Stonewall, Las Animas County,
CO
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 0504461
New Elk Prep Plant has $193K in proposed MSHA penalties and $14K outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
27
Years on record
1991–2022
Latest incident
Dec 2022
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
114
citations
41
significant & substantial
$192,601
proposed penalties
$86,521
paid to date
45% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $106,080 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.
114 citations across 1,485 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
New Elk Prep Plant has $193K in proposed MSHA penalties and $14K 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.
$193K
proposed penalties
$101K
current assessed
$87K
paid to date
$14K
outstanding
116 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $141K in penalties contested before the Commission, $49K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2023-01-12.
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.
3citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
Settled
2 · 67%
Stood as issued
1 · 33%
100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 3 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
65%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$141K proposed, $49K 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 2021-12-15.
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.
MSHA sampling at New Elk Prep Plant shows 100% of 41 respirable coal dust samples met the 1.5 mg/m3 standard.
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.
Respirable coal dust
ⓘRespirable coal dust and silica figures cover coal facilities. Dust compliance is measured against the current 1.5 mg/m3 standard; samples predating the 2014 standard are included, so compliance rates are a coarse historical signal.
Last sampled: 2023-03-27, 3 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
41
samples
0.86
dust max (mg/m3)
0
over MSHA ECV
ⓘThe excessive concentration value (ECV) is MSHA's own per-sample enforcement threshold, which builds in measurement uncertainty; a sample over its ECV can trigger a citation. The count covers only samples MSHA assigned an ECV.
30 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 11 by the operator.
Noise
ⓘThe share counts noise samples whose measured dose exceeded the 90 dBA permissible exposure limit. It describes the sampled workplace, not what reached the miner's ear: hearing conservation programs and the hearing protection worn during the shift are recorded separately and are not reflected here.
Health sampling trend
ⓘ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.
Respirable coal dust by year
ⓘRespirable coal dust and silica figures cover coal facilities. Dust compliance is measured against the current 1.5 mg/m3 standard; samples predating the 2014 standard are included, so compliance rates are a coarse historical signal.
New Elk Prep Plant recorded 3.39 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2022.
Injury rate, 2022
ⓘ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.
3.39
total case rate
3.39
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
About average. The US coal mining average was 3.26 and the all-US-mining average was 2.12 cases per 100 workers.
In Colorado, coal mining averaged 1.81 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
2022 *
3.39
3.39
0.000
2021 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011 *
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2023
32
2022
32
2021
26
2020
6
2019
6
2018
6
2017
6
2016
6
2015
7
2014
9
2013
18
2012
77
2011
19
2010
5
2009
4
2008
0
2007
0
2006
0
2005
0
2004
0
2003
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
New Elk Prep Plant sits in Las Animas County, Colorado, where the Census mining category is 2.5% 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.
Las Animas County, Colorado · Population 14,392
2.5%
Mining share of county employment
$50,408
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
2023 Q1
13,725
8
6
582.9
2022 Q4
12,867
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
18,492
7
0
378.5
2022 Q2
6,601
3
0
454.5
2022 Q1
20,986
3
1
143.0
2021 Q4
21,236
2
0
94.2
2021 Q3
14,893
8
3
537.2
2021 Q2
5,514
0
0
0.0
Show 70 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2021 Q1
4,463
2
0
448.1
2020 Q4
2,032
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
2,381
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
2,261
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
2,350
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
2,259
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
2,450
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
2,602
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
2,378
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
2,168
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
2,501
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
2,580
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
2,518
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
2,082
6
1
2881.8
2017 Q3
2,292
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
2,251
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
2,364
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
2,075
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
2,393
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
2,599
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
2,592
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
2,676
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
3,290
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
2,993
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
3,034
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
3,682
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
6,077
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
2,679
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
2,354
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
4,608
1
0
217.0
2013 Q3
7,663
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
13,705
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
7,963
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
8,027
2
1
249.2
2012 Q3
19,356
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
24,987
14
5
560.3
2012 Q1
11,471
1
0
87.2
2011 Q4
17,396
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
7,141
3
3
420.1
2011 Q2
6,615
17
6
2569.9
2011 Q1
5,626
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
5,923
1
0
168.8
2010 Q3
3,992
2
1
501.0
2010 Q2
0
5
1
2010 Q1
0
0
0
2009 Q4
0
0
0
2009 Q3
0
0
0
2009 Q2
0
0
0
2009 Q1
7,537
4
1
530.7
2008 Q4
0
0
0
2008 Q3
0
0
0
2008 Q2
0
0
0
2008 Q1
0
0
0
2007 Q4
0
0
0
2007 Q3
0
1
0
2007 Q2
0
0
0
2007 Q1
0
0
0
2006 Q4
0
0
0
2006 Q3
0
0
0
2006 Q2
0
0
0
2006 Q1
0
0
0
2005 Q4
0
0
0
2005 Q2
0
0
0
2005 Q1
0
0
0
2004 Q4
0
0
0
2004 Q3
0
0
0
2004 Q2
0
0
0
2004 Q1
0
0
0
2003 Q4
0
0
0
2003 Q3
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
27 on file
2022 · 1 incident
December 13, 2022CO · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE was stop running loader to help shovel coal/rock onto the belt in the shaker building. while doing so felt pressure in lower back. finished shift then next day felt a lot of pain.
Person was tightening an electrical ground with a hand wrench. The wrench slipped and the person dislocated his right shoulder. He manipulated his shoulder back into place. Note he had dislocated his right shoulder before.
October 22, 2011CO · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techOTHER
Western Industrial employee did not report to his work area after lunch. He was found unconscious in a port a-john. Attempts by EMTs to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead.
2010 · 1 incident
October 11, 2010CO · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee states that he slipped on steel while installing grating in breaker bldg on top floor. His left foot slipped and his right leg hit steel injuring right knee. This injury was reported to this office late, hence our late filing. Employee worked modified duty 10/12/10 and was released to full duty on 11/23/10.
EE STATED: WHILE CHANGING A CULVERT AT THE NEW ELK MINE & WORKING AROUND A BACKHOE I WAS STRUCK WITH THE BUCKET OF THE BACKHOE, RENDERING ME UNCONSIOUS FOR A PERIOF OF ABOUT 45 SECONDS.
January 15, 1996CO · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE STATED WHILE OPERATING A DEMO SAW, HE SET THESAW DOWN ON THE GROUND, THE SAW THEN KICKED BACKWARDS CUTTING HIS LEFT UPPER LEG. THE INJURY REQUIRED 8 SUTURES.
April 21, 1995CO · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EMPLOYEE WAS CHECKING FLOCK IN THE TANK HE CLIMEBED ON THE FLOC DOSING MOTOR TO LOOK IN TO THE TANK & WHILE HE WAS CLIMBING BACK DOWN HE LOST HIS FOOTING & FELL STRIKING HIS LEFT HAND & WRIST ON THE FLOOR
February 5, 1994CO · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSTEPPING OR KNEELING ON OBJECT
EMPLOYEE WAS PLACING FUEL NOZZLE BACK ON REST HE PROCEEDED TO WALK TO STEP AND DISMOUNT FLATBED,WHEN HE SLID ON SOME OIL AND FELL OFF THE FLATBED LANDING FEET FIRST ON THE GROUND.
VICTIM WAS TRAVELING OVER 3 CLEAN COAL FEEDER WHICH WAS CRUSTED OVER A TOP THE LOADER BROKE THE CRUST AND SLID BACKWARDS INTO CAVITY VICTIM COMPLAINED OF BACK PAIN SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT.