Mining Incidents

Knik Crusher #3: 17 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Lynden Inc
Soldotna, Kenai Peninsula County, AK  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 5001242

Knik Crusher #3 has $9K 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
2013
Latest incident
May 2013
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2013
17
citations
5
significant & substantial
$9,061
proposed penalties
$5,555
paid to date
61% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,506 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2013
11
inspections on record
130
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: 130 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
A Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2013-05-15.
On record since 2013.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Knik Crusher #3 has $9K 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.
$9K
proposed penalties
$6K
current assessed
$6K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
16 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $6K in penalties contested before the Commission, $3K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2020-10-11.
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.
31.2%
significant & substantial
6.2%
high negligence or reckless
31.2%
reasonably likely or greater
68.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 6.2% low, 87.5% moderate, 6.2% 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 · 6% 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%
54%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$6K proposed, $3K 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 2018-10-03.
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 2019-0012 Settlement McCarthy 2019 $6K → $3K
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: 2020-10-11, 5 years ago
1
samples
0
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (1)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2020-10-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.52 Laborer, Bullgang
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.
Ownership history
  1. Knik Construction Company Inc 1950 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 0
2025 2
2024 2
2023 2
2022 2
2021 1
2020 1
2019 2
2018 2
2017 4
2016 4
2015 4
2014 0
2013 3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Knik Crusher #3 sits in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, where the Census mining category is 5.7% 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.
Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska · Population 59,843
5.7%
Mining share of county employment
$77,722
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 0 0 0
2026 Q1 0 0 0
2025 Q4 0 0 0
2025 Q3 929 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 249 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 0 0 0
2024 Q3 630 0 0 0.0
Show 39 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 515 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 0 0 0
2023 Q4 0 0 0
2023 Q3 304 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 2,182 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 0 0 0
2022 Q4 0 0 0
2022 Q3 0 0 0
2022 Q2 1,671 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 0 0 0
2021 Q4 0 0 0
2021 Q3 0 0 0
2021 Q2 1,658 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 0 0 0
2020 Q4 0 4 0
2020 Q3 470 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 0 0 0
2020 Q1 0 0 0
2019 Q4 0 0 0
2019 Q3 562 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 885 1 0 1129.9
2019 Q1 0 0 0
2018 Q4 0 0 0
2018 Q3 352 8 3 22727.3
2018 Q2 1,378 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 0 0 0
2017 Q4 875 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 1,777 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 0 0 0
2016 Q3 0 0 0
2016 Q2 728 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 768 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,290 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 947 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 0 0 0
2013 Q4 385 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 0 0 0
2013 Q2 4,501 4 2 888.7
2013 Q1 354 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2013 · 2 incidents

May 2, 2013 AK · Metal/Non-Metal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Knik Construction Company Inc · Struck by falling object

Employee was replacing clutch on VSI Crusher. Driveline was being removed when it dropped on hand lacerating left pinky finger requiring stitches and prescription medication. No time loss.

April 28, 2013 AK · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Knik Construction Company Inc · Fall onto or against objects

Employee was cleaning plant. Working surface was muddy. Employee was gathering tools for mud removal when he slipped in the mud and struck left wrist against plant. No time loss, prescription for pain medication was provided.