Mining Incidents
Search Operators Mines Alerts Research Controllers Fatalgrams About
English Español
← Back to search

Maricopa Pit: 146 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Chandler, Pinal County, AZ  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 0203075

Maricopa Pit has $60K in proposed MSHA penalties and $513 outstanding across 14 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Maricopa Pit.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2017–2026
Latest incident
Jun 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
146
citations
36
significant & substantial
$60,137
proposed penalties
$41,122
paid to date
68% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $19,015 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Gila River Sand & Gravel's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
59
inspections on record
983
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: 983 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: 2022-03-26.
On record since 2022.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Maricopa Pit has $60K in proposed MSHA penalties and $513 outstanding across 14 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.
$60K
proposed penalties
$42K
current assessed
$41K
paid to date
$513
outstanding
141 assessments are final orders; 14 contested dockets.
Of $28K in penalties contested before the Commission, $7K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-03-21.
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.
24.8%
significant & substantial
1.4%
high negligence or reckless
24.8%
reasonably likely or greater
48.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 6.2% low, 92.4% moderate, 1.4% 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.
30 citations taken to the federal commission · 21% of citations on record
  • Settled 21 · 70%
  • Stood as issued 2 · 7%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 6 · 20%
  • Still open 1 · 3%
58%
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 12 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
74%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$28K 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 2026-05-31.
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 2025-0165 Settlement Simonton 2025 $18K → $864
WEST 2009-682M Settlement Lesnick 2011 $4K → $2K
WEST 2012-1324M Settlement Lesnick 2013 $2K → $1K
WEST 2024-0001 Settlement Manning 2024 $1K → $429
WEST 2022-0256 Default 2022 $860 → $860
WEST 2018-0309 Settlement Manning 2018 $811 → $811
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: 2026-03-26
38%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
28
samples
13
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz135 over
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg15
Show the individual readings (28)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-03-26 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.58 0.54 1.07 Crusher Oper/Worker
2022-09-20 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.46 0.39 1.18 Cleanup Man
2016-07-26 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.66 0.31 2.13 Laborer, Bullgang
2007-01-04 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.41 0.36 1.14 Cleanup Man
2007-01-04 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.45 0.33 1.36 Cleanup Man
2026-03-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2026-03-26 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.23 0.57 0.40 Crusher Oper/Worker
2022-09-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2022-09-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Washer Operator
2022-09-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cleanup Man
2018-09-18 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2018-09-18 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.19 0.58 0.33 Crusher Oper/Worker
2018-09-18 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2016-11-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2016-11-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2016-07-26 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.19 0.41 0.46 Laborer, Bullgang
2011-11-09 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 0.41 0.29 Bobcat Operator
2011-11-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2011-11-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cleanup Man
2009-11-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-11-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Washer Operator
2009-11-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2007-02-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cleanup Man
2007-02-21 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 0.85 0.15 Cleanup Man
2005-05-05 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.39 0.4 0.98 Laborer, Bullgang
2005-05-05 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2005-05-05 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.19 0.21 0.90 Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-05-05 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.33 0.82 0.40 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.

Maricopa Pit recorded 1.79 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.

Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ 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.
1.79
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 1.65 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Arizona, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.81 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year total case rate days-away fatal
2025 1.79 0.00 0.000
2024 0.00 0.00 0.000
2023 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 0.00 0.00 0.000
2021 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 0.00 0.00 0.000
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.
Ownership history
  1. Gila River Sand & Gravel 2005 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 60
2025 56
2024 59
2023 90
2022 84
2021 80
2020 75
2019 75
2018 64
2017 59
2016 60
2015 59
2014 47
2013 40
2012 36
2011 36
2010 34
2009 37
2008 49
2007 49
2006 49
2005 28
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Maricopa Pit sits in Pinal County, Arizona, 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.
Pinal County, Arizona · Population 449,219
0.8%
Mining share of county employment
$77,588
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 35,193 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 29,820 1 1 33.5
2025 Q4 27,826 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 26,802 4 0 149.2
2025 Q2 27,665 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 29,634 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 30,134 3 0 99.6
2024 Q3 31,844 0 0 0.0
Show 78 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 32,335 1 0 30.9
2024 Q1 30,166 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 32,071 5 0 155.9
2023 Q3 50,235 4 0 79.6
2023 Q2 55,003 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 46,249 3 0 64.9
2022 Q4 48,513 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 50,921 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 49,831 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 40,387 3 1 74.3
2021 Q4 48,556 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 45,728 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 44,629 3 1 67.2
2021 Q1 39,236 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 42,878 1 0 23.3
2020 Q3 37,691 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 37,681 2 0 53.1
2020 Q1 38,212 5 0 130.8
2019 Q4 43,074 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 44,300 1 1 22.6
2019 Q2 42,646 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 39,363 3 0 76.2
2018 Q4 39,713 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 33,391 2 1 59.9
2018 Q2 31,205 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 29,121 5 3 171.7
2017 Q4 28,460 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 27,669 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 26,817 1 0 37.3
2017 Q1 28,018 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 27,821 8 6 287.6
2016 Q3 31,431 1 1 31.8
2016 Q2 31,315 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 28,219 1 1 35.4
2015 Q4 28,111 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 25,463 1 0 39.3
2015 Q2 26,549 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 24,944 1 0 40.1
2014 Q4 22,106 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 20,831 1 0 48.0
2014 Q2 21,747 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 21,676 7 1 322.9
2013 Q4 20,944 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 18,793 9 3 478.9
2013 Q2 18,880 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 17,536 4 1 228.1
2012 Q4 17,169 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 15,269 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 16,602 8 2 481.9
2012 Q1 13,941 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 15,274 4 1 261.9
2011 Q3 15,067 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 14,565 3 0 206.0
2011 Q1 13,574 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 14,977 2 1 133.5
2010 Q3 14,168 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 13,203 1 0 75.7
2010 Q1 12,965 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 15,996 3 0 187.5
2009 Q3 14,973 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 15,590 5 0 320.7
2009 Q1 16,406 10 1 609.5
2008 Q4 20,318 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 22,413 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 22,139 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 22,886 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 29,357 2 0 68.1
2007 Q3 26,121 8 4 306.3
2007 Q2 26,167 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 26,360 5 1 189.7
2006 Q4 29,134 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 25,888 3 0 115.9
2006 Q2 24,887 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 21,278 6 3 282.0
2005 Q4 19,117 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 29,415 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 8,798 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 5,646 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2026 · 1 incident

June 25, 2026 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Gila River Sand & Gravel · Fall to the walkway or working surface

While dismounting from the Caterpillar 775G haul truck, the miner lost their footing when on the ground and fell. Miner suffered sprained ankle.

2025 · 1 incident

September 4, 2025 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Gila River Sand & Gravel · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was cutting zip ties from a H.P. Guard when the knife slipped and EE cut EE's elbow. Basic first aid given and then taken for medical treatment. Employee received sutures on elbow. Release to return back to work same day. no lost time

2017 · 1 incident

September 9, 2017 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Gila River Sand & Gravel · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE was hitting the inside rod of a 4" pipe. 2" diameter steel pipe. EE was using a 10lb sledge hammer. EE hit pipe and hand too close causing ee to smash ee finger. It was the 4th finger (ring finger) on ee left hand.