Smoky Valley Common Operation-UG has $42K in proposed MSHA penalties and $24K 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
2006–2026
Latest incident
May 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
39
citations
1
significant & substantial
$42,133
proposed penalties
$16,097
paid to date
38% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $26,036 gap.
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: 735 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Smoky Valley Common Operation-UG has $42K in proposed MSHA penalties and $24K 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.
$42K
proposed penalties
$40K
current assessed
$16K
paid to date
$24K
outstanding
34 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $3K in penalties contested before the Commission, $922 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-28.
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.
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.
6citations taken to the federal commission · 15% of citations on record
Settled
3 · 50%
Still open
3 · 50%
0%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
65%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$3K proposed, $922 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 2026-07-28.
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.
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: 2026-04-29
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
5
samples
4
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Diesel particulate (total carbon)2
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Respirable dust, <.1mg1
Show the individual readings (11)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2026-04-29
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.16
0.96
0.17
Truck Driver
2026-04-29
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.28
0.79
0.35
Truck Driver
2026-01-27
TC from EC @ 160
0
160
0.00
Shotcrete/Gunite Man
2026-01-27
EC @ 160
0
160
0.00
Shotcrete/Gunite Man
2026-01-27
TC @ 160
0
160
0.00
Shotcrete/Gunite Man
2026-01-27
ORGANIC CARBON
0
Shotcrete/Gunite Man
2024-11-20
TC from EC @ 160
0
160
0.00
Ventilation Crew
2024-11-20
EC @ 160
0
160
0.00
Ventilation Crew
2024-11-20
TC @ 160
0
160
0.00
Ventilation Crew
2024-11-20
ORGANIC CARBON
0
Ventilation Crew
2024-11-20
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Ventilation Crew
Area samples (mill and shop air)
Last sampled: 2026-01-27
4
samples
Show the individual readings (8)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Area sampled
2026-01-27
EC @ 160
0
UG ACTIVE MINING
2026-01-27
TC @ 160
0
UG ACTIVE MINING
2025-04-11
TC @ 160
0
UG ACTIVE MINING
2025-04-11
TC @ 160
0
UG ACTIVE MINING
2025-04-11
EC @ 160
0
UG ACTIVE MINING
2025-04-11
EC @ 160
0
UG ACTIVE MINING
2024-11-20
EC @ 160
0
UG GENERAL
2024-11-20
TC @ 160
0
UG GENERAL
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.
Smoky Valley Common Operation-UG 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
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 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 *
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
33
2025
22
2024
13
2023
10
2008
3
2007
8
2006
11
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Smoky Valley Common Operation-UG sits in Nye County, Nevada, where the Census mining category is 7.3% 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.
Nye County, Nevada · Population 53,207
7.3%
Mining share of county employment
$55,975
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
At approximately 7:20PM the shift supervisor was conducting work area inspections, finding a fall of ground in the 3800 ramp. The fall of ground was above the anchorage zone in an active working area that impeded passage.
Employee was attempting to adjust bolt alignment fingers on bolter using a hammer, while doing so the employees left hand pinky finger got caught between the hammer and the alignment finger causing a laceration. Employee received 7 stitches.
2024 · 4 incidents
December 10, 2024NV · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
While an employee's (EE) left arm was supporting a drifter on its side during re-installation on the Bolter Boom, additional mechanics began to push the drifter into place with the EE's arm still holding the drifter. This caused the EE's arm to be pinched in between the drifter and the slide, resulting in swelling and soreness to the EE's arm.
The employee (EE) was using a paint stick to begin marking boot holes following a heading inspection. The EE's right foot slipped on uneven ground causing their weight to shift left. The left foot also slipped, and the EE began to fall to the ground. A rock came between the ground and leg just above the left calf area. The impact resulted in a fracture to the lower left fibula.
September 17, 2024NV · Metal/Non-Metalelectrician, linemanELECTRICAL
An Arc Flash occurred as an employee (EE) attempted to throw a transfer switch that was under load. The flash blew the enclosure door open. This struck the EE in the face and forced the EE backward. EE received minor burns to the left cheek and neck while sustaining facial injuries to the mouth and teeth.
Helper was dumping tubes as per normal, site conditions were warm clean and dry. Helper was using excessive force to empty the core sample and heard a pop in shoulder and experienced pain.
2006 · 1 incident
November 8, 2006NV · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanOTHER
Employee was walking across the yard towards the batch plant when a large gust of wind came up & blew dust in her eyes. She had help flushing her eyes out with saline solution. The next day she came to work & her eyes were still irritated so she was taken to a Dr. where more material was removed from her eye.
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