Mining Incidents

Wilkes County Quarry: 147 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by F L (Rusty) Adams
Tignall, Wilkes County, GA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 0900946

Wilkes County Quarry has $21K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2018
Latest incident
Jul 2018
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
147
citations
37
significant & substantial
$21,023
proposed penalties
$21,023
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
75
inspections on record
880
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: 880 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Wilkes County Quarry has $21K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 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.
$21K
proposed penalties
$21K
current assessed
$21K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
147 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $4K in penalties contested before the Commission, $4K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-02-11.
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.
25.2%
significant & substantial
10.2%
high negligence or reckless
25.2%
reasonably likely or greater
50.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 2.0% low, 87.8% 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.
5 citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
  • Settled 2 · 40%
  • Stood as issued 3 · 60%
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%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$4K proposed, $4K 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 2016-03-01.
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
SE 2016-0130 Settlement Lesnick 2016 $3K → $3K
SE 2008-726M Default Lesnick 2010 $1K → $1K
SE 2008-727M Default Lesnick 2010 $100 → $100
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: 2026-03-25
50%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
16
samples
2
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz41 over
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg11
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (16)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2021-04-14 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.71 0.68 1.04 Jackhammer Operator
2026-03-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Stone Polisher/Cutter
2024-02-07 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2024-02-07 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2023-09-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Jackhammer Operator
2023-09-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2022-09-07 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.34 Utility Man
2022-09-07 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2021-04-14 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.2 Jackhammer Operator
2021-04-14 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.57 0.71 0.80 Laborer, Bullgang
2016-06-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2016-06-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-10-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cutting Mach Operator
2005-05-25 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.21 Mechanic
2001-12-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2001-12-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
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. Star Granite Company Inc 1981 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 3
2025 2
2024 3
2023 5
2022 5
2021 5
2020 4
2019 4
2018 4
2017 5
2016 4
2015 5
2014 7
2013 5
2012 5
2011 5
2010 6
2009 6
2008 6
2007 6
2006 4
2005 4
2004 4
2003 4
2002 7
2001 4
2000 6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Wilkes County Quarry sits in Wilkes County, Georgia, where the Census mining category is 0.4% 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.
Wilkes County, Georgia · Population 9,553
0.4%
Mining share of county employment
$52,542
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 1,413 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 1,192 2 0 1677.9
2025 Q4 453 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 294 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 1,039 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 869 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 639 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 1,506 1 0 664.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 2,235 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 1,866 1 0 535.9
2023 Q4 2,668 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 2,117 4 0 1889.5
2023 Q2 2,924 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 2,697 2 0 741.6
2022 Q4 2,525 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 2,884 2 1 693.5
2022 Q2 2,420 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 2,236 1 0 447.2
2021 Q4 2,476 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 2,731 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 2,368 10 0 4223.0
2021 Q1 2,030 3 1 1477.8
2020 Q4 1,966 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 1,783 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 1,653 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 1,563 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 1,701 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 1,303 1 0 767.5
2019 Q2 1,607 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 1,948 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 1,911 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 2,050 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 2,267 3 1 1323.3
2018 Q1 1,890 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 2,809 4 0 1424.0
2017 Q3 2,091 2 0 956.5
2017 Q2 2,527 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 2,413 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 1,892 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 2,088 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 2,623 2 0 762.5
2016 Q1 2,648 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 2,093 5 2 2388.9
2015 Q3 2,009 4 4 1991.0
2015 Q2 1,841 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 3,411 7 3 2052.2
2014 Q4 3,026 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 3,131 2 2 638.8
2014 Q2 3,096 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 2,550 4 2 1568.6
2013 Q4 2,703 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 2,733 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 3,090 4 1 1294.5
2013 Q1 2,492 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 3,301 4 0 1211.8
2012 Q3 2,447 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 2,694 3 0 1113.6
2012 Q1 2,682 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 2,149 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,842 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 2,864 1 0 349.2
2011 Q1 2,568 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 3,046 5 0 1641.5
2010 Q3 3,073 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 3,447 2 1 580.2
2010 Q1 3,264 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 2,998 2 2 667.1
2009 Q3 3,025 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 3,239 2 1 617.5
2009 Q1 3,118 3 0 962.2
2008 Q4 2,886 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 2,899 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 2,719 2 0 735.6
2008 Q1 2,889 4 2 1384.6
2007 Q4 2,931 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 2,992 6 2 2005.3
2007 Q2 3,270 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 2,611 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 2,274 3 0 1319.3
2006 Q3 2,079 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 2,263 6 1 2651.3
2006 Q1 2,296 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 2,024 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 1,993 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 2,118 3 0 1416.4
2005 Q1 2,139 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 2,125 5 3 2352.9
2004 Q3 2,078 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 2,371 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 2,019 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 2,035 2 1 982.8
2003 Q3 2,253 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 2,192 3 0 1368.6
2003 Q1 2,032 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 2,323 1 1 430.5
2002 Q3 2,257 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 2,399 7 4 2917.9
2002 Q1 2,033 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 1,932 2 0 1035.2
2001 Q3 1,947 2 0 1027.2
2001 Q2 2,441 6 0 2458.0
2001 Q1 2,716 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,899 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 2,539 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 2,765 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 3,344 2 1 598.1
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2018 · 1 incident

July 11, 2018 GA · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Star Granite Company Inc · Fall onto or against objects

Drilling rock, jack hammer kicked back on chest and caused employee to fall on rock causing minor scrapes