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Pipestone Quarry: 95 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Washington Companies
Whitehall, Jefferson County, MT  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 2401992

Pipestone Quarry has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 9 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
14
Years on record
1995–2025
Latest incident
Jan 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
95
citations
15
significant & substantial
$10,674
proposed penalties
$10,569
paid to date
99% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $105 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Pipestone Quarry, LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
64
inspections on record
858
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: 858 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Pipestone Quarry has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 9 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.
$11K
proposed penalties
$11K
current assessed
$11K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
94 assessments are final orders; 9 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-28.
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.
16.0%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
16.0%
reasonably likely or greater
23.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 28.7% low, 71.3% moderate, 0.0% 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.
18 citations taken to the federal commission · 19% of citations on record
  • Settled 16 · 89%
  • Stood as issued 2 · 11%
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 6 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
6%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K 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 2015-12-09.
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
WEST 2010-13M Settlement 2010 $878 → $800
WEST 2016-0163 Settlement Lesnick 2016 $200 → $200
WEST 2014-1054 Dismissal Lesnick 2015 $200 → $200
WEST 2013-941M Settlement Barbour 2013 $127 → $100
WEST 2014-0602 Settlement Lesnick 2015 $100 → $100
WEST 2014-0813 Settlement Lesnick 2015 $100 → $100
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: 2025-10-08
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
13
samples
5
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg6
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz3
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (13)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2025-10-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2023-09-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2023-09-28 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.22 0.98 0.22 Laborer, Bullgang
2023-09-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Drill Operator, Rotary
2018-07-25 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.42 Crusher Oper/Worker
2015-06-30 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.13 10 0.01 Truck Driver
2015-06-30 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2015-06-30 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.15 10 0.02 Front-end Loader Operator
2013-02-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Drill Operator, Rotary Air
2013-02-13 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.23 10 0.02 Mechanic
2004-10-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cleanup Man
2004-10-21 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.45 2.41 0.19 Crusher Oper/Worker
2004-10-21 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.12 Mechanic
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.

Pipestone Quarry recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024.

Injury rate, 2024
ⓘ 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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 1.77 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Montana, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.88 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
2024 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2017 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2016 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2015 * 7.00 0.00 0.000
2014 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2013 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. URS Energy and Construction, Inc. 1992 to 2015
  2. Pipestone Quarry, LLC 2015 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 5
2025 7
2024 12
2023 11
2022 10
2021 9
2020 9
2019 9
2018 8
2017 13
2016 17
2015 15
2014 15
2013 13
2012 10
2011 12
2010 4
2009 5
2008 7
2007 15
2006 12
2005 9
2004 16
2003 8
2002 11
2001 9
2000 8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Pipestone Quarry sits in Jefferson County, Montana, where the Census mining category is 1.4% 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.
Jefferson County, Montana · Population 12,501
1.4%
Mining share of county employment
$76,576
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 1,877 3 1 1598.3
2026 Q1 2,137 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 2,190 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 2,760 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 2,258 1 0 442.9
2025 Q1 4,066 4 0 983.8
2024 Q4 5,127 1 0 195.0
2024 Q3 6,479 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 5,236 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 5,387 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 5,836 2 0 342.7
2023 Q3 6,865 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 5,319 1 0 188.0
2023 Q1 5,279 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 4,837 1 0 206.7
2022 Q3 5,464 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 5,582 2 0 358.3
2022 Q1 3,719 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 4,420 1 0 226.2
2021 Q3 4,186 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 5,109 1 0 195.7
2021 Q1 3,512 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 4,238 2 0 471.9
2020 Q3 4,451 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 6,406 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 3,968 1 0 252.0
2019 Q4 5,362 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 5,830 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 5,563 2 2 359.5
2019 Q1 3,422 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 4,524 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 4,256 2 1 469.9
2018 Q2 4,450 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 3,252 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 4,363 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 7,009 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 8,316 3 0 360.8
2017 Q1 7,223 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 6,839 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 8,624 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 9,274 4 0 431.3
2016 Q1 7,483 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 5,959 4 1 671.3
2015 Q3 10,605 2 1 188.6
2015 Q2 7,633 2 0 262.0
2015 Q1 4,379 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 5,014 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 5,793 2 0 345.2
2014 Q2 7,513 1 0 133.1
2014 Q1 5,904 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 4,505 1 1 222.0
2013 Q3 7,658 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 8,775 3 1 341.9
2013 Q1 5,030 2 1 397.6
2012 Q4 4,394 1 0 227.6
2012 Q3 3,634 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 7,215 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 6,675 5 0 749.1
2011 Q4 5,320 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 8,307 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 10,452 3 0 287.0
2011 Q1 4,484 2 0 446.0
2010 Q4 4,475 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 3,140 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 3,167 3 1 947.3
2010 Q1 2,581 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 2,000 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 2,951 10 0 3388.7
2009 Q2 4,144 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 3,297 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 2,530 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 3,358 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 5,072 3 1 591.5
2008 Q1 3,775 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 7,923 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 10,864 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 7,886 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 6,164 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 6,840 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 8,843 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 8,113 2 1 246.5
2006 Q1 4,164 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 3,989 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 5,076 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 4,858 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 3,804 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 5,087 1 0 196.6
2004 Q3 4,993 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 4,472 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 3,200 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 2,882 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 4,628 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 4,994 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 3,739 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 3,705 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 8,855 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 9,405 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 4,323 1 0 231.3
2001 Q4 5,018 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 7,161 7 2 977.5
2001 Q2 5,358 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 3,262 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 3,499 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 5,508 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 5,662 3 0 529.8
2000 Q1 2,832 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

14 on file

2025 · 1 incident

January 9, 2025 MT · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman MACHINERY
Pipestone Quarry, LLC · Struck by flying object

Employee was cutting tin for a building and must have gotten filings on employee's person, the next day, a normal day off, employee felt something in eye but waited the weekend to see if it would go away. It didn't so employee went into the eye Dr. on Monday and a piece of metal was removed.

2021 · 2 incidents

August 24, 2021 MT · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pipestone Quarry, LLC · Struck by falling object

Employee was removing a pin from steering cylinder the pin was pushed up then slid back through pin hole striking the left middle finger and broke the finger.

June 3, 2021 MT · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pipestone Quarry, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was reinstalling grizzly bar at truck dump it rolled over the top of EE and pinned EE against a rock. EE fractured three vertebrae in back but returned to work on next scheduled shift on light duty.

2020 · 1 incident

January 7, 2020 MT · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Pipestone Quarry, LLC · Struck by flying object

While an employee was driving a pin out of a roller with a hammer a small piece of metal came off of the hammer striking employee in the edge of a front tooth chipping a small corner off the tooth. I took the employee to the dentist to make sure the tooth was ok. The dentist recommended repairing the tooth just in case so there wouldn't be problems later.

2015 · 1 incident

August 26, 2015 MT · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
URS Energy and Construction, Inc. · Flash burns (welding)

Two employees were welding wear parts onto an excavator bucket. The injured employee received flash burn to his eyes from the welding arc reflecting into the back of his welding hood. The employees had failed to recognize the hazard and did not place any kind of screen for protection.

2011 · 1 incident

August 25, 2011 MT · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
URS Energy and Construction, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

While removing carriage bolts to replace cutting edges on bobcat skid loader employee used his finger to stop the bolt from turning while using an impact wrench to remove the nut. The carriage bolt had developed a razor share edge which lacerated the employees finger and required six sutures and bandages.

2007 · 1 incident

July 27, 2007 MT · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
URS Energy and Construction, Inc. · Struck by flying object

Employee was grinding on a horn in an impactor when a piece of debris got in his eye under his safety glasses.

2004 · 2 incidents

July 8, 2004 MT · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
URS Energy and Construction, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS USING A CABLE COME-ALONG TO LIFT A TRANSMISSION. THE CABLE CRIMP (CLAMP) FAILED, ALLOWING THE LOAD AND CABLE TO SLIP. THE SUDDEN FAILURE CAUSED COME-ALONG FRAME TO STRIKE THE EE IN THE FACE, LACERATING CHIN. MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR LACERATION, SUTURES TO FACE AT CHIN. EE WAS RELEASED FOR FULL DUTY AT TIME OF TREATMENT.

May 24, 2004 MT · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man HANDLING OF MATERIALS
URS Energy and Construction, Inc. · Over-exertion in lifting objects

Two employees were changing curtain liners in the impacter (crusher). They each lifted one end of the curtain liner. Ee said he strained something. He reported pain & swelling in the groin area on 26 May 2004. He was seen by dr. on 26 May 2004. There was no medical treatment or medication @ that time but surgery was planned to repair hernia. Ee was allowed to continue to work.

2001 · 1 incident

1999 · 1 incident

June 15, 1999 MT · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man HANDLING OF MATERIALS
URS Energy and Construction, Inc. · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

EE WAS PAINTING A CONVEYOR WHEN THE PAINT GUN CLOGGED. HE WAS CLEANING THE GUN WHEN IT DISCHARGED, INJECTING PAINT INTO HIS FINGER.

1998 · 1 incident

July 10, 1998 MT · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
URS Energy and Construction, Inc. · Fall onto or against objects

EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING ON THE FEEDER WHEN HE SLIPPED AND FELL HITTING HIS RIGHT KNEE/SHIN ON A ROCK.

1995 · 2 incidents

July 19, 1995 MT · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
URS Energy and Construction, Inc. · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMP WAS DOWN IN IMPACT CRUSHER WELDING. WHEN HE FLIPPED WELDING HOOD DOWN SOME DIRT & METAL FRAGMENTS HAD GOTTEN ON INSIDE OF HOOD AND FLIPPED INTO HIS RT EYE. EMP WENT TO DR TO HAVE METAL REM OVED FROM EYE & WAS GIVEN PRESCRIPTION EYE DROPS

May 19, 1995 MT · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
URS Energy and Construction, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS USING AN AIR IMPACT WRENCH TO REMOVE A NUT FROM A HYDRAULIC RAM. THE AIR LINE TO THE GUN BLEW OFF STRIKING EE IN THE GROIN. EE IS ON RESTRICTED WORK DUTY.