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Virkler's Watson Gravel Pit, Gate I & II: 71 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Joseph L Virkler
Lowville, Lewis County, NY  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 3001610

Virkler's Watson Gravel Pit, Gate I & II has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
1995
Latest incident
Aug 1995
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2002
71
citations
17
significant & substantial
$10,481
proposed penalties
$10,481
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See V S Virkler & Son Inc's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2002
35
inspections on record
469
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: 469 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Virkler's Watson Gravel Pit, Gate I & II has $10K 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.
$10K
proposed penalties
$10K
current assessed
$10K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
70 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $494 in penalties contested before the Commission, $0 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-08-06.
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.
24.3%
significant & substantial
1.4%
high negligence or reckless
24.3%
reasonably likely or greater
65.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 11.4% low, 87.1% moderate, 1.4% 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.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
  • Vacated or withdrawn 2 · 100%
100%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$494 proposed, $0 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 2006-10-23.
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
YORK 2007-11M Vacate Lesnick 2007 $494 → $0
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: 2026-07-22
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
16
samples
3
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg8
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz4
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz4
Show the individual readings (16)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-07-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2026-07-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2026-07-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2022-05-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.5 Front-end Loader Operator
2022-05-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2021-06-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2015-11-04 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2015-11-04 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2012-09-06 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.41 Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-08-17 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.24 Truck Driver
2005-08-17 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.23 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-08-17 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 0.72 0.17 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-08-17 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.41 0.63 0.65 Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-08-17 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.24 0.74 0.32 Front-end Loader Operator
2002-04-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-04-16 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.24 Laborer, Bullgang
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. V S Virkler & Son Inc 1950 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 3
2025 5
2024 5
2023 5
2022 5
2021 5
2020 4
2019 4
2018 5
2017 4
2016 5
2015 3
2014 3
2013 5
2012 5
2011 3
2010 4
2009 5
2008 4
2007 5
2006 6
2005 6
2004 5
2003 6
2002 9
2001 8
2000 4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Virkler's Watson Gravel Pit, Gate I & II sits in Lewis County, New York, 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.
Lewis County, New York · Population 26,618
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$68,329
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 2,451 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 0 0 0
2025 Q4 1,423 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 3,282 1 0 304.7
2025 Q2 2,056 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 1,851 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 3,319 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 2,759 1 1 362.5
2024 Q1 0 0 0
2023 Q4 2,061 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 3,014 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 2,534 3 0 1183.9
2023 Q1 0 0 0
2022 Q4 1,938 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 3,506 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 2,304 1 1 434.0
2022 Q1 10 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 2,236 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 2,640 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 2,274 1 0 439.8
2021 Q1 0 0 0
2020 Q4 1,683 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 2,684 1 0 372.6
2020 Q2 2,057 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 70 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 819 2 1 2442.0
2019 Q3 2,122 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 2,406 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 18 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 1,931 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 2,916 1 0 342.9
2018 Q2 1,817 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 0 0 0
2017 Q4 1,789 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 4,116 1 0 243.0
2017 Q2 2,568 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 0 0 0
2016 Q4 948 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 2,905 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 1,678 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 90 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,625 2 1 1230.8
2015 Q3 1,919 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 1,212 2 0 1650.2
2015 Q1 0 0 0
2014 Q4 1,061 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 2,082 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 1,245 1 0 803.2
2014 Q1 0 0 0
2013 Q4 1,533 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 5,215 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 2,233 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 0 0 0
2012 Q4 1,848 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 2,636 3 1 1138.1
2012 Q2 2,318 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 191 3 1 15706.8
2011 Q4 1,628 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,831 3 0 1638.4
2011 Q2 0 0 0
2011 Q1 0 0 0
2010 Q4 1,815 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 2,940 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 2,448 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 0 0 0
2009 Q4 2,020 7 2 3465.3
2009 Q3 2,824 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 2,575 5 1 1941.7
2009 Q1 153 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 2,557 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 2,768 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 1,524 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 0 0 0
2007 Q4 2,780 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 2,675 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 2,272 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 1 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 4,348 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 5,434 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 3,601 5 1 1388.5
2006 Q1 1 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 3,549 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 3,692 8 1 2166.8
2005 Q2 2,960 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 301 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 3,081 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 3,809 10 1 2625.4
2004 Q2 3,593 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 3,480 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 3,149 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 2,921 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 501 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 3,853 6 3 1557.2
2002 Q3 6,073 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 4,650 4 2 860.2
2002 Q1 2,221 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 5,210 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 5,462 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 4,910 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 1 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 1,931 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 2,154 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 2,681 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 31 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

1995 · 1 incident

August 11, 1995 NY · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
V S Virkler & Son Inc · Fall from scaffolds, walkways, platforms

THERE WAS A BROKEN RR TIE ON RACK WHERE WE DUMP STONE. THERE IS SAFETY RAILING AROUND RR TIES & WORKERS ARE TOLD NOT TO GO BEYOND RAIL. EMP CLIMBED OUT & OVER SAFETY RAILING TO ADJUST RR TIE. BEFORE ANYONE COULD STOP HIM, HE LOST HIS FOOTING & FELL TO GROUND BELOW, ABOUT 20', LANDING IN SMALL PILE OF SAND. AMBULANCE CALLED & HE WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. OPERATED ON FOOT.