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Skyhigh Pit: 137 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Knife River Corporation
Mexia, Limestone County, TX  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4103931

Skyhigh Pit has $22K in proposed MSHA penalties and $865 outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
1999–2026
Latest incident
Feb 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
137
citations
22
significant & substantial
$21,690
proposed penalties
$20,487
paid to date
94% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,203 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Knife River Corporation-South's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
73
inspections on record
1,194
inspection hours
11.5
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.
137 citations across 1,194 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Skyhigh Pit has $22K in proposed MSHA penalties and $865 outstanding across 5 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.
$22K
proposed penalties
$21K
current assessed
$20K
paid to date
$865
outstanding
128 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-22.
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.
16.2%
significant & substantial
10.9%
high negligence or reckless
15.6%
reasonably likely or greater
39.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.9% low, 78.1% moderate, 10.9% 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.
12 citations taken to the federal commission · 9% of citations on record
  • Settled 7 · 58%
  • Still open 5 · 42%
67%
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 3 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
12%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $965 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 2026-07-16.
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 2016-0185 Settlement Lesnick 2016 $643 → $509
CENT20020246M Settlement Schroeder 2002 $259 → $55
CENT 2024-0133 Settlement Paez 2024 $232 → $232
CENT 2011-657M Settlement Lesnick 2011 $224 → $224
CENT 2026-0236 Decision pending
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: 2026-01-13
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
37
samples
5
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg29
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz4
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz2
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (37)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-01-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2026-01-13 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.17 Crusher Oper/Worker
2026-01-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cleanup Man
2025-09-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-09-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2025-09-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2024-10-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2024-10-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bobcat Operator
2024-10-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2024-10-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2021-08-31 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2021-08-31 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2021-03-30 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2021-03-30 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2015-09-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2015-09-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2015-09-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2013-01-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cleanup Man
2013-01-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2013-01-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2010-02-18 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-02-18 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.22 1.9 0.12 Bobcat Operator
2009-07-01 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 2.19 2.42 0.90 Crusher Oper/Worker
2009-07-01 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.13 10 0.01 Laborer, Bullgang
2008-09-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2008-09-17 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.16 Bobcat Operator
2008-09-17 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 1.34 0.10 Crusher Oper/Worker
2007-10-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2007-10-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bobcat Operator
2007-10-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2007-07-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2007-07-11 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.15 10 0.02 Bobcat Operator
2007-07-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Jackhammer Operator
2004-01-28 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.12 Crusher Oper/Worker
2004-01-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2004-01-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-01-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Supervisor, Co. Official
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.

Skyhigh Pit 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 Texas, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.17 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 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2021 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 * 7.72 0.00 0.000
2018 * 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. Young Materials Corp 1996 to 2005
  2. Knife River Corporation-South 2005 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 22
2025 15
2024 13
2023 13
2022 14
2021 12
2020 17
2019 19
2018 16
2017 17
2016 17
2015 14
2014 11
2013 9
2012 8
2011 11
2010 11
2009 11
2008 9
2007 9
2006 7
2005 20
2004 9
2003 9
2002 9
2001 10
2000 10
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Skyhigh Pit sits in Limestone County, Texas, where the Census mining category is 3.1% 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.
Limestone County, Texas · Population 22,185
3.1%
Mining share of county employment
$58,109
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 15,405 9 0 584.2
2026 Q1 14,204 5 3 352.0
2025 Q4 9,963 3 0 301.1
2025 Q3 12,890 2 0 155.2
2025 Q2 11,823 1 0 84.6
2025 Q1 9,963 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 9,700 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 9,806 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 9,526 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 9,667 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 8,776 1 1 113.9
2023 Q3 8,769 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 9,076 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 7,811 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 7,954 1 0 125.7
2022 Q3 9,603 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 11,388 1 0 87.8
2022 Q1 9,193 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 9,332 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 8,917 2 1 224.3
2021 Q2 9,619 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 7,432 1 0 134.6
2020 Q4 7,011 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 11,084 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 12,958 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 13,000 3 1 230.8
2019 Q4 13,256 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 14,550 2 0 137.5
2019 Q2 13,572 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 10,412 1 0 96.0
2018 Q4 7,906 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 10,075 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 11,297 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 11,053 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 11,086 2 0 180.4
2017 Q3 9,698 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 1,915 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 11,699 1 0 85.5
2016 Q4 10,475 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 10,548 2 0 189.6
2016 Q2 11,288 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 10,368 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 9,004 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 11,462 1 0 87.2
2015 Q2 8,383 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 6,687 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 6,319 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 7,409 2 0 269.9
2014 Q2 5,702 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 5,166 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 4,719 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 2,928 4 1 1366.1
2013 Q2 4,747 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 5,269 1 0 189.8
2012 Q4 1,961 1 0 509.9
2012 Q3 3,760 1 0 266.0
2012 Q2 6,060 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 5,416 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 5,217 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 4,629 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 6,664 2 2 300.1
2011 Q1 9,959 3 1 301.2
2010 Q4 8,643 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 8,533 4 0 468.8
2010 Q2 8,090 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 7,536 3 1 398.1
2009 Q4 5,826 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 7,777 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 5,754 14 1 2433.1
2009 Q1 5,306 1 0 188.5
2008 Q4 6,006 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 3,605 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 3,337 7 0 2097.7
2008 Q1 6,638 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 6,008 1 0 166.4
2007 Q3 8,379 2 0 238.7
2007 Q2 5,271 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 0 0 0
2006 Q4 1,088 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 811 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 2,975 2 0 672.3
2006 Q1 8,700 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 11,683 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 13,831 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 12,306 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 10,039 5 0 498.1
2004 Q4 7,568 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 6,582 1 0 151.9
2004 Q2 5,283 1 0 189.3
2004 Q1 4,767 2 1 419.6
2003 Q4 5,601 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 5,790 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 5,794 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 4,350 3 0 689.7
2002 Q4 4,599 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 5,228 1 0 191.3
2002 Q2 5,178 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 5,185 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 4,850 6 2 1237.1
2001 Q3 4,720 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 5,498 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 5,552 4 3 720.5
2000 Q4 4,553 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 6,461 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 6,737 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 5,461 6 2 1098.7
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

11 on file

2026 · 1 incident

February 20, 2026 TX · Metal/Non-Metal dryer operator, kiln operator, dry plant operator, fluid operator, bed dryer operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Knife River Corporation-South · Fall from machine

On February 20, 2026, at approximate 7:30 am our miner suffered a fall due to not wearing fall protection injuring an ankle, ribs, back and head,

2019 · 2 incidents

September 10, 2019 TX · Metal/Non-Metal rotary bucket excavator operator MACHINERY
Knife River Corporation-South · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

Employee was working on Impact Crusher when rotor turned pinching right hand between blow bar and side of crusher.

January 10, 2019 TX · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Knife River Corporation-South · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Operator was exiting cab of 336F Excavator holding on to the handrail facing the inside of cab when both feet slipped off track feeling a jerking motion to EE's left shoulder. The tracks on the machine were damp with material build up.

2017 · 2 incidents

January 30, 2017 TX · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Knife River Corporation-South · Struck by flying object

Employee was removing a bearing race from screen housing with a hammer tapping the race causing a piece of the race to chip off striking employee in the left leg above knee. The foreign body embedded under the skin.

2011 · 1 incident

February 25, 2011 TX · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Knife River Corporation-South · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Driver was getting out of truck and turned to walk back to unlock the tailgate when he slipped in the mud. On the way to the ground he reached up with his right hand and grabbed for the door handle, instead he grabbed the door jam and the door closed so hard on his hand to the point it actually latched shut. Causing a laceration to his ring finger and exposed the bone.

2009 · 1 incident

June 29, 2009 TX · Metal/Non-Metal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey DISORDERS (PHYSICAL AGENTS)
Knife River Corporation-South · Contact with heat

Heat Exhaustion - became dehydrated while working on a shot.

2007 · 1 incident

August 31, 2007 TX · Metal/Non-Metal welder (shop) SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Knife River Corporation-South · Fall from ladders

Employee was welding on a platform for a cone crusher, fell about 3 1/2 feet to ground while descending ladder. Ladder was inside platform between two catwalks. Employee lost his balance and fell striking and fracturing his coccyx either on angle iron or rock on ground.

2005 · 1 incident

2000 · 1 incident

April 5, 2000 TX · Metal/Non-Metal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey EXPLOSIVES AND BREAKING AGENTS
Young Materials Corp · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE CALLED IN FOR BLASTER TO SHOOT A SHOT. EE WENT TO FIRE SHOT. HE WAS UNDER HAUL UNIT USED FOR COVER WHEN A ROCK CAME OUT OF SHOT, BOUNCED AND HIT HIM ON THE KNEE CAUSING A CUT THAT NEEDED ST ITCHES. EE WAS 633 FEET FROM SHOT.

1999 · 1 incident

February 23, 1999 TX · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator POWERED HAULAGE
Young Materials Corp · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

EE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN ROCK BUILDUP FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF ENCLOSE (3 SIDXES) FEEDER. WITH MACHINE RUNNING AND ON HIS BACK HIS LEG CAUGHT BETWEEN BELT AND FRAME, MAKING SLIT IN HIS CALF. HI S RACTION OF INJURY FURTHER CAUSED BRUISES TO THIGH POSSIBLE FX TO ANKLE.