Common clays mines in the US: 98 open mines
MSHA lists 98 open common clays mines in the US, run by 69 operators and employing 2,457 people. Since January 1, 2022 its inspectors issued 1,598 citations and orders there with $894,037 in proposed penalties, and operators reported 175 injury or illness cases. The operators with the most open mines are General Shale Brick, Inc.; Acme Brick Company; Kentucky Tennessee Clay Company. Data from MSHA, November 6, 2026.
SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. It reads the mine, citation, inspection and accident files that MSHA publishes, and this page is that reading. Ask for the mines of a commodity, state or operator with the operator's headquarters, website and size added from the web, and new mines, new citations and new accident reports arrive in your sheet, CRM, Slack or agent as MSHA posts them.
- Open mines
- 98
- Operators
- 69
- Employees
- 2,457
- Active
- 70
- Intermittent
- 27
- Temporarily Idled
- 1
- Mines run by individuals, counted and not listed
- 2
- Citations and orders since January 1, 2022
- 1,598
- Significant and substantial
- 247 (15.5%)
- Closure orders
- 23
- High negligence or reckless
- 115
- Proposed penalties
- $894,037
- Amount paid so far
- $864,272
- Inspections
- 1,104
- Inspector hours on site
- 9,754
- Citations per inspection
- 1.45 (all mines 2.30)
- Accident reports
- 178
- Injury and illness cases
- 175
- Fatalities
- 0
- Latest MSHA record
- November 2, 2026
Operators with the most open mines
Ranked by open mines, then by citations. Sole proprietors and individuals are not listed.
Operators with the most citations
Citations and orders issued since January 1, 2022 at their open mines here.
Mines with the most citations
Open mines, ranked by citations and orders since January 1, 2022.
| Mine | Operator | County | Main commodity | Employees | Citations since 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeFevre-Mager Mine | Mounds Production Company LLC | Pulaski County, IL | Common clays | 29 | 171 |
| Ripley Mine and Mill | Oil Dri Production Company LLC | Tippah County, MS | Common clays | 63 | 99 |
| Bloomfield Plant | Nestle Purina PetCare Company | Stoddard County, MO | Common clays | 520 | 75 |
| Quincy Plant and Mines | Clariant Corporation | Gadsden County, FL | Common clays | 75 | 60 |
| Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Company | Kentucky Tennessee Clay Company | Washington County, GA | Common clays | 56 | 60 |
| Mulcoa Plant No 2 | Imerys Refractory Minerals USA Inc. | Sumter County, GA | Common clays | 106 | 58 |
| Gleason Mills and Mines | Kentucky Tennessee Clay Company | Weakley County, TN | Common clays | 50 | 58 |
| Taft Production Company & Mines | Taft Production Company | Kern County, CA | Common clays | 56 | 48 |
| K-T Clay Company | Kentucky Tennessee Clay Company | Aiken County, SC | Common clays | 24 | 47 |
| Dragon Mine | Applied Minerals, Inc. | Juab County, UT | Common clays | 5 | 45 |
| Jasper Creek Mine | Blue Mountain Production Company LLC | Tippah County, MS | Common clays | 102 | 43 |
| Millsap Shale Mine | Gosdin's Dozer Service, Inc | Parker County, TX | Common clays | 6 | 42 |
| Blue Mountain Mine & Mill | Profile Products LLC | Tippah County, MS | Common clays | 48 | 37 |
| Byk USA LLC Plants & Pits | Byk USA LLC | Gonzales County, TX | Common clays | 157 | 36 |
| McIntyre Plant | Carbo Ceramics Inc | Wilkinson County, GA | Common clays | 62 | 34 |
| Western Clay, a Redmond LLC | Western Clay, a Redmond LLC | Sevier County, UT | Common clays | 50 | 33 |
| Troup Plant | Covia Clay LLC | Cherokee County, TX | Common clays | 20 | 32 |
| Dixie Clay (VM Buyer LLC) | VM Buyer LLC | Aiken County, SC | Common clays | 27 | 31 |
| McIntyre Plant | Old Hickory Clay Company | Wilkinson County, GA | Common clays | 7 | 31 |
| Balcones Pit & Plant | Balcones Minerals Corp | Fayette County, TX | Common clays | 22 | 26 |
| Middleton Operations | U.S. Silica Company, LLC | Hardeman County, TN | Common clays | 90 | 25 |
| Active Minerals Kaolin Division | Active Minerals International LLC | Wilkinson County, GA | Common clays | 68 | 24 |
| Muldoon Minerals Inc. | Muldoon Minerals Inc | Fayette County, TX | Common clays | 16 | 24 |
| Texas Sodium Bentonite Inc | Texas Sodium Bentonite Inc | Brewster County, TX | Common clays | 5 | 23 |
| Gleason Mills & Mines | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. | Weakley County, TN | Common clays | 18 | 22 |
| Denton Pits | Acme Brick Company | Denton County, TX | Common clays | 3 | 22 |
| Church Harvey Mine | Cmt Excavating Inc | Jefferson County, CO | Common clays | 5 | 21 |
| Wtrr Pieper Clay Pit | West Texas Rock Resources LLC | Nolan County, TX | Common clays | 2 | 20 |
| Flatonia Mines & Plant | Mid-Tex Minerals Inc | Fayette County, TX | Common clays | 3 | 18 |
| Newberry Mill | Elementis Specialties Inc | San Bernardino County, CA | Common clays | 23 | 16 |
| Toomsboro | Carbo Ceramics Inc | Wilkinson County, GA | Common clays | 10 | 16 |
| Cowboy Mining Co | PDSCo Inc | Brewster County, TX | Common clays | 7 | 16 |
| Henry County Mines & Mill | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. | Henry County, TN | Common clays | 14 | 15 |
| Gleason Clay Mill | Old Hickory Clay Company | Weakley County, TN | Common clays | 13 | 15 |
| Weakley County Operations | Gleason Clay Company LLC | Weakley County, TN | Common clays | 31 | 14 |
| Martin 137 | NM Energy LLC | Martin County, TX | Common clays | 7 | 14 |
| Tilden Plant | J W Hughes Excavation, Inc. | Mcmullen County, TX | Common clays | 24 | 13 |
| Florin Plant | Industrial Minerals Company | Sacramento County, CA | Common clays | 11 | 13 |
| Sandy Ridge Mill | American Colloid Company Mineral Group | Lowndes County, AL | Common clays | 32 | 11 |
| Usb Columbia (Mobley-Koon/Dry Branch)) | US Brick, LLC | Richland County, SC | Common clays | 4 | 11 |
| Mulcoa Plant #1 | Imerys Refractory Minerals USA Inc. | Sumter County, GA | Common clays | 103 | 10 |
| Shade Mine | Piedmont Mining, LLC | Aiken County, SC | Common clays | 7 | 10 |
| Boral Bricks Terre Haute In | Dennis Trucking Company Inc | Vigo County, IN | Common clays | 6 | 10 |
| Stiles & Hart Brick Company | Stiles & Hart Brick Company | Plymouth County, MA | Common clays | 3 | 9 |
| Rollins Mobile | Rollins Construction & Trucking | Beaver County, UT | Common clays | 2 | 9 |
| Moncure #2 | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Chatham County, NC | Common clays | 15 | 8 |
| Johnson Pit | Pits Dozing Inc | Montgomery County, MO | Common clays | 4 | 8 |
| Mangum Brick Company | Mangum Brick Company | Greer County, OK | Common clays | 2 | 8 |
| Clariant Corporation Georgia Mines | Clariant Corporation | Decatur County, GA | Common clays | 1 | 8 |
| Phillips Pit | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Pickens County, AL | Common clays | 6 | 6 |
| Clay Pits | Ram-X Inc. | Utah County, UT | Common clays | 3 | 6 |
| Sandersville Plant | KaMin LLC. | Washington County, GA | Common clays | 46 | 5 |
| Dixie Mine | KaMin LLC. | Wilkinson County, GA | Common clays | 37 | 5 |
| Bennett Plant | Acme Brick Company | Parker County, TX | Common clays | 12 | 5 |
| Caldwell Plant | Carco Mineral Resources Inc | Ada County, ID | Common clays | 8 | 5 |
| Mica Mine and Plant | Mutual Materials Company | Spokane County, WA | Common clays | 5 | 5 |
| Hector Mine | Elementis Specialties Inc | San Bernardino County, CA | Common clays | 12 | 4 |
| Tulsa Plant Pit #665 | Acme Brick Company | Tulsa County, OK | Common clays | 4 | 4 |
| Collins and Rich Pits | Usb Tennessee, LLC | Weakley County, TN | Common clays | 2 | 4 |
| Chew and Abel Mines | Acme Brick Company | Austin County, TX | Common clays | 7 | 3 |
| Pacific Clay Pits | Pacific Clay Products Inc | Riverside County, CA | Common clays | 4 | 3 |
| Messer Clay Company | Messer Clay Company | Carter County, KY | Common clays | 3 | 3 |
| Maddox Pit | Acme Brick Tile & Stone LLC | Montgomery County, AL | Common clays | 2 | 3 |
| Livingston Plant #1672 | Arcosa LW BR, LLC. | Sumter County, AL | Common clays | 46 | 2 |
| Avant-Ennis Mine & Mill | Thiele Kaolin Company | Washington County, GA | Common clays | 46 | 2 |
| Sheppard | Arcilla Mining & Land Company, LLC | Baldwin County, GA | Common clays | 34 | 2 |
| Macon County Mines | Imerys Refractory Minerals USA Inc. | Macon County, GA | Common clays | 15 | 2 |
| Irby Mine | Palmetto Brick Company | Marlboro County, SC | Common clays | 3 | 2 |
| Centreville Mine | Usb Alabama, LLC | Bibb County, AL | Common clays | 2 | 2 |
| Burningham Portable #1 | Burningham Enterprises Inc | Juab County, UT | Common clays | 2 | 2 |
| United Brick Pit | Glen-Gery Corporation | Dallas County, IA | Common clays | 1 | 2 |
| Richland County Mines | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Richland County, SC | Common clays | 1 | 2 |
| Washington County Mine | KaMin LLC. | Washington County, GA | Common clays | 68 | 1 |
| Gibraltar Operations | Thiele Kaolin Company | Wilkinson County, GA | Common clays | 8 | 1 |
| Hanley Plant Quarries | Glen-Gery Corporation | Jefferson County, PA | Common clays | 6 | 1 |
| Elgin Plant | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Bastrop County, TX | Common clays | 5 | 1 |
| Jones Mine | Mineral Manufacturing Corp. | Henry County, AL | Common clays | 4 | 1 |
| Clay County Pit | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Clay County, MS | Common clays | 4 | 1 |
| Mineral Wells North Mineral Wells South | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Parker County, TX | Common clays | 2 | 1 |
| Fox Clay Pit | Summit Pressed Brick & Tile Company | Pueblo County, CO | Common clays | 1 | 1 |
| Candor | Taylor Clay Products | Montgomery County, NC | Common clays | 1 | 1 |
| Athens Plant & Pits | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Henderson County, TX | Common clays | 1 | 1 |
| Tower Property | Acme Brick Company | Cooke County, TX | Common clays | 8 | 0 |
| Hammill Pit | Hammill Construction Company Inc | Cabarrus County, NC | Common clays | 5 | 0 |
| Merry Oaks Mine | Triangle Brick Company | Chatham County, NC | Common clays | 5 | 0 |
| Iredell Mine | Statesville Brick Company | Iredell County, NC | Common clays | 4 | 0 |
| Riverside Pit & Plant | Bes Industries | St Clair County, AL | Common clays | 2 | 0 |
| Buff/Satin Mine | VM Buyer LLC | Pershing County, NV | Common clays | 2 | 0 |
| Beck Mine | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Chatham County, NC | Common clays | 2 | 0 |
| Brick Yard Pit | Glen-Gery Corporation | Woodbury County, IA | Common clays | 1 | 0 |
| Pine Hall Brick Company Inc | Pine Hall Brick | Rockingham County, NC | Common clays | 1 | 0 |
| Kunkletown Clay Pit | Frantz Bros Inc | Monroe County, PA | Common clays | 1 | 0 |
| Kershaw County Mines | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Kershaw County, SC | Common clays | 1 | 0 |
| Lexington County Mines | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Lexington County, SC | Common clays | 1 | 0 |
| Continental Brick Company Shale Pit | Continental Brick Company | Berkeley County, WV | Common clays | 1 | 0 |
| Cheto Mine | U.S. Silica Company, LLC | Apache County, AZ | Common clays | 0 | 0 |
States
| State | Open mines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 18 | 18.4% |
| Georgia | 15 | 15.3% |
| South Carolina | 8 | 8.2% |
| Alabama | 7 | 7.1% |
| North Carolina | 7 | 7.1% |
| Tennessee | 7 | 7.1% |
| California | 5 | 5.1% |
| Utah | 5 | 5.1% |
| Mississippi | 4 | 4.1% |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 3.1% |
| Colorado | 2 | 2% |
| Iowa | 2 | 2% |
| Missouri | 2 | 2% |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 2% |
| Arizona | 1 | 1% |
Citations and injury cases by year
Calendar years since 2022; 2026 runs to the date of the MSHA files.
| Year | Citations and orders | Significant and substantial | Proposed penalties | Injury and illness cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 345 | 60 | $231,131 | 36 |
| 2023 | 340 | 42 | $249,152 | 39 |
| 2024 | 328 | 52 | $171,582 | 48 |
| 2025 | 322 | 58 | $157,997 | 30 |
| 2026 | 263 | 35 | $84,175 | 22 |
Standards cited most at common clays mines
Sections of Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations named on the citations, with the part each belongs to.
| Standard | What the part covers | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 30 CFR 56.20003 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 171 |
| 30 CFR 56.14100 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 131 |
| 30 CFR 56.12004 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 128 |
| 30 CFR 56.14112 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 121 |
| 30 CFR 56.12032 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 95 |
| 30 CFR 50.30 | Reporting of accidents, injuries and illnesses | 77 |
| 30 CFR 56.14107 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 76 |
| 30 CFR 56.12018 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 45 |
| 30 CFR 56.11001 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 40 |
| 30 CFR 56.14132 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 35 |
| 30 CFR 56.14101 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 34 |
| 30 CFR 56.12028 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 30 |
| 30 CFR 56.4201 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 29 |
| 30 CFR 56.18002 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 25 |
| 30 CFR 56.12008 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 24 |
Injury and illness cases at common clays mines
Accident reports by degree of injury, as the operator reported them to MSHA.
| Degree | Cases |
|---|---|
| Permanent disability | 3 |
| Days away from work or restricted activity | 118 |
| No lost time, or an occupational illness | 54 |
What the accident reports at common clays mines describe
Accident classification, as MSHA codes the circumstances that contributed most directly.
| Classification | Reports |
|---|---|
| Handling of materials | 65 |
| Slip or fall of person | 38 |
| Machinery | 27 |
| Handtools (nonpowered) | 19 |
| Powered haulage | 8 |
| Other | 7 |
| Disorders (repeated trauma) | 4 |
| Striking or bumping | 4 |
| Electrical | 1 |
| Exploding vessels under pressure | 1 |
Equipment named in accident reports at common clays mines
| Equipment | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hand tools (not powered) | 19 |
| Packaging machine | 10 |
| Hand tools (powered) | 9 |
| Forklift | 6 |
| Ore haulage trucks - off highway trucks | 5 |
| Milling machinery | 4 |
| Shovel | 4 |
| Conveyor | 4 |
| Machine | 3 |
| Welding machine | 3 |
Updated November 6, 2026. Read from US Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Open Government Data Sets. US government work, public domain. Counts come from the MSHA files published on November 6, 2026. An open mine is one MSHA lists as Active, Intermittent, New Mine, Temporarily Idled or NonProducing; 13,673 were open that day. Citations, penalties, inspections and accident reports run from January 1, 2022. A citation is an inspector's allegation and an operator can contest it; the penalty is the amount MSHA first proposed, before any contest or settlement. An operator is the legal entity MSHA assesses, and a parent company is its controller. Mines run by sole proprietors or by individuals are counted in every total and are not named. This page uses MSHA data and is not endorsed or certified by MSHA. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0. Spot a wrong value? Write to [email protected] with the link to this page.