MLC - Bonne Terre has $556K in proposed MSHA penalties and $57K outstanding across 14 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
2
Total incidents
40
Years on record
2008–2025
Latest incident
Oct 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
405
citations
156
significant & substantial
$556,238
proposed penalties
$464,404
paid to date
83% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $91,834 gap.
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.
405 citations across 2,344 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.
2
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2013-07-01.
On record since 2011.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
MLC - Bonne Terre has $556K in proposed MSHA penalties and $57K 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.
$556K
proposed penalties
$521K
current assessed
$464K
paid to date
$57K
outstanding
361 assessments are final orders; 14 contested dockets.
Of $158K in penalties contested before the Commission, $114K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-07-08.
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.
37citations taken to the federal commission · 9% of citations on record
Settled
30 · 81%
Stood as issued
6 · 16%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 3%
94%
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 33 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
28%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$162K proposed, $117K 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 2014-11-16.
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.
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: 2026-07-08
6%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
41
samples
36
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Calcium oxide132 over
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz21
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz4
Respirable dust, <.1mg3
Show the individual readings (41)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2011-01-06
Calcium oxide
321.98
5
64.40
Cleanup Man
2011-01-06
Calcium oxide
321.7
5
64.34
Cleanup Man
2026-07-08
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.7
Laborer, Bullgang
2026-07-08
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.42
10
0.04
Front-end Loader Operator
2026-07-08
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.79
10
0.08
Laborer, Bullgang
2024-12-26
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.36
10
0.04
Truck Loader
2024-12-26
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.3
10
0.03
Laborer, Bullgang
2023-12-05
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.51
Utility Man
2023-12-05
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.82
1.45
0.57
Utility Man
2023-09-06
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.42
10
0.04
Packaging Operations Worker
2023-09-06
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.43
10
0.04
Laborer, Bullgang
2023-09-06
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.36
10
0.04
Front-end Loader Operator
2021-06-23
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.41
10
0.04
Truck Loader
2021-06-23
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.54
10
0.05
Packaging Operations Worker
2021-06-23
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.92
10
0.09
Utility Man
2017-06-21
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
1.18
10
0.12
Front-end Loader Operator
2016-12-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2016-12-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2012-12-05
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.25
10
0.03
Utility Man
2012-12-05
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.96
10
0.10
Cleanup Man
2012-12-05
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.3
10
0.03
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2012-12-05
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.24
10
0.02
Front-end Loader Operator
2012-06-06
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
2.28
10
0.23
Bagging Operator
2012-06-06
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.59
10
0.06
Bagging Operator
2011-12-21
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
1.09
10
0.11
Front-end Loader Operator
2011-12-21
Calcium oxide
0.31
5
0.06
Bagging Operator
2011-12-21
Calcium oxide
0.42
5
0.08
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2011-06-08
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
1.07
10
0.11
Front-end Loader Operator
2011-06-08
Calcium oxide
0.11
5
0.02
Truck Driver
2011-06-08
Calcium oxide
1.07
5
0.21
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2011-06-08
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
0.78
0.22
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-01-06
Calcium oxide
0.28
5
0.06
Cleanup Man
2011-01-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-01-06
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.61
10
0.06
Front-end Loader Operator
2011-01-06
Calcium oxide
0.22
5
0.04
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2009-01-22
Calcium oxide
1.23
5
0.25
Bagging Operator
2009-01-22
Calcium oxide
0.13
5
0.03
Utility Man
2009-01-22
Calcium oxide
0.36
5
0.07
Utility Man
2009-01-22
Calcium oxide
0.31
5
0.06
Utility Man
2009-01-22
Calcium oxide
1.3
5
0.26
Bagging Operator
2008-02-28
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
1.18
10
0.12
Bagging 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.
MLC - Bonne Terre recorded 5.03 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.
5.03
total case rate
2.52
days-away rate
2.516
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 Missouri, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.13 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 *
5.03
2.52
2.516
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
2.68
0.00
0.000
2022 *
2.57
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 *
8.59
2.86
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
49
2025
40
2024
41
2023
40
2022
40
2021
37
2020
35
2019
36
2018
35
2017
37
2016
32
2015
30
2014
31
2013
29
2012
23
2011
20
2010
26
2009
28
2008
37
2007
33
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
MLC - Bonne Terre sits in St. Francois County, Missouri, where the Census mining category is 0.2% 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.
St. Francois County, Missouri · Population 66,864
0.2%
Mining share of county employment
$54,813
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
20,741
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
23,998
3
3
125.0
2025 Q4
21,168
3
0
141.7
2025 Q3
19,935
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
17,677
2
1
113.1
2025 Q1
20,696
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
17,378
2
0
115.1
2024 Q3
20,958
0
0
0.0
Show 65 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
21,442
2
0
93.3
2024 Q1
21,501
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
13,529
2
0
147.8
2023 Q3
20,485
2
0
97.6
2023 Q2
21,196
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
19,497
5
1
256.4
2022 Q4
19,661
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
17,786
1
0
56.2
2022 Q2
21,125
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
19,360
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
16,842
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
18,033
2
1
110.9
2021 Q2
18,850
1
0
53.1
2021 Q1
16,037
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
17,302
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
16,994
3
0
176.5
2020 Q2
17,369
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
18,942
2
0
105.6
2019 Q4
17,040
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
17,732
4
0
225.6
2019 Q2
17,574
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
14,734
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
15,103
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
18,162
6
2
330.4
2018 Q2
17,899
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
18,693
4
0
214.0
2017 Q4
19,226
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
18,815
1
0
53.1
2017 Q2
18,003
8
3
444.4
2017 Q1
18,551
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
19,554
5
2
255.7
2016 Q3
18,611
4
1
214.9
2016 Q2
17,754
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
20,366
5
1
245.5
2015 Q4
19,662
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
19,454
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
18,614
2
0
107.4
2015 Q1
19,096
10
3
523.7
2014 Q4
19,933
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
20,206
16
5
791.8
2014 Q2
18,422
2
2
108.6
2014 Q1
19,174
11
5
573.7
2013 Q4
19,847
6
5
302.3
2013 Q3
16,669
29
12
1739.8
2013 Q2
15,790
8
2
506.6
2013 Q1
13,606
2
1
147.0
2012 Q4
11,762
18
7
1530.4
2012 Q3
12,263
7
5
570.8
2012 Q2
12,450
9
4
722.9
2012 Q1
11,254
16
10
1421.7
2011 Q4
10,711
5
1
466.8
2011 Q3
7,197
12
6
1667.4
2011 Q2
9,270
5
4
539.4
2011 Q1
9,607
18
10
1873.6
2010 Q4
5,319
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
14,163
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
18,095
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
15,136
11
8
726.7
2009 Q2
11,183
9
2
804.8
2009 Q1
11,037
15
2
1359.1
2008 Q4
17,101
2
1
117.0
2008 Q3
23,050
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
21,578
21
11
973.2
2008 Q1
20,368
41
19
2013.0
2007 Q4
9,546
0
0
0.0
Fatalities at this mine
2 recorded
October 16, 2025MO · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanFatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was performing cleaning and maintenance. They began work around 7 pm and was discovered by coworkers on the ground below the area of work. It is believed they fell.
January 25, 2008MO · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Two men were working atop an 80 ft silo attempting to reset the chain on a bucket elevator. One man was below and in phone contact with one of the two mechanics atop. As the call was ending, the assisting mechanic atop knocked a 'miner's bar' off the platform. The bar fell and hit the man below on the back of the head. The man died approx. three hours later in the hospital.
An employee slipped and fell while descending the wooden stairs near the office trailers, landing on their arm and injuring their shoulder. During the fall, their foot slipped forward, causing them to land backward on their arm near the elbow, resulting in pain extending to the shoulder. A medical evaluation confirmed a small fracture in the left shoulder.
Employee was cleaning out the vault area of the kiln, scooped up a large piece of Hot Coating. It rolled over the back of the bucket striking a hydraulic fitting, causing it to break and spray Hot hydraulic oil , causing a flash fire that was extinguished in less a minute.
2023 · 1 incident
August 3, 2023MO · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanOTHER
Employee allegedly tripped while walking to the office.
March 28, 2018MO · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Valley Minerals, LLC · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances
Employee was cleaning material discharge from the dust chamber, using a skid steer when additional dust discharged from chute burning employee. Employee exited skid steer, landing in material pile also resulting in burns.
February 3, 2018MO · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was working inside wet scrubber removing dirt from the walls using a hammer-drill and shovel, working off a fully-decked scaffold. Employee was breaking debris off of wall, working above head, when a large piece of dirt broke free and struck employee in head and back, knocking employee to the scaffold deck. Employee was wearing all appropriate PPE.
2015 · 3 incidents
December 15, 2015MO · Metal/Non-Metalprep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Valley Minerals, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Jerked coal mill inspection door and caught his finger between door and hand rail
August 15, 2015MO · Metal/Non-Metalprep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was removing rock from pollution floor. A clump of frozen rock and coal fell from pipe and hit employee on hardhat, which resulted in a concussion.
2013 · 5 incidents
November 29, 2013MO · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Was rodding out coal mill. Small piece of coal got in eye
2012 · 7 incidents
October 26, 2012MO · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Valley Minerals, LLC · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances
Employee was cleaning out the roll crusher, which was stopped up. When it came loose, lime dust got into his eye.
September 29, 2012MO · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON