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MAIN PIT: 1 recorded fatality Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Justin Sokolowski
161, Otsego County, NY  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 3000966

MAIN PIT has $17K in proposed MSHA penalties and $7K outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
5
Years on record
1984–2011
Latest incident
Sep 2011
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
74
citations
13
significant & substantial
$16,743
proposed penalties
$9,642
paid to date
58% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $7,101 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See SEWARD SAND & GRAVEL INC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
38
inspections on record
483
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: 483 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

MAIN PIT has $17K in proposed MSHA penalties and $7K 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.
$17K
proposed penalties
$17K
current assessed
$10K
paid to date
$7K
outstanding
66 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $126 in penalties contested before the Commission, $126 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-15.
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.
17.6%
significant & substantial
4.1%
high negligence or reckless
18.9%
reasonably likely or greater
56.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 24.3% low, 71.6% moderate, 4.1% 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.
9 citations taken to the federal commission · 12% of citations on record
  • Settled 1 · 11%
  • Still open 8 · 89%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$126 proposed, $126 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 2025-11-17.
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
YORK 2018-0030 Settlement Lesnick 2018 $126 → $126
YORK 2026-0004 Decision pending
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: 2021-05-05, 5 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
7
samples
1
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg6
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (7)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2021-05-05 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2021-05-05 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2017-09-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2014-10-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-10-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Washer Operator
2004-08-05 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-08-05 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.39 0.46 0.85 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. Seward Sand & Gravel Inc 1950 to 1983
  2. Seward Sand & Gravel Inc 1983 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 2
2025 4
2024 5
2023 7
2022 3
2021 3
2020 3
2019 4
2018 3
2017 5
2016 5
2015 5
2014 5
2013 6
2012 4
2011 5
2010 6
2009 7
2008 7
2007 9
2006 12
2005 11
2004 11
2003 9
2002 8
2001 10
2000 9
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

MAIN PIT sits in Otsego County, New York, 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.
Otsego County, New York · Population 59,738
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$67,086
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 1,122 1 0 891.3
2026 Q1 1,019 3 2 2944.1
2025 Q4 983 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 1,176 24 8 20408.2
2025 Q2 3,656 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 1,829 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 2,433 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 2,397 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 4,425 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 1,907 1 0 524.4
2023 Q4 3,370 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 2,528 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 6,364 1 0 157.1
2023 Q1 499 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 208 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 837 1 0 1194.7
2022 Q2 148 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 0 0 0
2021 Q4 677 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 603 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 783 1 0 1277.1
2021 Q1 0 0 0
2020 Q4 755 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 865 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 502 2 0 3984.1
2020 Q1 0 0 0
2019 Q4 198 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 838 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 242 1 1 4132.2
2019 Q1 10 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 470 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 783 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 173 2 0 11560.7
2018 Q1 0 0 0
2017 Q4 804 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 755 3 0 3973.5
2017 Q2 406 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 384 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 731 5 0 6839.9
2016 Q3 1,150 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 624 5 0 8012.8
2016 Q1 20 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,136 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 1,133 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 928 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 1 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 627 3 0 4784.7
2014 Q3 865 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 883 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 0 0 0
2013 Q4 780 1 0 1282.1
2013 Q3 891 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 567 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 2 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 477 2 0 4192.9
2012 Q3 892 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 621 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 10 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 538 1 0 1858.7
2011 Q3 859 1 1 1164.1
2011 Q2 444 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 10 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 801 1 0 1248.4
2010 Q3 1,293 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 1,243 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 140 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 1,024 1 0 976.6
2009 Q3 1,869 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 1,730 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 705 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 2,194 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 1,563 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 2,281 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 554 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 1,853 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 3,684 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 4,341 2 0 460.7
2007 Q1 2,807 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 3,767 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 3,934 2 0 508.4
2006 Q2 3,794 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 3,057 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 3,780 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 4,160 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 3,837 5 0 1303.1
2005 Q1 3,695 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 3,762 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 3,729 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 2,954 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 3,707 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 2,699 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 3,874 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 1,983 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 3,125 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 3,194 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 3,402 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 2,672 2 0 748.5
2002 Q1 2,740 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 2,884 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 3,569 3 1 840.6
2001 Q2 2,570 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 2,828 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,556 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 3,763 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 2,739 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 2,754 0 0 0.0

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
October 9, 1984 NY · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator Fatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Seward Sand & Gravel Inc · Caught in, under or between collapsing material or buildings

FRONT-END LOADER OPERATOR GOT IN TO BUCKET WHILE LOADER WAS PARKED NEXT TO THE HIGHWALL.

Reportable incidents

4 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2011 · 1 incident

September 13, 2011 NY · Metal/Non-Metal clerk, timekeeper, office worker, director of sales HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Seward Sand & Gravel Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was putting air into loader tire when metal ring which holds the tire in place failed and flew off the rim. Employee sustained injury to hip and pelvis. I am unsure of exact nature of injury at this point. I am also not sure what hit the employee causing the injury.

1984 · 3 incidents

January 23, 1984 NY · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Seward Sand & Gravel Inc · Fall to the walkway or working surface

THERE WAS SNOW ON THE WEIGHING SCALE AND THE MAN SLIPPED AND FELL.