Mining Incidents

RED TOP MINE: 146 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Sierra Aggregate Company, Inc. · Surface
Lucerne Valley, San Bernardino County, CA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 0404707

RED TOP MINE has $32K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 7 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
0
Years on record
Latest incident
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
146
citations
32
significant & substantial
$32,244
proposed penalties
$26,031
paid to date
81% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $6,213 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
59
inspections on record
925
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: 925 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

RED TOP MINE has $32K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 7 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.
$32K
proposed penalties
$26K
current assessed
$26K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
140 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $15K in penalties contested before the Commission, $8K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-03-10.
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.
21.9%
significant & substantial
9.6%
high negligence or reckless
23.3%
reasonably likely or greater
59.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.3% low, 80.1% moderate, 9.6% 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.
28 citations taken to the federal commission · 19% of citations on record
  • Settled 23 · 82%
  • Stood as issued 3 · 11%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 2 · 7%
73%
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 15 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
43%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$14K proposed, $8K 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 2012-05-22.
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 2009-555M Settlement Bulluck 2011 $5K → $3K
WEST 2008-195M Settlement Bulluck 2009 $3K → $3K
WEST 2010-1610M Settlement Miller 2011 $3K → $463
WEST 2012-950M Settlement Harner 2012 $2K → $900
WEST 2011-781M Settlement Miller 2012 $1K → $680
WEST 2010-601M Settlement Miller 2011 $613 → $400
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: 2026-08-06
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
9
samples
1
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz3
  • Cristobalite, respirable2
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg2
Show the individual readings (9)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-08-06 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.48 Laborer, Bullgang
2024-11-14 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.18 Cleanup Man
2020-02-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2009-12-01 Cristobalite, respirable 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2009-12-01 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.45 Laborer, Bullgang
2009-12-01 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.45 2.99 0.15 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-12-01 Cristobalite, respirable 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-02-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.21 Belt Crew
2005-02-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Belt Crew

Area samples (mill and shop air)

Last sampled: 2024-11-14
2
samples
Show the individual readings (4)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Area sampled
2024-11-14 ANALYZED BULK DUST MASS 0 MP CRUSHING
2024-11-14 QUARTZ (BULK DUST) 0 MP CRUSHING
2024-11-14 ANALYZED BULK DUST MASS 0 MP CRUSHING
2024-11-14 QUARTZ (BULK DUST) 0 MP CRUSHING
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. Sierra Aggregate Company, Inc. 1984 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 3
2025 3
2024 3
2023 4
2022 3
2021 3
2020 3
2019 3
2018 4
2017 4
2016 4
2015 3
2014 3
2013 2
2012 2
2011 3
2010 5
2009 4
2008 2
2007 3
2006 3
2005 2
2004 2
2003 2
2002 3
2001 2
2000 3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

RED TOP MINE sits in San Bernardino County, California, 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.
San Bernardino County, California · Population 2,187,816
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$82,184
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 950 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 1,420 5 1 3521.1
2025 Q4 1,602 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 1,718 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 1,659 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 1,201 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 833 4 2 4801.9
2024 Q3 1,513 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 1,255 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 779 1 0 1283.7
2023 Q4 985 1 0 1015.2
2023 Q3 1,544 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 1,475 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 1,304 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 1,282 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 1,077 1 1 928.5
2022 Q2 927 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 991 2 0 2018.2
2021 Q4 1,063 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 1,294 2 0 1545.6
2021 Q2 1,311 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 1,435 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 1,297 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 1,443 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 1,578 5 1 3168.6
2020 Q1 1,551 2 0 1289.5
2019 Q4 997 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 1,295 1 0 772.2
2019 Q2 1,316 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 1,242 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 1,352 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 1,294 1 0 772.8
2018 Q2 1,306 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 1,666 1 0 600.2
2017 Q4 1,131 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 1,165 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 1,450 1 0 689.7
2017 Q1 1,325 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 1,362 3 0 2202.6
2016 Q3 1,255 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 1,169 4 1 3421.7
2016 Q1 1,103 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 917 9 3 9814.6
2015 Q3 1,070 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 1,188 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 1,199 1 0 834.0
2014 Q4 873 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 665 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 633 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 623 1 0 1605.1
2013 Q4 627 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 478 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 791 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 608 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 399 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 495 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 711 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 795 2 1 2515.7
2011 Q4 769 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 710 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 1,338 3 1 2242.2
2011 Q1 1,327 5 2 3767.9
2010 Q4 1,152 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 1,521 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 1,541 3 2 1946.8
2010 Q1 1,696 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 1,493 4 3 2679.2
2009 Q3 1,165 4 0 3433.5
2009 Q2 1,322 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 1,429 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 523 12 3 22944.6
2008 Q3 953 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 937 1 0 1067.2
2008 Q1 1,003 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 1,173 3 0 2557.5
2007 Q3 1,355 6 1 4428.0
2007 Q2 1,493 5 1 3349.0
2007 Q1 1,360 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 907 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 907 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 1,520 3 0 1973.7
2006 Q1 1,151 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 935 1 0 1069.5
2005 Q3 1,130 3 0 2654.9
2005 Q2 1,315 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,030 2 0 1941.7
2004 Q4 782 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 1,121 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 1,150 4 1 3478.3
2004 Q1 814 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 811 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 1,170 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 858 1 0 1165.5
2003 Q1 1,051 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 726 5 0 6887.1
2002 Q3 842 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 1,214 9 1 7413.5
2002 Q1 1,435 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 787 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 1,076 16 4 14869.9
2001 Q2 1,158 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 1,081 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 997 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 1,539 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 1,712 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 1,672 3 0 1794.3

No reportable incidents on file.

MSHA has no recorded reportable accidents for this mine in the current dataset. New reports appear here within a week of being filed.