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Solar White Quarry: 159 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Best Cheer USA
Salisbury, Rowan County, NC  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3102054

Solar White Quarry has $44K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 11 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
1990–1996
Latest incident
Jul 1996
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
159
citations
43
significant & substantial
$43,605
proposed penalties
$37,346
paid to date
86% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $6,259 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Rowan Granite Quarry Inc's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
78
inspections on record
989
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: 989 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Solar White Quarry has $44K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 11 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.
$44K
proposed penalties
$37K
current assessed
$37K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
151 assessments are final orders; 11 contested dockets.
Of $24K in penalties contested before the Commission, $17K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2024-01-24.
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.
28.5%
significant & substantial
20.5%
high negligence or reckless
29.8%
reasonably likely or greater
45.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 2.0% low, 77.5% moderate, 20.5% 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 · 6% of citations on record
  • Settled 8 · 89%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 1 · 11%
86%
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 7 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$22K proposed, $15K 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 2010-09-14.
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
SE 2008-301M Settlement Zielinski 2009 $9K → $7K
SE 2009-423M Settlement Lesnick 2010 $5K → $2K
SE 2010-1178M Settlement McCarthy 2011 $5K → $4K
SE 2007-288M Settlement Hodgdon 2007 $2K → $1K
SE 2003-162-M Settlement Lesnick 2003 $591 → $407
SE 20020138M Settlement Barbour 2002 $408 → $220
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: 2021-06-17, 5 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
25
samples
8
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg16
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz8
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (25)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2021-06-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2021-06-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Supervisor, Co. Official
2021-06-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2021-06-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2021-06-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-05-30 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-05-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-12-15 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.36 1.97 0.18 Drill Helper
2011-12-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Jackhammer Operator
2009-10-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Drill Operator, Rotary Air
2009-10-21 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.14 0.87 0.16 Jet Piercing Chan. Operator
2009-10-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Blaster, Powder Gang
2009-10-21 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.16 0.81 0.20 Blaster, Powder Gang
2009-02-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.42 0.51 0.82 Drill Operator, Rotary Air
2009-02-12 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Jet Piercing Chan. Operator
2008-04-08 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.23 0.6 0.38 Drill Operator, Rotary
2008-04-08 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.28 0.54 0.52 Jet Piercing Chan. Operator
2005-03-02 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 0.81 0.16 Jet Piercing Chan. Operator
2005-03-02 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.26 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-03-02 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Jackhammer Operator
2001-07-31 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2001-07-31 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.21 0.77 0.27 Jet Piercing Chan. Operator
2001-07-31 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Jet Piercing Chan. Operator
2001-07-31 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Supervisor, Co. Official
2001-07-31 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Stone Polisher/Cutter
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. Granite Panelwall Company 1990 to 1990
  2. Rowan Granite Quarry Inc 1990 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2024 1
2023 1
2022 1
2021 1
2020 1
2019 1
2018 2
2017 0
2016 0
2015 0
2014 0
2013 0
2012 4
2011 5
2010 6
2009 6
2008 5
2007 5
2006 5
2005 8
2004 9
2003 8
2002 7
2001 7
2000 6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Solar White Quarry sits in Rowan County, North Carolina, where the Census mining category is 0.5% 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.
Rowan County, North Carolina · Population 148,487
0.5%
Mining share of county employment
$63,196
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
2024 Q3 16 0 0 0.0
2024 Q2 64 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 152 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 480 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 544 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 480 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 480 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 480 0 0 0.0
Show 87 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2022 Q3 560 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 471 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 296 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 200 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 384 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 400 1 0 2500.0
2021 Q1 384 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 384 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 384 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 360 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 480 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 520 4 1 7692.3
2019 Q3 240 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 480 1 0 2083.3
2019 Q1 480 2 0 4166.7
2018 Q4 720 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 720 6 1 8333.3
2018 Q2 480 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 480 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 240 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 0 0 0
2017 Q2 0 0 0
2017 Q1 0 0 0
2016 Q4 0 0 0
2016 Q3 0 0 0
2016 Q2 0 0 0
2016 Q1 0 0 0
2015 Q4 0 0 0
2015 Q2 0 0 0
2015 Q1 0 0 0
2014 Q4 0 0 0
2014 Q3 0 0 0
2014 Q2 0 0 0
2013 Q4 0 0 0
2013 Q2 0 0 0
2013 Q1 0 1 0
2012 Q3 908 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 1,221 8 2 6552.0
2012 Q1 2,274 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 2,851 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 2,898 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 2,751 1 0 363.5
2011 Q1 2,172 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 3,102 1 0 322.4
2010 Q3 2,667 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 2,825 6 3 2123.9
2010 Q1 3,038 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 3,545 2 0 564.2
2009 Q3 3,210 5 2 1557.6
2009 Q2 3,398 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 3,073 10 2 3254.1
2008 Q4 3,217 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 2,417 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 2,810 13 4 4626.3
2008 Q1 2,449 2 1 816.7
2007 Q4 2,706 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 2,399 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 2,512 11 4 4379.0
2007 Q1 1,841 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 2,681 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 2,460 3 1 1219.5
2006 Q2 599 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 2,209 4 2 1810.8
2005 Q4 2,058 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 3,260 5 2 1533.7
2005 Q2 4,537 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 4,180 4 1 956.9
2004 Q4 4,237 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 4,462 7 4 1568.8
2004 Q2 4,388 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 3,155 2 0 633.9
2003 Q4 4,759 8 5 1681.0
2003 Q3 3,588 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 2,880 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 2,227 16 4 7184.6
2002 Q4 3,563 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 3,553 2 0 562.9
2002 Q2 3,639 8 1 2198.4
2002 Q1 2,939 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 3,414 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 3,358 1 0 297.8
2001 Q2 3,490 2 0 573.1
2001 Q1 2,627 2 0 761.3
2000 Q4 2,952 3 0 1016.3
2000 Q3 2,711 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 2,880 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 2,253 3 1 1331.6
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

11 on file

1996 · 1 incident

July 18, 1996 NC · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman MACHINERY
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING A JACK HAMMER. TRIMMING GRANITE BLOCKS WHEN HE "FELT SOMETHING IN HIS RIGHT SHOULDER POP."

1995 · 2 incidents

May 18, 1995 NC · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects

EMPLOYEE WAS ASSISTING LEDGE LOADER IN MOVING ROCKS OFF OF WORK AREA & DRIVING STEEL WEDGES INTO GRANITE WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER & COMPLAINED OF PAIN IN LOWER BACK

February 7, 1995 NC · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Fall from ladders

EMPLOYEE WAS GOING DOWN A PORTABLE METAL LADDER ONTO A BLOCK OF GRANITE WHICH WAS SITTING ON THEBOTTOM OF KEYCAT. THE LADDER HAD BEEN REMOVED PRIOR TO ACCIDENT FOR LOADER TO LIFT MATERIAL OUT OF AREA. WHEN THE LADDER WAS PLACED BACK IT WAS NOT SECURED. EMPLOYEE STARTED DOWN LADDER AND ITSLIPPED OUT FROM UNDER HIM CAUSING HIM TO FALL APPROX 4' OR 5' DOWN ONTO THE TOP OF GRANITE BLO

1994 · 3 incidents

August 3, 1994 NC · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man MACHINERY
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

THE EMPLOYEE WAS WORKINMG ON A LOWER LEVEL BENCH WHEN ANOTHER EMPLOYEE FROM THE LEDGE ABOVE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF USING THE BLOW PIPE TO CLEAN OUT SOME VERTICLE DRILL HOLES. AND WHEN HE INSTRU CTED THE EMPLOYEE TO TURN ON THR AIR THE BLOW PIPE WAS NOT FIRMLY IN HAND AND BLEW OUT OF CONTROL STRIKING THE INJURED EMPLOYEE IN THE RIGHT SIDE(RIBS). EMPLOYEE HAS BRUISED RIBS.

May 23, 1994 NC · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects

EMPLOYEE WAS CLEANING OFF AN AREA OF THE FLOOR AND WAS MOVING SOME PIECES OF GROUT BY HAND. EMPLOYEE WAS BENT OVER PULLING AND LIFTING AT SAME TIME, CAUSING SHARP PAIN TO SHOULDER REGION.

March 21, 1994 NC · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects

EMPLOYEE WAS HELPIGN 2 OTHER EMPLOYEES TO BREAK A LONG LINE OF GRANITE BLOCKS BY USING 5" WEDDGES AND SHIMS WHIHC MUST BE DRIVEN DOWN WITH ASLEDGE HAMMER (10#) AND WHEN HE WENT TO HIT THE NEXT WEDGE, HE COULD NOT RAISE HIS ARM UP TO STRIKE THE WEDGE.

1993 · 1 incident

October 19, 1993 NC · Metal/Non-Metal drill operator MACHINERY
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS USING A AIR OPERATED"BLOW PIPE" TO FORCE DUST AND WATER OUT OF A VERTICALLY DRILLED HOLE. THE PIPE IS 1/2" DIAMETER STAINLESS STEEL WITH A TREADED NIPPLE WHICH CONNECTS THE JOINT S OF PIPE (6' SECTIONS). WHILE PUSHIGN THE PIPE OUT OF THE HOLE AND THEN STRUCK INJURED EMPLOYEE ON TOPOF RIGHT HAND ABOVE INDEX FINGER.

1992 · 2 incidents

November 5, 1992 NC · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Struck by flying object

EMPLOYEE WAS BREAKING ROCK WITH SLEDGE HAMMER. A PIECE OF ROCK HIT HIM, IN THE PALM OF HAND, AND CUT IT.

July 23, 1992 NC · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Struck by flying object

EMPLOYEE WAS DRIVING WEDGE INTO ROCK BEING BROKE, AND A PIECE OF THE WEDGE BROKE AND WAS THROWN STRIKING EMPLOYEE ON THE RIGHT KNEE.

1991 · 1 incident

September 23, 1991 NC · Metal/Non-Metal drill helper HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE DID NOT DISCHARGE AIR FROM AIR TANK BEFORE HE TOOK OIL PLUG OUT. FILLER CAP FROM OIL TANK HIT HIM ON RIGHT FOREHEAD.

1990 · 1 incident