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Golden Chest Mine: 144 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Grant A Brackebusch
Murray, Shoshone County, ID  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1000414

Golden Chest Mine has $36K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2021–2024
Latest incident
Oct 2024
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2014
144
citations
19
significant & substantial
$36,386
proposed penalties
$33,786
paid to date
93% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,600 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Idaho Strategic Resources Inc's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2014
74
inspections on record
1,839
inspection hours
7.8
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.
144 citations across 1,839 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Golden Chest Mine has $36K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$36K
proposed penalties
$34K
current assessed
$34K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
143 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $4K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-11-05.
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.
13.3%
significant & substantial
3.5%
high negligence or reckless
14.0%
reasonably likely or greater
33.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 9.1% low, 87.4% moderate, 3.5% 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.
1 citations 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%
62%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$4K proposed, $2K 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 2015-07-30.
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.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
WEST 2015-0794 Settlement Manning 2016 $4K → $2K
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: 2026-03-18
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
19
samples
13
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Diesel particulate (total carbon)7
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz3
  • Cristobalite, respirable2
  • Lead fumes2
Show the individual readings (39)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-03-18 EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Truck Driver
2026-03-18 TC from EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Truck Driver
2026-03-18 Lead, inorganic dust 0 150 0.00 Mechanic
2026-03-18 ORGANIC CARBON 0 Truck Driver
2026-03-18 TC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Truck Driver
2025-07-17 EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Mucking Mach. Operator
2025-07-17 TC from EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Mucking Mach. Operator
2025-07-17 ORGANIC CARBON 0 Truck Driver
2025-07-17 TC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Truck Driver
2025-07-17 TC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Mucking Mach. Operator
2025-07-17 EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Truck Driver
2025-07-17 TC from EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Truck Driver
2025-07-17 ORGANIC CARBON 0 Mucking Mach. Operator
2024-07-09 Lead fumes 0 150 0.00 Mucking Mach. Operator
2024-07-09 Lead fumes 0 150 0.00 Truck Driver
2021-10-13 ORGANIC CARBON 0 Miner, Drift
2021-10-13 TC from EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2021-10-13 EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2021-10-13 TC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2021-10-13 ORGANIC CARBON 0 Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2021-10-13 TC from EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Miner, Drift
2021-10-13 EC @ 160 35 160 0.22 Miner, Drift
2021-10-13 TC @ 160 38 160 0.24 Miner, Drift
2021-10-13 TC from EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Miner, Stope
2021-10-13 EC @ 160 39 160 0.24 Miner, Stope
2021-10-13 TC @ 160 70 160 0.44 Miner, Stope
2021-10-13 ORGANIC CARBON 0.03 Miner, Stope
2019-09-25 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 Mechanic
2019-09-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2018-04-05 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.51 10 0.05 Miner, Stope
2018-04-05 TC @ 160 72 160 0.45 Miner, Stope
2018-04-05 EC @ 160 32 160 0.20 Miner, Stope
2018-04-05 TC from EC @ 160 0 160 0.00 Miner, Stope
2017-01-10 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.15 1.48 0.10 Laborer, Bullgang
2017-01-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2015-02-12 Cristobalite, respirable 0 Supervisor, Co. Official
2015-02-12 Cristobalite, respirable 0 Truck Driver
2015-02-12 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.42 Truck Driver
2015-02-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.53 1.18 0.45 Supervisor, Co. Official

Area samples (mill and shop air)

Last sampled: 2026-03-18
5
samples
Show the individual readings (20)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Area sampled
2026-03-18 EC @ 160 0 UG GENERAL
2026-03-18 TC @ 160 0 UG GENERAL
2025-07-17 EC @ 160 0 UG GENERAL
2025-07-17 TC @ 160 0 UG GENERAL
2021-10-13 TC from EC @ 160 0 UG TRAVEL/HAULAGE
2021-10-13 EC @ 160 0 UG TRAVEL/HAULAGE
2020-10-27 IRON (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 LEAD (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 MAGNESIUM (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 MANGANESE (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 ARSENIC (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 NICKEL (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 VANADIUM (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 ZINC (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 MOLYBDENUM (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 BERYLLIUM (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 CADMIUM (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 CHROMIUM (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 COBALT (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
2020-10-27 COPPER (WIPE) 0 UG OFF/LUNCH/STOP
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.

Golden Chest Mine 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 Idaho, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.26 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 * 3.18 0.00 0.000
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2021 * 4.07 4.07 0.000
2020 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2015 * 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. Golden Chest Mining Company 1981 to 2014
  2. SMALL MINE DEVELOPMENT L.L.C. 2014 to 2015
  3. Idaho Strategic Resources Inc 2015 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 45
2025 35
2024 30
2023 27
2022 31
2021 24
2020 12
2019 8
2018 5
2017 3
2016 3
2015 31
2014 18
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Golden Chest Mine sits in Shoshone County, Idaho, where the Census mining category is 7.2% 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.
Shoshone County, Idaho · Population 13,580
7.2%
Mining share of county employment
$49,975
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 25,740 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 23,476 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 21,770 2 0 91.9
2025 Q3 17,232 3 0 174.1
2025 Q2 17,680 3 0 169.7
2025 Q1 17,758 1 0 56.3
2024 Q4 17,997 1 0 55.6
2024 Q3 15,950 1 0 62.7
Show 39 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 15,110 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 13,900 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 13,760 2 0 145.3
2023 Q3 13,760 1 0 72.7
2023 Q2 12,890 3 0 232.7
2023 Q1 13,532 9 0 665.1
2022 Q4 19,074 3 0 157.3
2022 Q3 13,480 1 0 74.2
2022 Q2 17,420 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 16,120 3 0 186.1
2021 Q4 12,480 5 1 400.6
2021 Q3 15,080 7 3 464.2
2021 Q2 13,000 6 0 461.5
2021 Q1 8,640 1 0 115.7
2020 Q4 8,840 2 0 226.2
2020 Q3 6,120 4 0 653.6
2020 Q2 5,100 8 1 1568.6
2020 Q1 4,070 1 0 245.7
2019 Q4 5,200 3 1 576.9
2019 Q3 3,640 11 0 3022.0
2019 Q2 3,640 3 0 824.2
2019 Q1 3,120 2 0 641.0
2018 Q4 3,650 1 0 274.0
2018 Q3 2,080 1 0 480.8
2018 Q2 1,720 2 0 1162.8
2018 Q1 1,560 2 0 1282.1
2017 Q4 1,560 1 0 641.0
2017 Q3 1,440 1 0 694.4
2017 Q1 1,040 2 0 1923.1
2016 Q4 2,340 3 0 1282.1
2016 Q3 960 1 0 1041.7
2016 Q2 20 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 60 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 552 2 0 3623.2
2015 Q3 15,906 7 2 440.1
2015 Q2 23,276 3 1 128.9
2015 Q1 17,187 15 6 872.8
2014 Q4 15,289 4 1 261.6
2014 Q3 4,725 1 0 211.6
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2024 · 1 incident

October 18, 2024 ID · Metal/Non-Metal miner, nec HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Idaho Strategic Resources Inc · Struck against stationary object

Miner was pulling a jackleg from a hole and bumped EE's elbow on a Monster Mat on the rib. Causing a laceration that was 2.5 inches and required 6 stitches. Miner returned to work.

2021 · 1 incident

September 27, 2021 ID · Metal/Non-Metal miner, nec FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Idaho Strategic Resources Inc · Struck by falling object

A miner was bolting the back of the 833 N stope. A fall of ground in the hanging wall fault zone buried the miner until the miner could be rescued by other miners on the crew. The miner received a broken jaw, broken femur, broken rib, fractured hip, several face abrasions, as well as missing teeth.