Western Proppants Facility #1 has $189K in proposed MSHA penalties and $76K outstanding across 8 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
2023–2026
Latest incident
May 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2020
185
citations
36
significant & substantial
$188,716
proposed penalties
$79,755
paid to date
42% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $108,961 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.
Rate withheld: 755 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Western Proppants Facility #1 has $189K in proposed MSHA penalties and $76K outstanding across 8 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.
$189K
proposed penalties
$156K
current assessed
$80K
paid to date
$76K
outstanding
158 assessments are final orders; 8 contested dockets.
Of $55K in penalties contested before the Commission, $22K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-28.
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.
56citations taken to the federal commission · 30% of citations on record
Settled
29 · 52%
Vacated or withdrawn
3 · 5%
Still open
24 · 43%
56%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 16 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
61%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$55K proposed, $22K 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 2026-04-20.
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.
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: 2026-01-06
27%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
18
samples
11
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz133 over
Respirable dust, <.1mg5
Show the individual readings (18)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2023-06-27
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
2.18
1.16
1.88
Laborer, Bullgang
2022-06-02
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
1.06
0.89
1.19
Laborer, Bullgang
2022-06-02
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.92
0.79
1.16
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2026-01-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.27
0.93
0.29
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2026-01-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.23
0.89
0.26
Laborer, Bullgang
2026-01-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.35
0.79
0.44
Electrician
2026-01-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.13
Truck Driver
2024-04-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Building Repair/Maint.
2024-04-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Sampler, Dust
2024-04-24
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.21
0.88
0.24
Laborer, Bullgang
2023-09-14
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.13
Laborer, Bullgang
2023-06-27
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.25
0.84
0.30
Laborer, Bullgang
2023-06-27
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.3
0.82
0.37
Supervisor, Co. Official
2023-06-27
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.82
1.96
0.42
Laborer, Bullgang
2022-06-02
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.62
0.88
0.70
Laborer, Bullgang
2020-03-25
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2020-03-25
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Electrician
2020-03-25
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.
Western Proppants Facility #1 recorded 1.67 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.
1.67
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
About 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 Wyoming, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.96 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025
1.67
0.00
0.000
2024
5.94
0.00
0.000
2023
6.46
4.84
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020 *
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
56
2025
49
2024
61
2023
52
2022
49
2021
35
2020
27
2019
18
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Western Proppants Facility #1 sits in Goshen County, Wyoming, where the Census mining category is 0.9% 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.
Goshen County, Wyoming · Population 12,587
0.9%
Mining share of county employment
$64,882
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
Miner was using a pry bar to perform maintenance. Pry bar slipped and made contact with miner resulting in a laceration underneath the left eye. Miner required additional medical treatment to glue laceration shut at local medical facility. No time lost to the incident or restrictions on the miner.
May 4, 2026WY · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was walking and the ground was wet and muddy due to rain and slipped and twisted right ankle causing a break in one of the ankle bones.
2024 · 4 incidents
September 2, 2024WY · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
changing bags in bag house when wire handle broke and punctured left hand of employee, the employee went into urgent care and got the area cleaned and was prescribed an antibiotic for potential of infection.
March 20, 2024WY · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanOTHER
cleaning around plant wind gust came through and blew sand under safety glasses into eyes. Had to get treated for bilateral eye injury with steroid ointment.
On 9/12 investigation discovered that a previous condition of a hernia was exacerbated through work activities. The employee stated felt a pop on 9/7/2023 but continued to work. EE went to the emergency room on 9/9 and received prescription medication and care. EE returned to work their shifts. EE did not return to work for the shift 9/12. EE is scheduled for surgery on 9/20.
August 16, 2023WY · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was walking from the control room to their work location and rolled their left ankle. Employee was seen by Healthcare Professionals at the clinic. X-rays performed and results were negative. It was determined to be a sprain. No medications prescribed, there are some work restrictions making this a reportable incident.
May 5, 2023WY · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee shoveling sand. Stated that they felt a pop in back, felt the pain, got light headed and fainted. There were no witnesses. EE got up on their own and walked to Operations Manager and to breakroom. Taken for medical care, was diagnosed with Thoracic Spine Strain. Issued a prescription and not allowed to return to work until 05/09. Restrictions-no heavy lifting 5 days.
January 26, 2023WY · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was working under platform on knees shoveling, went to stand up and knocked the ladder, the ladder fell and hit the employee in the head. The employee stated that they were not wearing their hard hat at the time of the incident on 01/26/2023. Employee was treated for a concussion. Employee no longer works.