Mining Incidents

Lorena Butte: 275 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Bishop Red Rock Inc · Surface
Controlled by Edgar Holbrook
Goldendale, Klickitat County, WA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4503057

Lorena Butte has $200K in proposed MSHA penalties and $11 outstanding across 7 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
1991–2013
Latest incident
Jul 2013
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
275
citations
62
significant & substantial
$199,831
proposed penalties
$171,149
paid to date
86% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $28,682 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
70
inspections on record
1,172
inspection hours
23.5
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.
275 citations across 1,172 inspection hours.
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: 2014-09-04.
On record since 2014.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Lorena Butte has $200K in proposed MSHA penalties and $11 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.
$200K
proposed penalties
$171K
current assessed
$171K
paid to date
$11
outstanding
272 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $112K in penalties contested before the Commission, $84K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-02.
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.
22.8%
significant & substantial
9.2%
high negligence or reckless
23.2%
reasonably likely or greater
58.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 8.5% low, 82.4% moderate, 9.2% 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.
29 citations taken to the federal commission · 11% of citations on record
  • Settled 29 · 100%
85%
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 13 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
26%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$112K proposed, $84K 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 2021-06-29.
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 2014-0500 Settlement Manning 2015 $52K → $37K
WEST 2014-0524 Settlement Manning 2015 $25K → $25K
WEST 2014-0493 Settlement Manning 2015 $14K → $12K
WEST 2021-0258 Settlement Miller 2021 $11K → $4K
WEST 2021-0257 Settlement Miller 2021 $8K → $4K
WEST 2015-0166 Settlement Manning 2015 $1K → $1K
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: 2026-04-01
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
18
samples
3
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg10
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz5
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz2
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (18)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-04-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2026-04-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-09-03 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.48 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-09-03 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.67 Front-end Loader Operator
2021-04-06 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.15 Front-end Loader Operator
2021-04-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2019-04-10 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.12 10 0.01 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-04-10 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.23 10 0.02 Front-end Loader Operator
2016-08-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.44 Bulldozer Operator
2016-08-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.43 Front-end Loader Operator
2013-01-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Mechanic
2013-01-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Mechanic
2009-01-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2009-01-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-01-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-01-20 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 1.03 0.12 Laborer, Bullgang
2001-11-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2001-11-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader 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.
Ownership history
  1. Redrock Wholesales Inc 1985 to 1989
  2. Bishop Red Rock Inc 1989 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 5
2025 6
2024 6
2023 6
2022 5
2021 5
2020 5
2019 4
2018 4
2017 5
2016 5
2015 5
2014 5
2013 5
2012 6
2011 5
2010 4
2009 4
2008 4
2007 5
2006 6
2005 4
2004 4
2003 4
2002 18
2001 7
2000 20
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Lorena Butte sits in Klickitat County, Washington, where the Census mining category is 0.0% 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.
Klickitat County, Washington · Population 23,082
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$70,400
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 2,937 6 1 2042.9
2026 Q1 1,574 3 0 1906.0
2025 Q4 3,110 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 3,074 1 0 325.3
2025 Q2 6,460 2 0 309.6
2025 Q1 2,060 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 2,494 3 0 1202.9
2024 Q3 2,845 1 0 351.5
Show 91 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 2,947 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 2,004 3 0 1497.0
2023 Q4 3,306 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 3,429 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 3,288 7 1 2129.0
2023 Q1 2,300 7 0 3043.5
2022 Q4 2,650 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 2,878 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 2,744 3 0 1093.3
2022 Q1 2,535 8 1 3155.8
2021 Q4 2,633 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 2,566 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 2,895 14 4 4835.9
2021 Q1 2,518 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 2,837 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 2,661 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 1,613 11 2 6819.6
2020 Q1 866 1 0 1154.7
2019 Q4 2,225 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 2,483 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 2,382 2 0 839.6
2019 Q1 1,910 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 2,338 3 0 1283.1
2018 Q3 2,322 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 2,303 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 1,602 2 1 1248.4
2017 Q4 2,369 6 2 2532.7
2017 Q3 2,680 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 2,998 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 2,092 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 2,759 4 2 1449.8
2016 Q3 2,806 2 0 712.8
2016 Q2 1,627 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 1,811 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 2,814 9 4 3198.3
2015 Q3 2,852 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 2,691 5 3 1858.0
2015 Q1 1,802 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 1,856 2 1 1077.6
2014 Q3 3,579 10 4 2794.1
2014 Q2 3,155 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 932 3 0 3218.9
2013 Q4 2,369 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 2,180 7 5 3211.0
2013 Q2 2,705 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 2,468 10 0 4051.9
2012 Q4 2,970 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 2,819 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 2,607 6 2 2301.5
2012 Q1 4,665 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 2,927 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 3,071 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 4,626 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 980 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,800 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 2,354 1 0 424.8
2010 Q2 2,707 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 1,346 9 1 6686.5
2009 Q4 2,285 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 2,334 9 2 3856.0
2009 Q2 2,796 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 1,672 5 1 2990.4
2008 Q4 2,698 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 2,685 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 2,471 21 6 8498.6
2008 Q1 1,754 16 2 9122.0
2007 Q4 2,599 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 2,662 4 0 1502.6
2007 Q2 2,952 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 1,706 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 2,587 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 3,044 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 3,299 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 2,539 4 0 1575.4
2005 Q4 2,162 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 2,624 9 4 3429.9
2005 Q2 1,527 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,843 2 0 1085.2
2004 Q4 2,643 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 2,734 5 0 1828.8
2004 Q2 2,555 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1,980 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 2,851 3 0 1052.3
2003 Q3 2,787 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 2,842 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 2,536 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 3,830 8 1 2088.8
2002 Q3 7,060 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 5,771 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 7,229 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 7,426 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

6 on file

2013 · 1 incident

July 24, 2013 WA · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman POWERED HAULAGE
Bishop Red Rock Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Parked behind large truck, backup alarm not working. Employee was seriously injured and is still in the hospital.

1995 · 2 incidents

November 30, 1995 WA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Bishop Red Rock Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS GETTING OFF LOADER AND STEPPED IN DITCH & TWISTED KNEE.

August 24, 1995 WA · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Bishop Red Rock Inc · Fall from machine

YEMPLOYEE WAS GETTING OF FCAT AND FELL HURTING RIGHT HAND.

1994 · 1 incident

October 7, 1994 WA · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Bishop Red Rock Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EMPLOYEE WAS CHANGING SCREEN ON UPPER DECK AND WHEN STARTED PULLING ON IT, HE HURT HIS SHOULDER.

1992 · 1 incident

July 18, 1992 WA · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator STEPPING OR KNEELING ON OBJECT
Bishop Red Rock Inc · Struck against stationary object

EMPLOYEE WAS STEPPING OFF OF LOADER AND STEPPED ON ROCK AND HURT FOOT.

1991 · 1 incident

April 15, 1991 WA · Metal/Non-Metal clerk, timekeeper, office worker, director of sales OTHER
Bishop Red Rock Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

HOLDING DOOR OPEN WIND BLEW HER ACCROSS DESK NECK SORE