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Portable Wash Plant: 1 recorded fatality Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by James Hutchinson
Ellensburg, WA, Kittitas County, WA  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 4503330

Portable Wash Plant has $31K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 9 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2002–2021
Latest incident
Jul 2021
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2002
42
citations
8
significant & substantial
$30,680
proposed penalties
$30,580
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $100 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Ellensburg Cement Products Inc's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
39
inspections on record
628
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: 628 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 Wash Plant has $31K 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.
$31K
proposed penalties
$31K
current assessed
$31K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
40 assessments are final orders; 9 contested dockets.
Of $43K in penalties contested before the Commission, $28K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-07-31.
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.
20.0%
significant & substantial
15.0%
high negligence or reckless
17.5%
reasonably likely or greater
52.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 27.5% low, 57.5% moderate, 15.0% 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.
9 citations taken to the federal commission · 21% of citations on record
  • Settled 7 · 78%
  • Stood as issued 1 · 11%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 1 · 11%
100%
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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
6%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$3K proposed, $3K 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 2021-05-25.
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 2003-401-M Dismissal Melick 2004 $38K → $24K
WEST 2003-348-M Settlement Melick 2004 $3K → $2K
WEST 2007-882M Settlement Barbour 2008 $2K → $2K
WEST 2021-0221 Settlement Manning 2021 $250 → $250
WEST 2007-196M Settlement Barbour 2007 $214 → $214
WEST 2017-0587 Settlement Manning 2018 $116 → $116
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: 2023-09-06, 3 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
6
samples
3
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz3
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg3
Show the individual readings (6)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2023-09-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2017-10-18 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.16 1.5 0.11 Truck Driver
2017-10-18 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2017-10-18 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 0.9 0.14 Truck Driver
2017-10-18 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.21 1.03 0.20 Crusher Oper/Worker
2017-09-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader 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.
Ownership history
  1. Ellensburg Cement Products Inc 1994 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 5
2025 3
2024 2
2023 2
2022 3
2021 3
2020 3
2019 3
2018 4
2017 3
2016 3
2015 2
2014 3
2013 3
2012 2
2011 4
2010 3
2009 3
2008 3
2007 6
2006 5
2005 4
2004 3
2003 3
2002 2
2001 8
2000 8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Portable Wash Plant sits in Kittitas County, Washington, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
Kittitas County, Washington · Population 44,736
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$69,928
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 1,573 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 277 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 609 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 628 3 1 4777.1
2025 Q2 1,181 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 219 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 1,014 2 1 1972.4
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 937 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 0 0 0
2023 Q4 549 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 933 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 914 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 0 0 0
2022 Q4 606 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 992 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 877 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 0 0 0
2021 Q4 655 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 1,070 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 1,000 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 0 0 0
2020 Q4 526 3 0 5703.4
2020 Q3 530 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 447 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 10 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 481 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 1,001 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 1,055 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 10 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 705 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 1,462 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 588 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 55 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 715 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 1,436 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 510 1 0 1960.8
2017 Q1 10 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 234 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 1,188 1 0 841.8
2016 Q2 587 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 96 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 330 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 625 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 444 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 0 0 0
2014 Q4 92 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 379 1 0 2638.5
2014 Q2 245 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 0 0 0
2013 Q4 158 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 581 2 0 3442.3
2013 Q2 182 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 0 0 0
2012 Q4 66 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 896 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 318 2 0 6289.3
2012 Q1 0 0 0
2011 Q4 207 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,344 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 824 1 0 1213.6
2011 Q1 5 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 49 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 187 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 379 2 0 5277.0
2010 Q1 145 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 810 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 848 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 884 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 0 0 0
2008 Q4 635 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 1,668 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 1,012 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 0 1 0
2007 Q4 2,262 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 1,940 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 2,595 3 1 1156.1
2007 Q1 979 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 3,229 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 1,658 3 1 1809.4
2006 Q2 1,869 4 0 2140.2
2006 Q1 0 0 0
2005 Q4 2,284 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 2,396 1 0 417.4
2005 Q2 1,847 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 0 0 0
2004 Q4 1,677 3 0 1788.9
2004 Q3 1,516 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 1,177 3 0 2548.9
2004 Q1 982 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 1,539 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 759 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 944 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 820 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 1,570 6 4 3821.7
2002 Q3 199 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 496 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 0 0 0
2001 Q3 3,877 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 5,161 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 3,487 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 3,883 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 4,658 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 4,547 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 3,581 0 0 0.0

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
October 17, 2002 WA · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator Fatality · MACHINERY
Ellensburg Cement Products Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EE WENT UP TO TOP OF CONVEYOR TO ATTACH CHAINS TO MOVE CONVEYOR. CO-WORKER MANUVERED BORROWED EXCAVATOR - WHEN HE HIT SWITCH TO LOCK OUT MACHINE THE BOOM CAME DOWN PINNING EE BETWEEN BUCKET AN D FRAME OF CONVEYOR.

Reportable incidents

1 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2021 · 1 incident

July 15, 2021 WA · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Ellensburg Cement Products Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

IW and the supervisor were changing V-belts on the cyclone pump. The equipment was locked out and tagged out while working on it. IW looked away and caught the left index finger in/between the v-belt and pulley wheel causing a laceration.