Idaho Cobalt Operation has $19K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
8
Years on record
2011–2024
Latest incident
Apr 2024
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2012
50
citations
15
significant & substantial
$18,975
proposed penalties
$18,975
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 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: 835 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Idaho Cobalt Operation has $19K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 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
$19K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
50 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $7K in penalties contested before the Commission, $7K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2024-11-13.
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.
5citations taken to the federal commission · 10% of citations on record
Stood as issued
4 · 80%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 20%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 3 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
2%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$7K proposed, $7K 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 2024-05-15.
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: 2023-02-22, 3 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
6
samples
1
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz3
Respirable dust, <.1mg3
Show the individual readings (6)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2023-02-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.15
Truck Driver
2023-02-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.27
0.87
0.31
Roof Bolter, Rock
2023-02-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.15
Mucking Mach. Operator
2018-10-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Warehouse Man
2018-10-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Backhoe Operator
2018-10-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Mechanic
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.
Idaho Cobalt Operation recorded 9.47 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2023.
Injury rate, 2023
ⓘ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.
9.47
total case rate
4.74
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 1.78 and the all-US-mining average was 2.10 cases per 100 workers.
In Idaho, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.16 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
2023 *
9.47
4.74
0.000
2022 *
5.21
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
5
2025
15
2024
21
2023
31
2022
17
2021
6
2018
14
2017
6
2013
2
2012
5
2011
5
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Idaho Cobalt Operation sits in Lemhi County, Idaho, where the Census mining category is 0.8% 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.
Lemhi County, Idaho · Population 8,166
0.8%
Mining share of county employment
$52,057
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
1,875
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
1,297
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
2,571
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
3,806
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
3,718
0
0
0.0
2025 Q1
4,615
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
4,838
1
0
206.7
2024 Q3
4,505
0
0
0.0
Show 25 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
4,778
4
0
837.2
2024 Q1
4,831
1
0
207.0
2023 Q4
10,375
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
5,472
1
0
182.7
2023 Q2
9,477
2
0
211.0
2023 Q1
16,900
5
3
295.9
2022 Q4
17,660
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
9,843
1
0
101.6
2022 Q2
6,575
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
4,295
1
0
232.8
2021 Q4
3,036
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
2,146
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
773
1
0
1293.7
2018 Q4
6,996
2
1
285.9
2018 Q3
8,371
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
3,973
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
72
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
1,337
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
225
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
981
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
2,256
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
1,456
2
1
1373.6
2012 Q1
960
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
1,040
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
1,644
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
8 on file
2024 · 1 incident
April 15, 2024ID · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
EE was troubleshooting a cement silo for an obstruction that was causing issues in the feed auger at the remix plant. EE used the electric motor to cycle the auger forward and in reverse to try to free the obstruction. On the third attempt, the motor mount broke, allowing the motor to rotate. As the motor rotated, the small electrical "J" box struck the employee's leg.
2023 · 2 incidents
July 11, 2023ID · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Operator was cleaning water off the floor in the water treatment facility. Operator slipped and fell, striking head. Operator suffered a laceration above the Left eye requiring sutures
January 7, 2023ID · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was working at the portal bench emptying a pump vac station that hold water/mud from the underground portals. The ground became wet with ice and mud from draining the tank. The supporting ground was not well prepped before starting the project and when the employee walked through the mud EE became stuck.
2022 · 3 incidents
September 4, 2022ID · Metal/Non-Metaldrill helperMACHINERY
A core drill helper was cutting a drill rod and the cutting wheel had broke causing the grinder to kick back. The drill helper received a laceration above the left knee as a direct result of the cutting wheel making contact with EE.
A Jervois employee was working on a pump when the ceramic part of the pump broke in their hand causing a full thickness laceration to the L thumb. Employee was seen and treated by the site paramedic who then took the employee to the local ER for evaluation and required stitches. Employee was immediately released with no restrictions.
A contractor employee was getting materials from a laydown area. The employee slipped and fell catching themselves on their hands. The small concrete dobies the employee was carrying landed on the employees left index finger. The employee was seen a medical care facility and diagnosed with a fracture.
Lightning caused forest fire (Mud Lick Fire), Reported via MSHA hotline on 7/13/21 - fire had not advanced to mine site. US Forest Service issued evacuation order due to smoke and fire approaching mine permit boundary on 7/15/21. Follow-up MSHA Hotline Call provided on 7/15/21 due to Evac Order. No injuries, all site personnel safely evacuated.