Mining Incidents

CLOD BUSTER PIT #1: 1 reportable incident Metal/Non-Metal

Agronics Inc · Surface
Controlled by Leland B Taylor
Sandoval County, NM  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 2900785

MSHA record for CLOD BUSTER PIT #1 (mine ID 2900785). Fatalities, non-fatal incidents grouped by year, current operator and controller, and mine context.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
1996
Latest incident
Nov 1996
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
2
inspections on record
11
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: 11 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
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
CENT20000286M Default Barbour 2000 $4K → $4K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Agronics Inc 1950 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2001 5
2000 10
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

CLOD BUSTER PIT #1 sits in Sandoval County, New Mexico, where the Census mining category is 0.3% 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.
Sandoval County, New Mexico · Population 151,538
0.3%
Mining share of county employment
$84,053
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
2001 Q1 2,938 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 1,217 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 3,581 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 4,415 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 7,531 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

1996 · 1 incident

November 15, 1996 NM · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver EXPLODING VESSELS UNDER PRESSURE
Agronics Inc · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

EMP WAS ATTEMPTING TO OFF LOAD SULFURIC ACID. HOOKED UP AIR PRESSURE LINES TO BUILD AIR PRESURE IN CARGO TANK AND OPENED VALVES TO ALLOW AIR INTO TANK. PRESSURE WAS NOT BUILDING, SO HE BEGAN T O LOOK FOR CAUSE. AS HE WAS CHECKING FOR TIGHTNESS OF FITTINGS AN AIR LINE FITTING BROKE. BEFORECHECK VALVE CLOSED, SMALL AMOUNT OF ACID WAS FORCED OUT ONTO LEFT SIDE OF FACE, NECK AND EAR.