Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna County,
AK
·
Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 5000883
Palmer Loading Station has $17K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
8
Years on record
1987–2025
Latest incident
Mar 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
83
citations
16
significant & substantial
$16,862
proposed penalties
$11,300
paid to date
67% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,562 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.
Rate withheld: 598 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Palmer Loading Station has $17K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 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.
$17K
proposed penalties
$11K
current assessed
$11K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
83 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $8K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-06.
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.
14citations taken to the federal commission · 17% of citations on record
Settled
2 · 14%
Stood as issued
12 · 86%
75%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 4 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
71%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$8K proposed, $2K 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 2019-03-13.
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: 2025-10-07
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
28
samples
11
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg17
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz11
Show the individual readings (28)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2025-10-07
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.18
0.76
0.24
Cleanup Man
2025-10-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Supervisor, Co. Official
2025-10-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Cleanup Man
2025-10-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2025-09-10
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.13
0.79
0.16
Cleanup Man
2025-09-10
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Bobcat Operator
2025-09-10
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Oiler, Greaser
2025-09-10
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dredge/Barge Operator
2024-05-23
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Oiler, Greaser
2024-05-23
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2024-05-23
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Bobcat Operator
2024-05-23
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.13
0.58
0.22
Bobcat Operator
2020-06-17
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.22
0.7
0.31
Cleanup Man
2020-06-17
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.24
0.67
0.36
Front-end Loader Operator
2020-06-17
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.49
0.79
0.62
Cleanup Man
2019-09-25
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dredge/Barge Operator
2019-09-25
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Supervisor, Co. Official
2019-09-25
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.15
0.48
0.31
Cleanup Man
2019-09-25
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2019-09-25
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2013-08-14
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.15
0.6
0.25
Front-end Loader Operator
2013-08-14
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.4
0.75
0.53
Belt Cleaner
2003-04-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Bulldozer Operator
2003-04-16
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.14
1.01
0.14
Laborer, Bullgang
2003-04-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2003-04-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2003-04-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2001-08-03
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.13
0.58
0.22
Bulldozer 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.
Palmer Loading Station recorded 9.13 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.
9.13
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 Alaska, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.43 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 *
9.13
0.00
0.000
2019 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2016 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2015 *
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
2026
6
2025
9
2024
6
2023
5
2022
9
2021
8
2020
7
2019
12
2018
13
2017
10
2016
14
2015
9
2014
8
2013
5
2012
5
2011
4
2010
7
2009
7
2008
7
2007
6
2006
7
2005
8
2004
8
2003
9
2002
9
2001
6
2000
6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Palmer Loading Station sits in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, where the Census mining category is 3.1% 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.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska · Population 110,677
3.1%
Mining share of county employment
$90,625
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
4,616
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
1,668
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
4,092
2
0
488.8
2025 Q3
6,533
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
9,017
0
0
0.0
2025 Q1
2,271
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
2,220
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
5,237
0
0
0.0
Show 98 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
5,576
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
1,474
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
2,113
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
5,100
2
1
392.2
2023 Q2
4,863
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
887
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
2,327
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
6,260
2
0
319.5
2022 Q2
7,108
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
2,147
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
1,920
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
5,491
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
4,516
3
0
664.3
2021 Q1
1,753
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
1,710
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
7,090
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
7,262
2
0
275.4
2020 Q1
1,860
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
5,941
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
10,953
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
6,266
1
0
159.6
2019 Q1
3,050
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
7,409
1
0
135.0
2018 Q3
11,885
3
0
252.4
2018 Q2
9,665
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
1,598
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
2,475
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
8,148
2
1
245.5
2017 Q2
6,392
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
1,228
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
3,103
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
11,284
4
2
354.5
2016 Q2
9,064
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
1,269
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
3,395
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
12,669
3
1
236.8
2015 Q2
7,279
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
1,724
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
3,484
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
8,526
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
6,294
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
1,075
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
2,016
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
8,544
3
3
351.1
2013 Q2
1,393
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
205
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
205
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
205
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
459
1
0
2178.6
2012 Q1
532
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
1,006
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
78
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
2,468
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
1,363
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
1,669
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
5,876
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
6,094
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
1,654
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
1,792
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
5,653
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
5,126
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
1,586
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
2,324
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
5,923
5
1
844.2
2008 Q2
5,533
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
885
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
1,420
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
6,539
16
4
2446.9
2007 Q2
3,341
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
772
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
2,430
1
0
411.5
2006 Q3
5,574
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
4,599
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
843
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
1,584
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
7,433
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
4,399
1
0
227.3
2005 Q1
836
4
0
4784.7
2004 Q4
3,273
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
6,585
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
4,801
8
1
1666.3
2004 Q1
480
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
3,530
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
7,020
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
5,037
1
0
198.5
2003 Q1
504
0
0
0.0
2002 Q4
0
15
0
2002 Q3
10,674
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
6,938
1
1
144.1
2002 Q1
808
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
0
0
0
2001 Q3
9,164
2
1
218.2
2001 Q2
6,232
0
0
0.0
2001 Q1
568
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
1,474
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
4,095
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
3,572
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
400
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
8 on file
2025 · 1 incident
March 25, 2025AK · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
The team member was assisting with the installation of a new Dredge bucket when their left index finger became caught in-between a becket and the work platform causing a laceration.
2023 · 1 incident
June 1, 2023AK · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was cleaning the deck of the dredge off using a hose and was backing up while pulling the hose. They tripped over the anchor cable and their leg was momentarily caught beneath the cable during the fall causing a dislocation of the kneecap and fracture of the right femur lateral condyle.
2005 · 1 incident
May 31, 2005AK · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee stepped down off loader, let go of the ladder and stepped back when his heel rolled causing him to fall to the ground striking his wrist on the ground. X-ray revealed a broken bone in his wrist.
2004 · 1 incident
March 16, 2004AK · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE was walking back to the maintenance shed when he started to walk down on gentle slope, heater conductors had melted some snow and then it re-froze into ice. EE slipped and fell to ground, at the end of the shift, the ee's ankle was swollen and painful. EE took the following day off of work.
1999 · 1 incident
June 26, 1999AK · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorDISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA)