Mining Incidents

Northport Limestone: 56 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Northport, Stevens County, WA  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 4500064

Northport Limestone has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
2009–2025
Latest incident
Feb 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
56
citations
8
significant & substantial
$6,835
proposed penalties
$6,588
paid to date
96% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $247 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
30
inspections on record
473
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: 473 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Northport Limestone has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.
$7K
proposed penalties
$7K
current assessed
$7K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
55 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $716 in penalties contested before the Commission, $469 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-19.
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.
14.3%
significant & substantial
1.8%
high negligence or reckless
14.3%
reasonably likely or greater
82.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 1.8% none, 16.1% low, 80.4% moderate, 1.8% 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.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 4% of citations on record
  • Settled 2 · 100%
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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
34%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$716 proposed, $469 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 2008-10-28.
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 2009-95M Settlement Lesnick 2010 $716 → $469
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: 2019-04-03, 7 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
11
samples
5
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz5
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg5
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (11)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2019-04-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-04-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.36 Crusher Oper/Worker
2019-04-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2014-12-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Drill Operator, Rotary Air
2014-12-09 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.19 10 0.02 Truck Driver
2014-12-09 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.19 10 0.02 Crusher Oper/Worker
2013-01-30 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2013-01-30 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2003-04-10 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.13 10 0.01 Truck Driver
2003-04-10 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.13 10 0.01 Front-end Loader Operator
2003-04-10 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.24 10 0.02 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.
Ownership history
  1. Hemphill Brothers Inc 1950 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 14
2025 12
2024 14
2023 21
2022 16
2021 15
2020 14
2019 12
2018 13
2017 10
2016 12
2015 10
2014 11
2013 11
2012 10
2011 11
2010 9
2009 9
2008 10
2007 8
2006 9
2005 6
2004 9
2003 5
2002 3
2001 3
2000 8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Northport Limestone sits in Stevens County, Washington, where the Census mining category is 0.6% 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.
Stevens County, Washington · Population 47,470
0.6%
Mining share of county employment
$67,405
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 987 1 0 1013.2
2026 Q1 3,237 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 2,278 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 568 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 1,272 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 3,447 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 2,453 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 675 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 1,069 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 3,372 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 2,358 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 1,024 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 2,420 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 3,605 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 2,715 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 1,789 1 0 559.0
2022 Q2 1,995 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 2,658 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 2,074 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 1,342 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 1,782 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 2,770 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 2,090 2 1 956.9
2020 Q3 1,295 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 2,040 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 3,063 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 1,519 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 0 0 0
2019 Q2 748 1 0 1336.9
2019 Q1 2,926 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 1,638 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 156 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 1,091 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 2,708 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 1,557 1 0 642.3
2017 Q3 0 0 0
2017 Q2 827 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 2,835 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 1,981 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 0 0 0
2016 Q2 214 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 2,570 2 1 778.2
2015 Q4 1,691 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 0 0 0
2015 Q2 282 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 2,208 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 1,673 1 0 597.7
2014 Q3 0 0 0
2014 Q2 757 1 0 1321.0
2014 Q1 3,327 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 2,189 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 20 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 764 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 2,448 2 0 817.0
2012 Q4 1,961 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 116 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 955 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 3,237 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 2,025 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 245 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 823 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 2,700 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 1,724 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 0 0 0
2010 Q2 670 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 2,326 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 1,650 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 0 0 0
2009 Q2 862 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 2,410 3 0 1244.8
2008 Q4 1,876 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 419 20 5 47732.7
2008 Q2 810 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 2,526 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 1,479 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 0 0 0
2007 Q2 566 1 0 1766.8
2007 Q1 2,726 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 1,788 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 594 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 514 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 2,568 1 0 389.4
2005 Q4 718 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 0 0 0
2005 Q2 328 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 3,049 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 1,773 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 971 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 815 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 2,253 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 2,494 1 0 401.0
2003 Q3 0 0 0
2003 Q2 582 15 1 25773.2
2003 Q1 2,422 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 2,500 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 0 0 0
2002 Q2 0 0 0
2002 Q1 3,043 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 3,089 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 0 0 0
2001 Q2 135 2 0 14814.8
2001 Q1 1,900 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,418 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 6,293 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 6,403 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 3,462 1 0 288.9
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2025 · 1 incident

February 17, 2025 WA · Metal/Non-Metal drill operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Hemphill Brothers Inc · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee slipped on ice and landed on their right elbow, resulting in pain in their right shoulder.

2024 · 1 incident

March 6, 2024 WA · Metal/Non-Metal utility man, shift tech, service/dump truck operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Hemphill Brothers Inc · Fall from machine

Loaded sand at vendor site. While tarping load on their dump truck, they mis-stepped and fell backwards on to ground.

2022 · 1 incident

October 13, 2022 WA · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Hemphill Brothers Inc · Struck by flying object

Employee was delivering eco-blocks to plant with lowboy trailer. When releasing binder, it popped and struck employee in lower right leg causing injury.

2009 · 1 incident

April 15, 2009 WA · Metal/Non-Metal welder (shop) MACHINERY
Hemphill Brothers Inc · Contact with hot objects or substances

Lying on right side under trailer, cutting with torch overhead