Mining Incidents

River Canyon III: 30 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Joy Engineering · Surface
Controlled by Rick Joy
McCarran, Storey County, NV  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 2602617

River Canyon III has $8K in proposed MSHA penalties and $800 outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2022–2024
Latest incident
Aug 2024
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
30
citations
6
significant & substantial
$7,670
proposed penalties
$4,708
paid to date
61% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,962 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2008
33
inspections on record
260
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: 260 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
A Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2015-09-03.
On record since 2015.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

River Canyon III has $8K in proposed MSHA penalties and $800 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.
$8K
proposed penalties
$6K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$800
outstanding
29 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $5K in penalties contested before the Commission, $3K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-02-05.
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.
20.7%
significant & substantial
6.9%
high negligence or reckless
20.7%
reasonably likely or greater
37.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 34.5% low, 58.6% moderate, 6.9% 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.
6 citations taken to the federal commission · 20% of citations on record
  • Settled 6 · 100%
75%
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 4 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
43%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$5K 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 2022-10-13.
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 2016-0081 Settlement Moran 2016 $2K → $2K
WEST 2016-0191 Settlement Moran 2016 $2K → $293
WEST 2016-0080 Settlement Moran 2016 $1K → $493
WEST 2023-0006 Settlement Manning 2023 $144 → $130
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: 2014-01-29, 12 years ago
2
samples
0
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (2)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2014-01-29 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.48 Crusher Oper/Worker
2014-01-29 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.2 Bobcat 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.

River Canyon III recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.

Injury rate, 2025
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 1.65 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Nevada, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.25 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
2025 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2024 * 5.46 5.46 0.000
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 * 7.28 7.28 0.000
2021 * 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. Wes Construction 2007 to 2009
  2. Joy Engineering 2009 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 10
2025 12
2024 10
2023 10
2022 8
2021 8
2020 7
2019 6
2018 6
2017 6
2016 5
2015 5
2014 4
2013 3
2012 3
2011 4
2010 2
2009 4
2008 3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

River Canyon III sits in Storey County, Nevada, where the Census mining category is 0.3% 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.
Storey County, Nevada · Population 4,139
0.3%
Mining share of county employment
$96,000
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
2026 Q2 7,326 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 7,028 1 0 142.3
2025 Q4 8,232 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 10,424 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 10,436 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 7,288 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 8,474 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 7,096 0 0 0.0
Show 65 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 11,405 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 9,670 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 8,767 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 7,361 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 7,722 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 3,530 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 7,762 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 7,176 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 6,943 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 5,605 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 5,760 1 0 173.6
2021 Q3 5,592 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 5,190 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 5,134 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 5,861 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 5,773 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 4,027 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 3,496 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 4,147 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 3,801 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 5,010 1 0 199.6
2019 Q1 4,264 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 4,044 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 3,240 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 2,485 1 0 402.4
2018 Q1 5,157 1 0 193.9
2017 Q4 4,252 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 4,242 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 4,025 1 1 248.4
2017 Q1 4,191 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 3,469 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 4,102 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 3,284 1 0 304.5
2016 Q1 3,350 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 2,826 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 3,810 6 3 1574.8
2015 Q2 4,303 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 1,659 1 0 602.8
2014 Q4 1,499 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 1,764 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 2,627 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 3,005 3 1 998.3
2013 Q4 1,104 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 1,319 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 2,520 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 1,091 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 588 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 0 1 0
2012 Q2 1,219 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 2,833 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 980 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 863 1 0 1158.7
2011 Q2 1,227 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 936 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 526 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 720 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 756 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 785 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 730 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 1,440 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 2,162 2 0 925.1
2009 Q1 1,392 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 4,043 6 0 1484.0
2008 Q3 0 0 0
2008 Q1 2,802 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2024 · 1 incident

August 1, 2024 NV · Metal/Non-Metal master mechanic, foreman, supervisor MACHINERY
Joy Engineering · Struck by falling object

The employee was picking up trash/aerosol can near the generator, leaned against the generator placed right hand near the hinge part of the door, generator turned on smashing right hand ring finger and middle finger between the door and the generator. Amputating the tip of right finger, breaking the middle finger, and smashing index finger.

2022 · 1 incident

May 2, 2022 NV · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Joy Engineering · Fall from machine

Driver was exiting the driver door and was not facing the truck they missed the steps and fell on the ground they were exiting the wrong way. Driver was scaling out on the scale house.