Mining Incidents

West Wash Plant #10: 112 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Croell, Inc. · Surface
Controlled by Kurt Croell
Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 4801357

West Wash Plant #10 has $42K in proposed MSHA penalties and $302 outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
14
Years on record
1989–2023
Latest incident
Dec 2023
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2002
112
citations
33
significant & substantial
$42,013
proposed penalties
$36,253
paid to date
86% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $5,760 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
50
inspections on record
729
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: 729 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

West Wash Plant #10 has $42K in proposed MSHA penalties and $302 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.
$42K
proposed penalties
$37K
current assessed
$36K
paid to date
$302
outstanding
110 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $21K in penalties contested before the Commission, $13K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-30.
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.
29.5%
significant & substantial
13.4%
high negligence or reckless
29.5%
reasonably likely or greater
56.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 17.9% low, 68.8% moderate, 13.4% 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.
36 citations taken to the federal commission · 32% of citations on record
  • Settled 34 · 94%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 2 · 6%
74%
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 19 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
35%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$21K proposed, $13K 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 2024-06-20.
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
WEST 2017-0568 Settlement Simonton 2017 $10K → $6K
WEST 2018-0166 Settlement Simonton 2018 $5K → $4K
WEST 2024-0280 Settlement Bulluck 2025 $4K → $2K
WEST 2017-0129 Settlement Lesnick 2017 $2K → $538
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: 2026-07-01
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
24
samples
7
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg14
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz7
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz3
Show the individual readings (24)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-07-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bobcat Operator
2026-07-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2024-07-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2024-07-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2017-05-02 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2017-05-02 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Supervisor, Co. Official
2017-05-02 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2012-11-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-11-08 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.22 1.88 0.12 Crusher Oper/Worker
2012-11-08 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.51 2.56 0.20 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-11-08 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.29 0.77 0.38 Laborer, Bullgang
2012-06-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-06-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bobcat Operator
2012-06-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2012-06-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-12-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-12-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Mechanic
2010-12-22 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.18 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-12-22 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.23 Laborer, Bullgang
2006-04-19 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.17 0.52 0.33 Laborer, Bullgang
2006-04-19 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.18 Front-end Loader Operator
2006-04-19 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 0.76 0.17 Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-06-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.65 0.81 0.80 Front-end Loader Operator
2002-06-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.62 0.8 0.78 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.

West Wash Plant #10 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2017.

Injury rate, 2017
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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 1.99 and the all-US-mining average was 2.48 cases per 100 workers.
In Wyoming, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.75 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
2017 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2016 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2013 * 9.00 0.00 0.000
2012 * 8.28 0.00 0.000
2011 * 8.39 0.00 0.000
2009 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. Read Readymix Company 1981 to 1982
  2. James E Simon Company 1982 to 1995
  3. Simon Contractors 1995 to 2020
  4. Croell, Inc. 2020 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 3
2025 5
2024 5
2023 6
2022 6
2021 6
2019 0
2018 7
2017 10
2016 13
2015 8
2014 10
2013 8
2012 10
2011 9
2010 12
2009 8
2008 5
2007 4
2006 4
2005 4
2004 5
2003 4
2002 3
2001 3
2000 4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

West Wash Plant #10 sits in Laramie County, Wyoming, where the Census mining category is 1.2% 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.
Laramie County, Wyoming · Population 100,661
1.2%
Mining share of county employment
$77,884
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 2,562 1 0 390.3
2026 Q1 0 0 0
2025 Q4 2,417 3 2 1241.2
2025 Q3 3,424 4 1 1168.2
2025 Q2 4,103 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 3,566 1 0 280.4
2024 Q4 2,019 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 3,513 1 0 284.7
Show 90 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 3,605 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 0 2 0
2023 Q4 2,927 4 3 1366.6
2023 Q3 3,920 4 0 1020.4
2023 Q2 3,451 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 3,111 1 0 321.4
2022 Q4 2,902 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 3,289 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 2,011 3 0 1491.8
2022 Q1 2,907 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 3,075 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 3,073 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 1,988 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 0 0 0
2019 Q1 0 0 0
2018 Q4 0 0 0
2018 Q3 5,106 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 4,973 9 3 1809.8
2018 Q1 4,222 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 5,794 18 9 3106.7
2017 Q3 8,686 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 5,531 12 1 2169.6
2017 Q1 4,836 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 6,261 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 6,134 14 5 2282.4
2016 Q2 6,247 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 5,850 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,993 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 6,989 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 5,847 2 2 342.1
2015 Q1 4,243 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 1,201 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 2,214 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 8,087 1 1 123.7
2014 Q1 2,531 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 5,057 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 6,907 5 1 723.9
2013 Q2 5,865 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 4,396 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 4,082 4 2 979.9
2012 Q3 6,640 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 6,699 1 0 149.3
2012 Q1 6,744 11 2 1631.1
2011 Q4 6,024 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 6,375 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 7,069 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 4,371 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 6,738 3 0 445.2
2010 Q3 7,157 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 8,360 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 4,432 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 8,164 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 4,921 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 3,116 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 2,811 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 3,472 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 3,001 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 1,985 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 1,998 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 1,885 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 2,785 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 2,261 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 1,777 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 2,424 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 2,388 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 1,572 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 1,755 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 1,715 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 2,055 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,593 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 2,651 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 3,532 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 2,345 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1,303 2 0 1534.9
2003 Q4 1,874 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 2,195 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 2,334 1 0 428.4
2003 Q1 663 1 1 1508.3
2002 Q4 1,472 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 2,309 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 2,488 3 0 1205.8
2002 Q1 811 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 8 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 2,418 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 2,587 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 2,048 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,357 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 2,856 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 2,524 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 1,981 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

14 on file

2023 · 1 incident

December 19, 2023 WY · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Croell, Inc. · Struck against a moving object

EE was using excavator to dig out a silt containment area when the bank gave way causing excavator to roll into hole. Excavator came to a stop with cab side down and operator was stuck inside. EMS arrived on scene and was able to extract EE and transport to area hospital.

2022 · 2 incidents

November 21, 2022 WY · Metal/Non-Metal crusher attendant/operator, pan feeder operator/worker HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Croell, Inc. · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

The EE was breaking up frozen sand from around the sand screen with a frost bar and felt a tear in their right shoulder. The EE has had an MRI and is working restricted duty.

July 8, 2022 WY · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Croell, Inc. · Struck by flying object

EE was assisting co-worker to remove a shaft from a tail wheel when a piece of metal broke off and punctured EE's left arm. EE was transported to Urgent Care to remove the foreign material. EE's arm was cleaned, x-rayed, and given prescribed antibiotics. EE obtained a Return to Work Release with no restrictions.

2015 · 1 incident

August 15, 2015 WY · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Simon Contractors · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was carrying punch plate screen with another employee, it pulled away from other employee and caused injured employee to drop his side. The plate smashed his hand cutting open his middle finger.

2013 · 1 incident

August 1, 2013 WY · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
Simon Contractors · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was welding on a conveyer, after he had gone home he felt a muscle in his neck get sore. He went to the emergency room where he was diagnosed acute Torticollis (sore neck).

2012 · 1 incident

November 6, 2012 WY · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman POWERED HAULAGE
Simon Contractors · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was attempting to clean a conveyor pulley while it was in operation with a pry bar agaist company policy and without any directive to do so. Pry bar was caught by conveyor and smashed employee hands against conveyor frame causing laceration to digits of the right hand. Operation was stopped and re-training was completed.

2011 · 1 incident

July 7, 2011 WY · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Simon Contractors · Struck against stationary object

Employee was changing screens on a screen deck and hit his head on an angle iron bracket causing a small laceration to his scalp. Laceration was sutured and employee return to full duty on 07/08/2011 after a safety shut down and repositioning of angle iron brackets.

1998 · 1 incident

July 7, 1998 WY · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman FIRE
Simon Contractors · Contact with hot objects or substances

STARTED TO LIGHT PAPERS IN BURN BARRELL WHEN PAPERS FLASHED BURNING HIS NECK FACE AND RIGHT SHOULDER. SUBSTANCE WHICH CAUSED INJURY WAS A CHEMICAL ON SOME RAGS. NO FLAMABLE CANS WERE PRESENT.

1997 · 1 incident

November 3, 1997 WY · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Simon Contractors · Fall to the walkway or working surface

EMPLOYEE WAS REPLACING STACKER PIN ON CONVEYOR WHEEL. LOADER WAS USED TO HOLD UP AXLE WHEN FROZEN MATERIAL FROM THE LOADER BUCKET CAME FREE AND STRUCK EMPLOYEE IN THE UPPER BACK FORCING THE EM PLOYEE TO THE GROUND.

1996 · 2 incidents

August 18, 1996 WY · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Simon Contractors · Fall from machine

WASHING WINDSHIELD ON 980 LOADER, FELL OFF AND HIT LEFT SHOULDER.

January 7, 1996 WY · Metal/Non-Metal superintendent MACHINERY
Simon Contractors · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

DRILLING A HOLE WHEN THE DRILL BIT GOT STUCK, WHICH RESULTED IN TWISTING THE BODY AND NECK.

1995 · 1 incident

1994 · 1 incident

1989 · 1 incident

August 8, 1989 WY · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman POWERED HAULAGE
James E Simon Company · Struck against stationary object

TRYING TO SHUT OFF THROTTLE ON DIESAL ENGINE AND SLIPPED OFF THE THROTTLE AND CUT FINGERS ON THE RADIATOR FAN.