 1 0 248.0
2007 Q3 4,121 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 4,682 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 4,090 3 0 733.5
2006 Q4 3,783 1 0 264.3
2006 Q3 4,584 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 3,708 1 1 269.7
2006 Q1 4,306 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 3,160 1 1 316.5
2005 Q3 6,165 3 0 486.6
2005 Q2 3,810 8 2 2099.7
2005 Q1 6,700 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 5,820 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 6,240 4 2 641.0
2004 Q2 6,840 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 6,000 18 8 3000.0
2003 Q4 7,400 1 0 135.1
2003 Q3 7,100 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 7,460 16 3 2144.8
2003 Q1 7,200 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 3,840 9 4 2343.8
2002 Q2 750 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 0 0 0
2001 Q3 0 0 0
2001 Q2 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

5 on file

2022 · 1 incident

August 16, 2022 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Arrowhead Mining & Materials LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Changing cutting edge bolt on 966K loader, fully gloved when bolt head spun and cut through glove therefore causing a laceration to the left thumb pad. Required nine stitches.

2015 · 1 incident

July 8, 2015 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Arrowhead Mining & Materials LLC · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects

The aggravation of a pre existing injury to upper right arm. This was noticed when swinging a hammer.

2009 · 1 incident

February 6, 2009 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer OTHER
Arrowhead Materials · Unclassified, insufficient data

Employee complained of slight pain or discomfort in Left Wrist, did not know of any work contributing factors at that time. Employee was treated at Prescott Valley Primary and Urgent care with no confirmed diagnosis.

2008 · 1 incident

August 20, 2008 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal clerk, timekeeper, office worker, director of sales HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Arrowhead Materials · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

While removing trash bags from an elevated shelf in the office restroom, employee also pulled down a container of AjAx powdered cleaner with bleach. The container upended and emptied a portion of its contents onto her head, face, and in her eyes.

2006 · 1 incident

October 5, 2006 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman MACHINERY
Arrowhead Mining & Materials LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

While backing up, he got his thumb caught between ROPS and guard on conveyor belt. Plant was not in operation.