Discovery Day Mine has $238K in proposed MSHA penalties and $83K outstanding across 30 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
11
Years on record
1995–2010
Latest incident
May 2010
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2004
319
citations
115
significant & substantial
$237,855
proposed penalties
$31,400
paid to date
13% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $206,455 gap.
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.
319 citations across 2,308 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Discovery Day Mine has $238K in proposed MSHA penalties and $83K outstanding across 30 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.
$238K
proposed penalties
$115K
current assessed
$31K
paid to date
$83K
outstanding
277 assessments are final orders; 30 contested dockets.
Of $233K in penalties contested before the Commission, $108K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2012-05-22.
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.
254citations taken to the federal commission · 80% of citations on record
Settled
216 · 85%
Stood as issued
30 · 12%
Vacated or withdrawn
8 · 3%
95%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 116 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
54%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$233K proposed, $108K 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 2012-04-30.
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: 2007-07-18, 19 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
13
samples
8
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz8
Respirable dust, <.1mg5
Show the individual readings (13)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2007-07-18
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Mucking Mach. Operator
2007-07-18
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Cleanup Man
2006-09-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.56
1.09
0.51
Drill Oper., Jackleg/Stoper
2006-09-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.22
1.15
0.19
Utility Man
2006-09-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.24
1.68
0.14
Flotation/Concentrator Oper.
2006-09-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.18
1.53
0.12
Flotation/Concentrator Oper.
2004-09-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.37
0.62
0.60
Crusher Oper/Worker
2004-09-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Mechanic
2004-09-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2004-09-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.29
0.63
0.46
Laborer, Bullgang
2004-09-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.22
0.61
0.36
Lab Technician
2004-09-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Drill Oper., Jackleg/Stoper
2004-09-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.14
0.97
0.14
Ball Mill 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
2013
1
2012
2
2011
2
2010
7
2008
6
2007
9
2006
11
2005
2
2004
8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Discovery Day Mine sits in Siskiyou County, California, where the Census mining category is 0.2% 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.
Siskiyou County, California · Population 43,834
0.2%
Mining share of county employment
$55,499
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
2013 Q4
120
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
240
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
120
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
60
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
480
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
500
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
1,280
4
0
3125.0
2012 Q1
499
0
0
0.0
Show 25 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2011 Q4
669
2
0
2989.5
2011 Q3
656
1
0
1524.4
2011 Q2
540
7
3
12963.0
2011 Q1
514
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
665
4
4
6015.0
2010 Q3
405
33
0
81481.5
2010 Q2
2,836
69
55
24330.0
2010 Q1
2,872
11
3
3830.1
2008 Q1
2,109
3
0
1422.5
2007 Q4
3,149
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
4,117
5
1
1214.5
2007 Q2
3,219
4
1
1242.6
2007 Q1
2,234
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
3,743
11
2
2938.8
2006 Q3
6,240
50
17
8012.8
2006 Q2
6,767
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
1,590
1
0
628.9
2005 Q4
480
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
480
2
0
4166.7
2005 Q2
340
4
0
11764.7
2005 Q1
145
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
814
32
7
39312.0
2004 Q3
4,837
74
22
15298.7
2004 Q2
3,815
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
360
0
0
0.0
Fatalities at this mine
1 recorded
May 28, 2010CA · Metal/Non-Metalbull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift bossFatality · EXPLOSIVES AND BREAKING AGENTS
2 miners lit their fuse for a face round and then re-entered blast area prior to the mandated 1 hour wait period. When they were within 25 feet of the face, a misfire detonated. This was against company policy and recent training. 1 miner was killed by the blast and the other injured.
2 miners lit their fuse for a face round and then re-entered blast area prior to the mandated 1 hour wait period. When they were within 25 feet of the face, a misfire detonated. This was against company policy and recent training. 1 miner was killed by the blast and the other injured.
2007 · 2 incidents
April 8, 2007CA · Metal/Non-Metalutility man, errand boy, service truck operatorMACHINERY
WORKER FELL FROM BACK OF PICKUP TRUCK WHILE UNLOADING HAY BALES. HE LANDED HARD ON DIRT ROAD AND INJURED HIS RIGHT SHOULDER. WORKER DECIDED TO WAIT TO SEE HOW BAD THIS INJURY WAS BEFORE SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION.
1996 · 3 incidents
August 8, 1996CA · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
WHILE WORKING ON INTERNATIONAL SERVICE TRUCK, EMP MANUFACTURED A WOODEN STOOL FOR ELEVATION. WOODEN STOOL WAS NOT SEATED ON GROUND PROPERLY. WHEN EMP GOT ON STOOL, GROUND STABILIZATION WAS NOT THERE CAUSING EMP BODY TO SHIFT IN ONE DIRECTIONAND LEGS ANOTHER, CAUSING TORN LIGAMENT OR KNEE INJURY.
February 13, 1996CA · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EMP WENT TO PROCURE SOME SALVAGABLE EQPMNT ON GODFREY RANCH. SOME OF EQPMNT WAS EXTREMELY HEAVY AND SLIPPED A FEW TIMES WHILE BEING LOADED ON TRUCK CAUSING EMP TO HAVE TO TRY TO STEADY OR PHYS ICALLY ATTEMPT TO PICK UP EQPMNT. EMP HELD STOMACHE A FEW TIMES AFTER LOADING EQPMNT, BUT DIDN'T TELL ME THAT HE HAD HURT HIMSELF AT THAT TIME.
January 10, 1996CA · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EMPLOYEE SUPPOSEDLY SLIPPED & FELL ON BEHIND - CLAIMS(?) SHOULDER AND BACK INJURY - WE HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF ANY INJURY - ARE FILING THIS REPORT AS NOTIFICATION TO MSHA OF POSIBLE INJURY - EMPLOYEE HAS NOT SHOWN FOR WORK SINCE ABOVE DATE
A ROCK WAS STUCK IN THE TAILGATE OF DUMP TRUCK. HE THOUGHT HE COULD FREE IT BY HAND. THE ROCK DID COME OUT BUT THE TAILGATE CAUGHT HIS FINGER. PINKY FINGER CUT AND SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION IM MEDIATELY. BACK TO WORK NEXT DAY.
September 5, 1995CA · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanOTHER
WAS RAKING FOR FIRE BRAKE, DISTURBED UNKNOWN NEST. WAS STUNG TWICE BY YELLOW JACKETS, HAD UNKNOWALLERGIC REACTION. RECEIVED BEE KIT AT HOSPITAL.[FAINTING, VOMITING, DIARERRA]
August 18, 1995CA · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
WHILE STACKING LUMBER AT MILL EMPLOYEE RECEIVED A WOOD SLIVER IN HIS RIGHT HAND.INFECTION DEVELOPED TO SEEK DR CARE DR SURGICALLY OPENED TO DRAIN INFECTION AND IS KEEPING WOUND TO HEAL FROM IN SIDE.