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Portable Screener #1: 90 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Conner Bjustrom
Tres Piedras, Rio Arriba County, NM  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 2902158

Portable Screener #1 has $15K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
7
Years on record
1996–2005
Latest incident
May 2005
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
90
citations
20
significant & substantial
$14,963
proposed penalties
$13,886
paid to date
93% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,077 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Red Hill Lava Products, Inc.'s full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
42
inspections on record
495
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: 495 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 Screener #1 has $15K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 4 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.
$15K
proposed penalties
$14K
current assessed
$14K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
87 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $3K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2024-08-27.
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.
22.2%
significant & substantial
2.2%
high negligence or reckless
31.1%
reasonably likely or greater
73.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.0% low, 87.8% moderate, 2.2% 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 · 13% of citations on record
  • Settled 12 · 100%
33%
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%
41%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $1K 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 2019-09-18.
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
CENT 2007-16M Settlement Melick 2007 $2K → $1K
CENT20010085M Settlement Manning 2001 $883 → $715
CENT 2007-65M Settlement Lesnick 2007 $180 → $180
CENT 2019-0363 Settlement 2019 $121 → $121
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: 2008-02-07, 18 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
11
samples
2
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz8
  • Arsenic fumes1
  • Beryllium fumes1
  • Cadmium oxide fumes1
Show the individual readings (23)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2008-02-07 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2008-02-07 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.44 Front-end Loader Operator
2007-08-23 Cobalt fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Molybdenum fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Nickel fumes 0 1 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Vanadium fumes 0.02 50 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Zinc oxide fumes 0 5 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.51 Supervisor, Co. Official
2007-08-23 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.12 Front-end Loader Operator
2007-08-23 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.72 Bulldozer Operator
2007-08-23 Arsenic fumes 0 500 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Beryllium fumes 0 2 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Cadmium oxide fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Chromium, insoluble 0 1 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Copper fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Iron oxide fumes 0.11 10 0.01 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Lead fumes 0 150 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Magnesium oxide fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2007-08-23 Manganese fumes 0.02 5 0.00 Welder, etc.
2004-06-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 1.24 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-06-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.6 Backhoe Operator
2004-06-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.52 Laborer, Bullgang
2004-06-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 1.5 Laborer, Bullgang
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.

Portable Screener #1 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2007.

Injury rate, 2007
ⓘ 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
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 3.30 and the all-US-mining average was 3.77 cases per 100 workers.
In New Mexico, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 3.60 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.
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. Mwca Inc 1996 to 2000
  2. Colorado Lava Inc 2000 to 2016
  3. Red Hill Lava Products, Inc. 2016 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 0
2025 0
2024 1
2023 2
2022 2
2008 9
2007 9
2006 6
2005 6
2004 6
2003 5
2002 6
2001 5
2000 6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Portable Screener #1 sits in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, where the Census mining category is 1.3% 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.
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico · Population 40,165
1.3%
Mining share of county employment
$53,901
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 Q1 0 0 0
2025 Q4 0 0 0
2025 Q3 0 0 0
2025 Q2 0 0 0
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 0 0 0
2024 Q3 0 1 0
2024 Q2 0 0 0
Show 41 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q1 181 2 0 11049.7
2023 Q4 467 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 1,434 2 0 1394.7
2023 Q2 1,639 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 995 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 1,094 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 1,293 7 3 5413.8
2008 Q2 1,793 3 1 1673.2
2008 Q1 5,552 3 1 540.3
2007 Q4 4,500 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 7,746 4 1 516.4
2007 Q2 4,617 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 4,540 2 0 440.5
2006 Q4 2,028 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 2,672 5 1 1871.3
2006 Q2 2,024 13 2 6422.9
2006 Q1 2,460 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 2,287 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 3,710 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 2,432 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 2,167 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 1,713 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 1,920 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 2,445 7 2 2863.0
2004 Q1 2,418 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 2,100 2 1 952.4
2003 Q3 2,401 3 1 1249.5
2003 Q2 2,182 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 2,178 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 2,636 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 2,926 4 2 1367.1
2002 Q2 2,079 7 3 3367.0
2002 Q1 1,763 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 2,135 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 2,257 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 3,219 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 3,836 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 3,331 3 0 900.6
2000 Q3 4,180 13 0 3110.0
2000 Q2 1,680 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 4,762 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

7 on file

2005 · 2 incidents

May 26, 2005 NM · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer OTHER
Colorado Lava Inc · Struck by flying object

3 Employees were replacing a V-Belt on the nugget stacker. The employee that had the injury was taking the V-belt up to the other employees when a gust of wind blew dust and metal shavings off the stacker into his eye.

March 24, 2005 NM · Metal/Non-Metal crane operator, mobile equipment operator (meo), dragline operator, dropball operator, rigger HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Colorado Lava Inc · Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

Employee was filling Bobcat (skidsteer) with fuel and had fuel splash out resulting in fuel in face and eyes

2004 · 1 incident

November 17, 2004 NM · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man MACHINERY
Colorado Lava Inc · Struck by falling object

Employee was helping reblock jaw crusher, and blocks gave way. Machine dropped 6" and the cross member hit employee between shoulder blades.

2003 · 1 incident

March 3, 2003 NM · Metal/Non-Metal miner, nec HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Colorado Lava Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS LOOSENING A TAKE UP BEARING ADJUSTER WHEN THE WRENCH THAT HE WAS USING SLIPPED OFF AND HIT HIM IN THE MOUTH.

2001 · 1 incident

May 25, 2001 NM · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer ELECTRICAL
Colorado Lava Inc · Flash burns (electric)

EE & COWORKER WERE CHECKING CONTROL BOX IN THE CONTROL VAN FOR 100' CONVEYOR. POWER WAS ON AND WHEN EE WENT TO SHUT IT OFF, SOMETHING SHORTED BETWEEN MIDDLE FUSE AND ON/OFF HANDLE. EE RECEIVED BURNS ON BOTH WRISTS. ER DR. ORIGINALLY TREATED AND RELEASED HIM TO WORK. FOLLOWUP VISIT WITH ANOTHER DR. THE NEXT DAY ADVISED HIM TO TAKE TIME OFF TO AVOID DUST AND POSSIBLE INFECTION.

1998 · 1 incident

May 5, 1998 NM · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Mwca Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS GREASING THE BOOM ON THE 980 LOADERHE WAS STANDING ON THE FENDER IN FRONT OF THE MACHINE. HE STEPPED OVER ONTO THE TIRE AND FELT A POP IN HIS RIGHT KNEE. HE HAS HAD SURGERY ON THI S KNEE IN NOVEMBER ON 1997.

1996 · 1 incident

April 4, 1996 NM · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Red Hill Lava Products, Inc. · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

ROCKS GET JAMMED IN THE JAW CRUSHER FROM TIME TOTIME. EMP WAS GETTING IN POSITION TO WORK THEM AROUND SO THEY WOULD CATCH AND CRACK. AS HE WAS GETTING INTO POSITION HIS FOOT SLIPPED AND GOT CA UGHT BETWEEN THE ROCK AND JAW. BRUISED RIGHT ANKLE - CONTUSION OF RIGHT ANKLE.