Mining Incidents

WAUBAY PIT: 59 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Mobridge, Walworth County, SD  ·  Temporarily Idled
MSHA Mine ID: 3900469

WAUBAY PIT has $26K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
0
Years on record
Latest incident
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
59
citations
22
significant & substantial
$25,943
proposed penalties
$22,358
paid to date
86% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,585 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
37
inspections on record
477
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: 477 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

WAUBAY PIT has $26K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 4 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.
$26K
proposed penalties
$22K
current assessed
$22K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
59 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $10K in penalties contested before the Commission, $6K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2021-10-26.
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.
37.3%
significant & substantial
10.2%
high negligence or reckless
37.3%
reasonably likely or greater
67.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 6.8% low, 83.1% moderate, 10.2% 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 · 15% of citations on record
  • Settled 9 · 100%
80%
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 5 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
37%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$10K proposed, $6K 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 2016-01-05.
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
CENT 2013-73M Settlement Miller 2013 $8K → $5K
CENT 2012-836M Settlement Lesnick 2013 $907 → $503
CENT 2016-0154 Settlement Miller 2016 $483 → $462
CENT 2015-0656 Settlement Miller 2016 $300 → $300
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: 2020-09-15, 5 years ago
5
samples
0
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg3
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (5)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2020-09-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2020-09-15 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.24 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-09-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2010-09-29 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.85 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-09-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator

Area samples (mill and shop air)

Last sampled: 2016-11-02, 9 years ago
2
samples
Show the individual readings (2)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Area sampled
2016-11-02 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 MP WASH/SCREEN
2015-10-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 SF ORE PROCESSING
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. Jensen Rock & Sand Inc 1950 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 0
2025 0
2024 0
2023 2
2022 2
2021 2
2020 2
2019 2
2018 2
2017 2
2016 3
2015 3
2014 2
2013 2
2012 2
2011 3
2010 3
2009 3
2008 3
2007 3
2006 3
2005 3
2004 2
2003 3
2002 2
2001 2
2000 3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

WAUBAY PIT sits in Walworth County, South Dakota, where the Census mining category is 0.0% 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.
Walworth County, South Dakota · Population 5,298
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$62,722
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 0 0 0
2026 Q1 0 0 0
2025 Q4 0 0 0
2025 Q3 0 0 0
2025 Q2 0 0 0
2025 Q1 0 0 0
2024 Q4 0 0 0
2024 Q3 0 0 0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 0 0 0
2024 Q1 0 0 0
2023 Q4 256 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 1,309 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 1,026 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 0 0 0
2022 Q4 616 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 1,528 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 950 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 0 0 0
2021 Q4 662 4 2 6042.3
2021 Q3 1,475 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 1,702 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 0 0 0
2020 Q4 588 1 0 1700.7
2020 Q3 2,041 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 1,656 1 0 603.9
2020 Q1 0 0 0
2019 Q4 685 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 2,009 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 1,413 2 0 1415.4
2019 Q1 0 0 0
2018 Q4 941 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 1,991 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 1,298 4 0 3081.7
2018 Q1 0 0 0
2017 Q4 913 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 2,054 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 1,716 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 45 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 759 3 1 3952.6
2016 Q3 1,498 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 1,724 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 180 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 998 2 1 2004.0
2015 Q3 2,026 3 1 1480.8
2015 Q2 1,872 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 78 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 349 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 2,099 1 0 476.4
2014 Q2 1,701 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 0 0 0
2013 Q4 711 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 1,910 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 1,625 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 0 0 0
2012 Q4 381 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 1,908 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 1,984 4 2 2016.1
2012 Q1 0 0 0
2011 Q4 696 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 2,013 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 2,084 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 102 9 1 88235.3
2010 Q4 588 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 2,496 8 2 3205.1
2010 Q2 2,171 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 0 0 0
2009 Q4 428 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 2,857 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 2,253 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 0 0 0
2008 Q4 1,275 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 3,122 1 1 320.3
2008 Q2 1,539 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 0 0 0
2007 Q4 1,961 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 1,927 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 1,704 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 0 0 0
2006 Q4 1,012 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 1,655 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 639 1 0 1564.9
2006 Q1 200 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 1,174 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 2,584 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 1,716 3 2 1748.3
2005 Q1 0 0 0
2004 Q4 628 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 1,032 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 1,752 1 1 570.8
2004 Q1 0 0 0
2003 Q4 195 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 1,821 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 1,842 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 434 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 125 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 1,125 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 340 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 45 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 1,198 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 15 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 0 0 0
2000 Q4 186 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 1,481 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 1,664 11 8 6610.6
2000 Q1 680 0 0 0.0

No reportable incidents on file.

MSHA has no recorded reportable accidents for this mine in the current dataset. New reports appear here within a week of being filed.