Sweetwater Quarry has $46K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
1984–2025
Latest incident
Aug 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
182
citations
36
significant & substantial
$46,079
proposed penalties
$46,079
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 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.
182 citations across 1,369 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Sweetwater Quarry has $46K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 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.
$46K
proposed penalties
$46K
current assessed
$46K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
176 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-20.
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 · 3% of citations on record
Settled
5 · 83%
Stood as issued
1 · 17%
100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $2K 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 2013-07-22.
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: 2025-09-16
8%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
22
samples
13
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz81 over
Respirable dust, <.1mg5
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz4
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz3
Show the individual readings (22)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2012-04-25
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
29.98
10
3.00
Crusher Oper/Worker
2025-09-16
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.14
Shovel Operator
2025-09-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2025-09-16
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.26
Cutting Mach Operator
2025-09-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2025-09-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Shovel Operator
2025-09-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Bulldozer Operator
2023-07-12
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
4.32
10
0.43
Cont. Miner Operator
2023-07-12
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
3.27
10
0.33
Cont. Miner Operator
2023-07-12
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.26
10
0.03
Truck Driver
2023-07-12
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.88
10
0.09
Front-end Loader Operator
2020-09-10
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
1.05
Ball Mill Operator
2020-09-10
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.87
Ball Mill Operator
2013-01-09
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.47
10
0.05
Supervisor, Co. Official
2013-01-09
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.61
3.12
0.20
Front-end Loader Operator
2013-01-09
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.4
10
0.04
Truck Driver
2012-10-02
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
6.28
10
0.63
Crusher Oper/Worker
2012-04-25
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
5.2
10
0.52
Utility Man
2012-04-25
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
4.72
10
0.47
Front-end Loader Operator
2003-10-30
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.3
10
0.03
Crusher Oper/Worker
2003-10-30
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2003-10-30
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.75
10
0.08
Mechanic
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.
Sweetwater Quarry recorded 3.02 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.
3.02
total case rate
1.51
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above 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.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025
3.02
1.51
0.000
2024
3.35
3.35
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
5.32
0.00
0.000
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019 *
0.00
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
58
2025
56
2024
50
2023
39
2022
33
2021
15
2020
15
2019
13
2018
15
2017
15
2016
15
2015
15
2014
16
2013
16
2012
16
2011
16
2010
16
2009
16
2008
16
2007
18
2006
26
2005
18
2004
10
2003
7
2002
6
2001
6
2000
6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Sweetwater Quarry sits in Nolan County, Texas, where the Census mining category is 2.7% 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.
Nolan County, Texas · Population 14,565
2.7%
Mining share of county employment
$50,160
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
37,291
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
33,929
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
35,506
13
1
366.1
2025 Q3
28,966
2
0
69.0
2025 Q2
34,799
9
2
258.6
2025 Q1
33,063
8
2
242.0
2024 Q4
32,407
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
29,685
0
0
0.0
Show 98 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
31,033
13
1
418.9
2024 Q1
26,442
8
2
302.5
2023 Q4
27,180
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
23,262
6
0
257.9
2023 Q2
24,212
4
0
165.2
2023 Q1
23,683
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
20,684
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
20,613
2
0
97.0
2022 Q2
18,620
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
16,670
4
0
240.0
2021 Q4
10,698
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
8,851
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
9,458
2
0
211.5
2021 Q1
8,561
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
9,085
2
0
220.1
2020 Q3
8,496
1
0
117.7
2020 Q2
7,689
4
0
520.2
2020 Q1
7,775
2
0
257.2
2019 Q4
7,402
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
7,758
7
3
902.3
2019 Q2
7,686
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
8,455
2
0
236.5
2018 Q4
8,179
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
7,742
2
0
258.3
2018 Q2
8,259
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
8,056
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
8,868
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
8,554
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
8,161
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
8,826
1
0
113.3
2016 Q4
8,112
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
8,308
3
1
361.1
2016 Q2
8,276
1
0
120.8
2016 Q1
8,634
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
7,768
3
1
386.2
2015 Q3
9,193
5
0
543.9
2015 Q2
8,026
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
7,353
1
0
136.0
2014 Q4
6,067
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
5,576
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
5,409
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
5,948
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
6,900
3
2
434.8
2013 Q3
7,415
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
8,448
4
3
473.5
2013 Q1
7,528
2
0
265.7
2012 Q4
7,035
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
7,542
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
7,628
2
0
262.2
2012 Q1
8,101
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
6,889
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
6,524
3
0
459.8
2011 Q2
5,854
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
5,618
1
0
178.0
2010 Q4
5,355
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
6,304
2
0
317.3
2010 Q2
6,918
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
6,261
4
1
638.9
2009 Q4
6,089
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
6,684
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
6,234
1
1
160.4
2009 Q1
7,321
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
7,276
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
8,153
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
8,385
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
6,392
4
1
625.8
2007 Q4
8,128
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
7,948
2
0
251.6
2007 Q2
7,743
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
6,305
2
0
317.2
2006 Q4
7,845
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
7,978
1
0
125.3
2006 Q2
11,174
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
7,634
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
8,949
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
6,722
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
8,206
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
7,057
1
0
141.7
2004 Q4
3,196
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
3,273
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
3,764
2
1
531.3
2004 Q1
3,099
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
3,599
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
3,248
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
3,743
2
0
534.3
2003 Q1
3,567
0
0
0.0
2002 Q4
2,956
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
2,763
2
1
723.9
2002 Q2
3,012
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
2,292
4
3
1745.2
2001 Q4
1,912
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
2,309
0
0
0.0
2001 Q2
2,770
6
5
2166.1
2001 Q1
2,599
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
2,440
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
2,316
2
0
863.6
2000 Q2
2,342
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
1,857
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
11 on file
2025 · 2 incidents
August 14, 2025TX · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
Operator was setting up to fill the hydraulic oil on the Wirtgen 2200 Surface Miner. This involves hinging a plate metal cover back to access the tank cap. After the cover was hinged back, operator placed EE's left arm on the top step. The cover swung down from it's position, striking the operators left arm causing a fracture to the forearm/wrist area.
2024 · 2 incidents
August 6, 2024TX · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Maintenance tech was replacing a faulty LCL Filter in a drive cabinet. After filter was replaced, tech was moving old filter to get it out of the electrical room. Filter has casters but they are locked in place. When attempting to rotate the filter, the unit tipped over. Tech attempted to stop it and felt a pain in left arm.
July 26, 2024TX · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was assisting in cleaning up around the ready line area when they were loading up broken wood and pallets into the loader bucket. The injured employee attempted to pick up a pallet that was partly buried under some dirt and felt a pop in left bicep.
2021 · 1 incident
September 1, 2021TX · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
Before the welding could take place, maintenance had to grind off an old weld. While in operation the grinding wheel guard came loose, spun, and contacted the surface. The contact caused the grinder to jerk towards the mechanics off hand, resulting in a laceration on the left thumb.
2018 · 1 incident
October 17, 2018TX · Metal/Non-Metalmaster mechanic, foreman, supervisorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
While making shop repairs to a spare mixer assembly, technician turned the internal rotor. The rotor became momentarily seized and released before the technician could remove their hand. Finger caught between the rotor assembly and the lid, causing the loss of a portion of the distal phalange, 1/3 of the fingernail, on the left ring finger.
The operator applied the socket to the segment bolt head on the D8 Dozer sprocket and was in the process of applying downward pressure when the socket came loose resulting in left thumb getting caught between the wrench handle and the lifting eye on the right pusher arm. The operator sustained a laceration requiring three stitches and fracture to the left thumb.
2008 · 1 incident
October 18, 2008TX · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
INJURED PLACED RT HAND IN #1 MILL FEEDER HOPPER TO REMOVE ALLEGED LODGED MATL EQUIPMENT WAS STARTED BY ANOTHER EMPLOYEE AS A RESULT INJUREDS HAND WAS DRAWN INTO THE EQUIPMENT COVER OVER FEEDER HAD BEEN REMOVED COMPLETELY WHICH ALLOWED EQUIPMENT TO BE OPERABLE IF COVER HAD BEEN SLID TO ONE SIDE IT WOULD HAVE ACTIVATED A SWITCH WHICH WOULD MAKE THE EQUIPMENT INOPERATIVE
1984 · 1 incident
March 16, 1984TX · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE