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: 906 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.
2
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2013-01-03.
On record since 2012.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Knippa Plant has $45K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 7 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.
$45K
proposed penalties
$37K
current assessed
$37K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
159 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $17K in penalties contested before the Commission, $9K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-11-19.
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.
33citations taken to the federal commission · 20% of citations on record
Settled
23 · 70%
Stood as issued
10 · 30%
82%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 17 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
46%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$17K 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 2014-01-14.
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: 2024-09-18
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
10
samples
1
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg7
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz2
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (10)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2024-09-18
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2009-01-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Utility Man
2009-01-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2007-08-09
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.37
2.73
0.14
Crusher Oper/Worker
2007-08-09
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2007-08-09
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2005-10-12
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Mechanic
2005-10-12
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2005-10-12
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.12
Mechanic
2005-10-12
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.21
Truck Driver
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
2026
6
2025
5
2024
5
2023
6
2022
6
2021
6
2020
9
2019
8
2018
8
2017
7
2016
6
2015
7
2014
6
2013
5
2012
7
2011
6
2010
6
2009
5
2008
7
2007
8
2006
9
2005
9
2004
11
2003
10
2002
9
2001
11
2000
10
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Knippa Plant sits in Uvalde County, Texas, where the Census mining category is 2.8% 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.
Uvalde County, Texas · Population 24,810
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$57,849
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 Q1
2,548
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
2,115
3
0
1418.4
2025 Q3
2,136
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
984
1
0
1016.3
2025 Q1
1,641
1
0
609.4
2024 Q4
1,287
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
2,227
5
2
2245.2
2024 Q2
2,802
0
0
0.0
Show 97 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q1
2,214
2
0
903.3
2023 Q4
1,560
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
2,462
4
0
1624.7
2023 Q2
2,384
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
2,157
7
3
3245.2
2022 Q4
1,358
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
2,428
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
2,713
2
0
737.2
2022 Q1
2,729
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
2,876
2
0
695.4
2021 Q3
2,377
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
2,231
0
0
0.0
2021 Q1
2,439
1
0
410.0
2020 Q4
3,544
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
3,828
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
3,580
1
1
279.3
2020 Q1
3,647
3
0
822.6
2019 Q4
3,239
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
4,442
4
1
900.5
2019 Q2
4,176
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
4,227
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
3,919
4
1
1020.7
2018 Q3
3,301
4
1
1211.8
2018 Q2
3,569
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
3,580
1
0
279.3
2017 Q4
3,650
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
3,172
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
2,197
7
1
3186.2
2017 Q1
2,474
1
0
404.2
2016 Q4
2,774
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
3,038
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
3,006
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
3,138
6
1
1912.0
2015 Q4
3,591
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
2,844
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
2,292
1
1
436.3
2015 Q1
2,408
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
2,828
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
2,995
2
1
667.8
2014 Q2
2,381
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
2,256
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
3,026
5
2
1652.3
2013 Q3
2,928
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
2,040
1
1
490.2
2013 Q1
1,841
3
2
1629.5
2012 Q4
3,328
5
3
1502.4
2012 Q3
4,255
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
2,510
9
4
3585.7
2012 Q1
2,987
8
4
2678.3
2011 Q4
2,781
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
3,303
6
1
1816.5
2011 Q2
2,683
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
2,282
2
0
876.4
2010 Q4
2,621
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
1,793
1
0
557.7
2010 Q2
2,130
5
2
2347.4
2010 Q1
1,605
11
3
6853.6
2009 Q4
1,799
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
2,041
8
4
3919.6
2009 Q2
2,341
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
2,077
2
0
962.9
2008 Q4
2,844
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
3,055
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
2,657
5
1
1881.8
2008 Q1
3,546
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
3,214
2
0
622.3
2007 Q3
2,950
1
0
339.0
2007 Q2
3,307
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
3,039
3
0
987.2
2006 Q4
3,616
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
3,530
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
4,332
3
1
692.5
2006 Q1
4,071
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
3,539
6
2
1695.4
2005 Q3
4,674
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
4,060
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
3,860
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
4,126
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
4,892
1
0
204.4
2004 Q2
5,194
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
4,518
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
4,505
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
4,393
10
1
2276.3
2003 Q2
3,654
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
4,039
0
0
0.0
2002 Q4
4,006
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
3,895
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
3,908
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
4,300
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
4,219
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
4,730
0
0
0.0
2001 Q2
4,971
0
0
0.0
2001 Q1
4,774
1
0
209.5
2000 Q4
4,279
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
4,487
1
0
222.9
2000 Q2
4,270
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
3,971
6
5
1511.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
4 on file
2000 · 1 incident
January 27, 2000TX · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerPOWERED HAULAGE
THE DRIVER OF THE LOADER IGNORED HIS SUPERVISOR'S WORK ORDERS AND EXCAVATED A HIGH EMBANKMENT. THIS RESULTED IN A "CAVE-IN" OF MATERIAL. THE LOOSENED MATERIAL WAS UNSTABLE AND FELL ON THE LOAD ER BUCKET. THE LOADER WAS JARRED WHEN THE MATERIAL FELL ON THE BUCKET.
1999 · 1 incident
July 12, 1999TX · Metal/Non-Metalwelder (shop)MACHINERY
EE WAS IN THE SHOP AREA USING THE GRINDER ON THE SURFACE AREA OF A CHUTE FOR THE AGGREGATE PLANT. SMALL PARTICLES OF THE GRINDING MATERIAL LODGED IN THE EE'S RIGHT EYE. SAFETY GOGGLES WERE BEI NG USED.
1998 · 1 incident
December 1, 1998TX · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorMACHINERY
EMPLOYEE WAS GRINDING A WELD ON THE PLANT'S SCRUBER. EMPLOYEE STOPPED GRINDER TO SHIFT TO A BETTER WORKING POSITION. EMPLOYEE LOST BALANCE WHEN SHIFTIN GHIS WEIGHT AND MADE CONTACT WITH HIS KNEE TO THE GRINDER. THE GRINDER HAD NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN ITS ROTATION. THIS RESULTED IN A SMALL ALCERATION TO THE KNEE.
1987 · 1 incident
December 22, 1987TX · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
CHANGING PLANT SCREEN WHEN THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END LOST HIS HOLD & I.NAME TRIED TO HOLD ONTO IT & MASHED HIS FINGER BETWEEN THE SCREEN & PLANT FRAME