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McDowell Quarry: 82 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

VCNA Prairie LLC · Surface
Controlled by VOTORANTIM CIMENTOS
Fairbury, Livingston County, IL  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1103130

McDowell Quarry has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2015–2016
Latest incident
Oct 2016
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
82
citations
4
significant & substantial
$11,344
proposed penalties
$9,815
paid to date
87% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,529 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See VCNA Prairie LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2005
55
inspections on record
906
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: 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.

McDowell Quarry has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 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.
$11K
proposed penalties
$10K
current assessed
$10K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
82 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $910 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-15.
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.
4.9%
significant & substantial
2.4%
high negligence or reckless
4.9%
reasonably likely or greater
47.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 40.2% low, 57.3% moderate, 2.4% 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.
7 citations taken to the federal commission · 9% of citations on record
  • Settled 6 · 86%
  • Stood as issued 1 · 14%
20%
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 5 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
63%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $910 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 2017-08-16.
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
LAKE 2012-842M Settlement Gill 2012 $2K → $380
LAKE 2013-408M Settlement Miller 2013 $117 → $100
LAKE 2017-0394 Dismissal Gill 2018 $116 → $116
LAKE 2017-0134 Settlement Paez 2017 $114 → $114
LAKE 2009-424M Settlement Lesnick 2010 $100 → $100
LAKE 2012-649M Settlement Miller 2013 $100 → $100
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: 2018-06-20, 8 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
15
samples
10
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz6
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg5
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz3
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (15)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2018-06-20 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 1.69 10 0.17 Truck Driver
2018-06-20 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 1.99 10 0.20 Utility Man
2018-06-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2017-05-31 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 5.9 10 0.59 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2017-05-31 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 0.54 10 0.05 Truck Driver
2017-05-31 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 4.71 10 0.47 Front-end Loader Operator
2017-05-31 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 4.93 10 0.49 Front-end Loader Operator
2013-01-15 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.32 10 0.03 Bobcat Operator
2010-01-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-01-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-01-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-03-25 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.15 10 0.02 Crusher Oper/Worker
2009-03-25 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.12 10 0.01 Bulldozer Operator
2009-03-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-03-25 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.23 2.15 0.11 Crusher Oper/Worker
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.

McDowell Quarry recorded 0.00 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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below 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 Illinois, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.41 cases per 100 workers that year.
Under 100,000 employee-hours were reported that year, so a single case moves the rate by two or more. Read the figure as approximate.
Year total case rate days-away fatal
2025 * 0.00 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
2020 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2017 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
* Fewer than 100,000 employee-hours that year; the rate is less stable.
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. Valley View Industries, Inc. 2004 to 2021
  2. VCNA Prairie LLC 2021 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 14
2025 15
2024 16
2023 14
2022 13
2021 10
2020 11
2019 10
2018 10
2017 10
2016 10
2015 9
2014 9
2013 9
2012 9
2011 9
2010 9
2009 9
2008 9
2007 9
2006 9
2005 9
2004 4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

McDowell Quarry sits in Livingston County, Illinois, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
Livingston County, Illinois · Population 35,659
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$70,796
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 6,597 1 0 151.6
2026 Q1 5,416 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 7,069 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 6,908 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 7,329 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 5,592 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 7,439 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 6,470 0 0 0.0
Show 81 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 7,466 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 3,993 1 0 250.4
2023 Q4 7,227 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 6,783 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 5,574 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 4,800 1 0 208.3
2022 Q4 6,922 6 2 866.8
2022 Q3 8,157 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 7,752 1 0 129.0
2022 Q1 5,176 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 4,988 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 2,607 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 6,387 2 0 313.1
2021 Q1 4,872 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 6,306 2 0 317.2
2020 Q3 6,664 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 7,034 2 0 284.3
2020 Q1 5,313 1 0 188.2
2019 Q4 6,937 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 8,226 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 7,529 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 4,138 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 6,203 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 6,586 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 6,857 2 0 291.7
2018 Q1 4,553 1 0 219.6
2017 Q4 5,978 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 7,143 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 6,664 4 1 600.2
2017 Q1 4,787 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 6,615 3 1 453.5
2016 Q3 7,023 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 6,613 2 0 302.4
2016 Q1 4,339 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 6,373 2 0 313.8
2015 Q3 6,616 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 6,357 2 0 314.6
2015 Q1 4,011 1 0 249.3
2014 Q4 6,235 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 6,589 1 0 151.8
2014 Q2 6,475 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 4,915 2 0 406.9
2013 Q4 6,517 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 6,252 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 5,775 5 0 865.8
2013 Q1 4,578 3 0 655.3
2012 Q4 5,737 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 5,664 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 5,243 4 0 762.9
2012 Q1 4,291 11 0 2563.5
2011 Q4 5,188 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 5,987 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 5,515 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 4,636 5 0 1078.5
2010 Q4 5,900 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 6,537 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 5,457 1 0 183.3
2010 Q1 3,991 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 5,335 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 5,585 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 5,226 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 3,697 6 0 1622.9
2008 Q4 5,217 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 5,610 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 5,387 2 0 371.3
2008 Q1 3,524 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 5,306 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 5,309 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 4,830 1 0 207.0
2007 Q1 3,463 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 5,434 3 0 552.1
2006 Q3 5,080 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 5,207 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 4,080 2 0 490.2
2005 Q4 6,597 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 5,762 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 5,092 1 0 196.4
2005 Q1 3,353 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 1,219 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 250 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 525 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2016 · 1 incident

October 8, 2016 IL · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Valley View Industries, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Elevated conveyor Kerr pulley pinned employee's finger against conveyor frame work following a chain break

2015 · 1 incident

November 4, 2015 IL · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Valley View Industries, Inc. · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

Working on level ground & pulling on chain - dislocated shoulder in which miner was examined & arm placed in a sling. Miner perhaps pulled at an awkward angle. Chain was 3/4" thick & 16' long.