Venable Pit has $49K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
2003–2015
Latest incident
Jul 2015
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
177
citations
33
significant & substantial
$49,256
proposed penalties
$45,125
paid to date
92% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $4,131 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
67
inspections on record
1,111
inspection hours
15.9
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.
177 citations across 1,111 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2014-05-06.
On record since 2014.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Venable Pit has $49K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 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.
$49K
proposed penalties
$45K
current assessed
$45K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
175 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $20K in penalties contested before the Commission, $16K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-02-19.
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.
12citations taken to the federal commission · 7% of citations on record
Settled
9 · 75%
Stood as issued
3 · 25%
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 4 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
20%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$20K proposed, $16K 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 2014-09-16.
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.
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: 2025-09-23
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
16
samples
3
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg12
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz4
Show the individual readings (16)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2025-09-23
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.36
Truck Driver
2025-09-23
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.64
2.04
0.31
Front-end Loader Operator
2020-12-02
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2020-06-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Shovel Operator
2018-04-19
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Supervisor, Co. Official
2018-04-19
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2010-04-14
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-03-02
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2005-03-02
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Backhoe Operator
2005-03-02
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.15
1.68
0.09
Laborer, Bullgang
2005-03-02
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2000-11-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2000-11-07
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.39
2.07
0.19
Truck Driver
2000-11-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Backhoe Operator
2000-11-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Cleanup Man
2000-11-07
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
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.
Venable Pit recorded 15.49 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2007.
Injury rate, 2007
ⓘ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.
15.49
total case rate
7.74
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 3.30 and the all-US-mining average was 3.77 cases per 100 workers.
In Oregon, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 3.66 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
2007 *
15.49
7.74
0.000
2006 *
14.81
0.00
0.000
2003 *
9.94
9.94
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
3
2025
3
2024
4
2023
4
2022
4
2021
4
2020
3
2019
3
2018
4
2017
4
2016
5
2015
5
2014
5
2013
5
2012
3
2011
3
2010
3
2009
6
2008
8
2007
9
2006
10
2005
7
2004
7
2003
7
2002
8
2001
9
2000
7
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Venable Pit sits in Jackson County, Oregon, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
Jackson County, Oregon · Population 222,563
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$71,443
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
1,931
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
1,741
1
0
574.4
2025 Q4
1,742
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
2,189
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
1,120
0
0
0.0
2025 Q1
80
2
0
25000.0
2024 Q4
1,188
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
527
0
0
0.0
Show 98 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
1,612
3
0
1861.0
2024 Q1
1,379
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
1,505
3
1
1993.4
2023 Q3
953
0
0
0.0
2023 Q2
1,412
1
0
708.2
2023 Q1
1,182
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
1,533
1
0
652.3
2022 Q3
1,670
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
1,703
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
1,480
1
0
675.7
2021 Q4
1,243
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
1,863
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
2,327
1
0
429.7
2021 Q1
1,598
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
1,580
3
1
1898.7
2020 Q3
1,535
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
1,480
4
0
2702.7
2020 Q1
1,194
1
0
837.5
2019 Q4
1,475
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
1,690
2
0
1183.4
2019 Q2
1,270
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
1,315
6
0
4562.7
2018 Q4
1,355
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
1,861
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
2,099
3
0
1429.3
2018 Q1
1,327
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
1,749
8
1
4574.0
2017 Q3
1,614
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
1,523
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
1,178
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
846
8
0
9456.3
2016 Q3
1,450
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
1,897
2
1
1054.3
2016 Q1
1,284
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
819
4
0
4884.0
2015 Q3
2,305
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
2,167
3
1
1384.4
2015 Q1
2,407
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
1,841
2
0
1086.4
2014 Q3
2,876
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
2,762
15
6
5430.8
2014 Q1
2,372
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
2,300
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
2,733
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
2,196
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
2,338
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
1,968
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
2,012
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
2,018
3
0
1486.6
2012 Q1
0
0
0
2011 Q4
628
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
1,430
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
1,476
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
1,090
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
734
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
1,570
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
1,485
6
2
4040.4
2010 Q1
409
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
1,367
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
4,920
1
0
203.3
2009 Q2
3,050
9
1
2950.8
2009 Q1
2,041
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
2,265
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
4,743
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
4,374
1
0
228.6
2008 Q1
4,462
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
6,097
4
0
656.1
2007 Q3
6,094
9
3
1476.9
2007 Q2
5,908
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
7,732
13
2
1681.3
2006 Q4
7,732
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
7,433
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
6,555
10
3
1525.6
2006 Q1
5,286
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
4,633
3
0
647.5
2005 Q3
5,162
4
1
774.9
2005 Q2
4,795
1
0
208.6
2005 Q1
3,705
5
0
1349.5
2004 Q4
4,343
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
4,756
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
4,605
4
1
868.6
2004 Q1
5,217
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
6,478
4
2
617.5
2003 Q3
4,331
3
0
692.7
2003 Q2
4,904
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
4,398
2
0
454.8
2002 Q4
5,163
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
4,415
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
1,448
2
0
1381.2
2002 Q1
6,429
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
5,664
2
0
353.1
2001 Q3
3,837
0
0
0.0
2001 Q2
6,605
1
0
151.4
2001 Q1
3,062
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
3,925
6
3
1528.7
2000 Q3
4,577
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
4,294
3
1
698.6
2000 Q1
5,072
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
11 on file
2015 · 2 incidents
July 27, 2015OR · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
Employee had shut Overland #3 off to unplug it. After clearing the conveyor, he unlocked the conveyor and turned it on. Walking between conveyors 2 & 3 his digging bar snagged on conveyor 3 causing the bar to smash his finger against the frame of the conveyor.
May 29, 2015OR · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was placing a crossmember into pit feeder. Crossmember fell and injured left index finger, requiring 3 stitches.
2007 · 2 incidents
September 26, 2007OR · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techPOWERED HAULAGE
Rock-N-Ready Mix · Caught in, under or between two or more moving objects
Worker was observing cable used to pull conveyor belt on new conveyor system and became entangled between cable and belt pulley. Fingers amputated on left hand serious injuries to right hand, broken collar bone and broken rib, dislocated knee.
January 4, 2007OR · Metal/Non-Metalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON