Echols Mill Quarry 1 and 2 has $19K in proposed MSHA penalties and $151 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
6
Years on record
2014–2026
Latest incident
Apr 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2009
70
citations
22
significant & substantial
$18,513
proposed penalties
$18,362
paid to date
99% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $151 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.
Rate withheld: 873 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Echols Mill Quarry 1 and 2 has $19K in proposed MSHA penalties and $151 outstanding across 1 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.
$19K
proposed penalties
$19K
current assessed
$18K
paid to date
$151
outstanding
67 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $9K in penalties contested before the Commission, $9K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-03-02.
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.
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.
1citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
Settled
1 · 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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$9K proposed, $9K 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 2024-10-21.
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: 2025-09-24
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
23
samples
8
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg15
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz8
Show the individual readings (23)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2025-09-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Mobile Crane Operator
2025-09-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2025-09-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2021-04-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2021-04-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2021-04-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2021-04-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2019-05-29
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2019-05-29
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2018-06-07
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.36
0.99
0.36
Jackhammer Operator
2018-06-07
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.47
0.77
0.61
Jackhammer Operator
2018-06-07
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.46
0.53
0.87
Jackhammer Operator
2016-11-15
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2016-11-15
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2016-11-15
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.18
1.7
0.11
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2015-05-21
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.2
0.73
0.27
Utility Man
2015-05-21
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.26
0.48
0.54
Jackhammer Operator
2013-06-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Drill Helper
2013-06-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2013-06-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Drill Operator, Rotary Air
2013-06-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Drill Operator, Rotary Air
2012-02-01
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.67
0.69
0.97
Jackhammer Operator
2012-02-01
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.21
0.44
0.48
Jackhammer 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.
Echols Mill Quarry 1 and 2 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
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 Georgia, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.20 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 *
12.18
12.18
6.092
2022 *
7.44
0.00
0.000
2021 *
3.75
3.75
0.000
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014 *
8.19
0.00
0.000
2013 *
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
12
2025
12
2024
20
2023
18
2022
14
2021
26
2020
18
2019
10
2018
9
2017
12
2016
11
2015
12
2014
14
2013
13
2012
13
2011
10
2010
9
2009
8
2008
5
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Echols Mill Quarry 1 and 2 sits in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
Oglethorpe County, Georgia · Population 15,221
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$69,784
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
The crew had drilled a chain hole and connected a chain to lift the block a short distance to break away from the ledge. When this occurred, grout rock remaining on the ledge above to miners broke loose and fell striking both of them, fatally injuring one and seriously injuring the second miner. The grout rock was left from the previous day, and was examined and determined safe.
Reportable incidents
5 on file (excluding fatalities above)
2026 · 1 incident
April 15, 2026GA · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The crew had drilled a chain hole and connected a chain to lift the block a short distance to break away from the ledge. When this occurred, grout rock remaining on the ledge above two miners broke loose and fell striking both of them, fatally injuring one and seriously injuring the second miner. The grout rock was left from the previous day, and was examined and determined safe.
2022 · 1 incident
August 30, 2022GA · Metal/Non-Metalbrakeman, roperider, car runner, spotterman, snapper, trip rider, car rider, flagmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was starting a morning fire to warm up and employee's pants caught on fire. It burned employee's leg. Employee went to the local hospital and then to the burn center in Augusta.
2014 · 1 incident
August 28, 2014GA · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was loading pieces of loose granite in bottom of quarry into pan. A piece of rock caught his finger between the rock and pan causing injury to the end of his finger.
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