Mining Incidents

Pease Pit: 109 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Jake Barbour, Inc. · Surface
Controlled by John (Jake) E Barbour
Thomaston, Knox County, ME  ·  Temporarily Idled
MSHA Mine ID: 1700285

Pease Pit has $19K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
1989
Latest incident
Aug 1989
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
109
citations
26
significant & substantial
$19,293
proposed penalties
$13,555
paid to date
70% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,739 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
45
inspections on record
602
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: 602 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Pease Pit has $19K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K 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.
$19K
proposed penalties
$18K
current assessed
$14K
paid to date
$4K
outstanding
108 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $4K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-05-07.
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.
24.1%
significant & substantial
8.3%
high negligence or reckless
24.1%
reasonably likely or greater
61.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 17.6% low, 74.1% moderate, 8.3% 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.
12 citations taken to the federal commission · 11% of citations on record
  • Settled 9 · 75%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 3 · 25%
50%
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%
46%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$4K 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 2017-11-09.
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
YORK 2018-0010 Settlement McCarthy 2018 $3K → $2K
YORK 2011-79M Settlement Koutras 2011 $1K → $500
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: 2020-10-14, 5 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
16
samples
3
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg9
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz4
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz3
Show the individual readings (16)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2020-10-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2020-10-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2015-06-03 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.18 Crusher Oper/Worker
2015-06-03 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.12 Front-end Loader Operator
2015-06-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2015-06-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2014-05-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2014-05-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-11-04 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Drill Operator, Rotary
2010-11-03 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.25 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-11-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.24 0.83 0.29 Laborer, Bullgang
2010-11-03 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.32 Crusher Oper/Worker
2004-11-23 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.65 0.84 0.77 Cleanup Man
2004-11-23 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.42 1.29 0.33 Crusher Oper/Worker
2001-06-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2001-06-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 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. George C Hall & Sons Inc 1950 to 2025
  2. Jake Barbour, Inc. 2025 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 1
2025 0
2024 2
2023 5
2022 5
2021 5
2020 4
2019 4
2018 4
2017 5
2016 4
2015 5
2014 5
2013 5
2012 5
2011 5
2010 5
2009 5
2008 6
2007 4
2006 4
2005 4
2004 4
2003 4
2002 4
2001 4
2000 4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Pease Pit sits in Knox County, Maine, where the Census mining category is 0.3% 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.
Knox County, Maine · Population 40,860
0.3%
Mining share of county employment
$71,903
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 52 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 0 0 0
2025 Q4 0 0 0
2025 Q3 0 0 0
2025 Q1 585 3 1 5128.2
2024 Q4 650 1 0 1538.5
2024 Q3 1,040 2 0 1923.1
2024 Q2 878 0 0 0.0
Show 96 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q1 1,564 1 0 639.4
2023 Q4 2,074 2 1 964.3
2023 Q3 2,340 2 0 854.7
2023 Q2 2,880 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 1,730 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 2,620 3 0 1145.0
2022 Q3 2,925 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 2,780 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 1,755 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 2,760 5 0 1811.6
2021 Q3 3,085 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 2,925 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 1,660 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 2,870 8 0 2787.5
2020 Q3 2,955 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 2,760 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 520 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 2,340 1 0 427.4
2019 Q3 2,930 4 0 1365.2
2019 Q2 2,760 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 1,070 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 2,340 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 3,090 3 0 970.9
2018 Q2 2,925 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 1,425 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 3,270 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 3,630 4 2 1101.9
2017 Q2 3,850 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 1,465 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 3,360 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 3,705 12 9 3238.9
2016 Q2 3,665 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 985 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 3,020 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 3,085 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 3,510 2 0 569.8
2015 Q1 520 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 2,940 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 3,650 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 3,315 10 7 3016.6
2014 Q1 140 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 2,780 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 3,260 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 3,180 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 160 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 2,980 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 3,140 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 3,030 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 760 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 3,220 5 1 1552.8
2011 Q3 3,710 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 830 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 3,010 7 0 2325.6
2010 Q3 3,650 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 3,055 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 870 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 2,970 5 3 1683.5
2009 Q3 3,575 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 2,935 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 955 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 3,160 7 0 2215.2
2008 Q3 3,510 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 3,450 2 0 579.7
2008 Q1 1,960 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 2,210 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 2,320 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 2,280 4 1 1754.4
2007 Q1 1,910 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 2,190 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 2,295 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 2,265 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 1,950 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 2,010 1 0 497.5
2005 Q3 2,240 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 2,120 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,825 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 1,990 1 0 502.5
2004 Q3 2,160 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 2,080 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1,850 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 2,020 2 0 990.1
2003 Q3 2,175 2 0 919.5
2003 Q2 2,095 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 1,875 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 2,180 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 2,210 2 0 905.0
2002 Q2 2,120 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 1,985 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 2,020 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 2,125 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 2,105 5 1 2375.3
2001 Q1 1,920 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,005 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 2,110 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 2,040 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 1,865 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

1989 · 1 incident

August 30, 1989 ME · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
George C Hall & Sons Inc · Fall from machine

EMPLOYEE SLIPPED GETTING OUT OF FRONT END LOADER HITTING HIS CHIN CAUSING LACERATION TO CHIN REQUIRING SUTURES..