Mining Incidents

ST. PAUL PIT: 1 recorded fatality Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Bernard Batenhorst
Howard County, NE  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 2500773

ST. PAUL PIT has $20K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2000
Latest incident
May 2000
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
3
citations
2
significant & substantial
$20,113
proposed penalties
$16,113
paid to date
80% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $4,000 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
6
inspections on record
149
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: 149 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

ST. PAUL PIT has $20K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.
$20K
proposed penalties
$16K
current assessed
$16K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
2 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $20K in penalties contested before the Commission, $16K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2000-06-15.
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.
100.0%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
100.0%
reasonably likely or greater
100.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 0.0% low, 100.0% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
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
WEST20010288M Settlement Zielinski 2001 $20K → $16K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Christensen Sand & Gravel 1950 to 1995
  2. Batenhorst Gravel Company 1995 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2002 1
2001 4
2000 4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

ST. PAUL PIT sits in Howard County, Nebraska, where the Census mining category is 0.8% 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.
Howard County, Nebraska · Population 6,492
0.8%
Mining share of county employment
$74,508
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
2002 Q4 0 0 0
2002 Q3 0 0 0
2002 Q2 0 0 0
2002 Q1 347 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 2,115 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 2,920 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 4,318 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 567 0 0 0.0
Show 4 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2000 Q4 1,437 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 2,279 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 2,386 3 2 1257.3
2000 Q1 1,303 0 0 0.0

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
May 20, 2000 NE · Metal/Non-Metal barge/boat/dredge/towbarge/towboat/leach operator, riverman, deck hand Fatality · OTHER

WAS NOT WEARING LIFT JACKET WHEN CLEANING OUT DEBRIS FROM CUTTERHEAD, FELL INTO WATER AND DROWNED.