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: 470 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Portable #4 has $222K in proposed MSHA penalties and $6K outstanding across 13 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.
$222K
proposed penalties
$89K
current assessed
$83K
paid to date
$6K
outstanding
78 assessments are final orders; 13 contested dockets.
Of $229K in penalties contested before the Commission, $84K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2021-08-31.
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.
48citations taken to the federal commission · 61% of citations on record
Settled
43 · 90%
Stood as issued
4 · 8%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 2%
78%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 27 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
63%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$229K proposed, $84K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2013-05-21.
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2022
0
2021
4
2020
4
2019
4
2018
3
2017
7
2016
2
2015
8
2014
7
2013
5
2012
4
2011
1
2010
3
2009
2
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Portable #4 sits in Stanley County, South Dakota, where the Census mining category is 0.0% 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.
Stanley County, South Dakota · Population 3,012
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$77,000
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
2022 Q1
0
0
0
2021 Q4
508
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
64
1
0
15625.0
2021 Q2
0
0
0
2021 Q1
132
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
666
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
970
7
2
7216.5
2020 Q2
608
0
0
0.0
Show 44 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2020 Q1
0
0
0
2019 Q4
825
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
1,318
9
2
6828.5
2019 Q2
708
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
0
0
0
2018 Q4
257
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
509
3
0
5893.9
2018 Q2
347
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
0
0
0
2017 Q4
373
3
0
8042.9
2017 Q3
1,136
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
1,139
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
168
4
0
23809.5
2016 Q4
299
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
295
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
879
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
1,100
1
0
909.1
2015 Q2
1,939
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
1,202
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
1,274
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
1,742
1
0
574.1
2014 Q2
1,011
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
670
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
789
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
1,321
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
1,136
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
699
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
3,246
9
4
2772.6
2012 Q3
1,649
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
447
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
405
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
1,089
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
984
1
0
1016.3
2011 Q2
0
0
0
2011 Q1
0
0
0
2010 Q4
0
1
0
2010 Q3
849
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
1,133
17
11
15004.4
2010 Q1
360
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
1,714
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
1,266
3
0
2369.7
2009 Q2
789
16
5
20278.8
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
1 on file
1985 · 1 incident
April 18, 1985SD · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerPOWERED HAULAGE
Bob Bak Construction · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
LEFT HAND CAUGHT UNDER CONVEYOR BELTING WHEN EMPL TRIED TO REMOVE ROCK.