Data / Mines / California / Metal mines
Metal ore mines in California: 17 open mines
MSHA lists 17 open metal ore mines in California, run by 17 operators and employing 1,336 people. Since January 1, 2022 its inspectors issued 560 citations and orders there with $361,111 in proposed penalties, and operators reported 111 injury or illness cases. The operators with the most open mines are MP Mine Operations, LLC.; Golden Queen Mining Company; Quartzview Corporation. Data from MSHA, November 6, 2026.
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- Open mines
- 17
- Operators
- 17
- Employees
- 1,336
- Active
- 11
- Intermittent
- 4
- NonProducing
- 2
- Mines run by individuals, counted and not listed
- 1
- Citations and orders since January 1, 2022
- 560
- Significant and substantial
- 96 (17.1%)
- Closure orders
- 20
- High negligence or reckless
- 51
- Proposed penalties
- $361,111
- Amount paid so far
- $305,451
- Inspections
- 299
- Inspector hours on site
- 3,160
- Citations per inspection
- 1.87 (all mines 2.30)
- Accident reports
- 115
- Injury and illness cases
- 111
- Fatalities
- 0
- Latest MSHA record
- October 30, 2026
Operators with the most open mines in California
Ranked by open mines, then by citations. Sole proprietors and individuals are not listed.
| Operator | Open mines | Employees | Citations since 2022 | Proposed penalties | Injury cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP Mine Operations, LLC. | 1 | 790 | 196 | $164,580 | 64 |
| Golden Queen Mining Company | 1 | 179 | 106 | $121,040 | 20 |
| Quartzview Corporation | 1 | 0 | 54 | $10,444 | 2 |
| U.S. Iron, LLC. | 1 | 4 | 53 | $19,516 | 0 |
| Western Mesquite Mines, Inc. | 1 | 277 | 30 | $23,145 | 14 |
| Eagle's Nest Mining LLC | 1 | 8 | 29 | $4,851 | 2 |
| James Gang Enterprises Inc. | 1 | 6 | 23 | $6,265 | 1 |
| Seduli Sutter Operations Corporation | 1 | 3 | 18 | $2,518 | 0 |
| Horizon Hill Materials, LLC | 1 | 2 | 7 | $1,035 | 0 |
| Ruby Gold, Inc. | 1 | 2 | 7 | $1,482 | 0 |
| French Gulch (Nevada) Mining Corp | 1 | 8 | 5 | $683 | 0 |
| Small Mine Development | 1 | 5 | 5 | $755 | 0 |
| Iron Age Mine LLC | 1 | 2 | 4 | $913 | 0 |
| CalPortland Company | 1 | 3 | 1 | $133 | 1 |
| Colosseum Rare Metals Inc. | 1 | 6 | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Red Ledge Mining Company | 1 | 3 | 1 | $151 | 0 |
Operators with the most citations in California
Citations and orders issued since January 1, 2022 at their open mines here.
| Operator | Open mines | Employees | Citations since 2022 | Proposed penalties | Injury cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP Mine Operations, LLC. | 1 | 790 | 196 | $164,580 | 64 |
| Golden Queen Mining Company | 1 | 179 | 106 | $121,040 | 20 |
| Quartzview Corporation | 1 | 0 | 54 | $10,444 | 2 |
| U.S. Iron, LLC. | 1 | 4 | 53 | $19,516 | 0 |
| Western Mesquite Mines, Inc. | 1 | 277 | 30 | $23,145 | 14 |
| Eagle's Nest Mining LLC | 1 | 8 | 29 | $4,851 | 2 |
| James Gang Enterprises Inc. | 1 | 6 | 23 | $6,265 | 1 |
| Seduli Sutter Operations Corporation | 1 | 3 | 18 | $2,518 | 0 |
| Horizon Hill Materials, LLC | 1 | 2 | 7 | $1,035 | 0 |
| Ruby Gold, Inc. | 1 | 2 | 7 | $1,482 | 0 |
| French Gulch (Nevada) Mining Corp | 1 | 8 | 5 | $683 | 0 |
| Small Mine Development | 1 | 5 | 5 | $755 | 0 |
| Iron Age Mine LLC | 1 | 2 | 4 | $913 | 0 |
| CalPortland Company | 1 | 3 | 1 | $133 | 1 |
| Colosseum Rare Metals Inc. | 1 | 6 | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Red Ledge Mining Company | 1 | 3 | 1 | $151 | 0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt Pass Mine & Mill | MP Mine Operations, LLC. | San Bernardino County, CA | Rare earths ore | 790 | 196 |
| Soledad Mountain Project | Golden Queen Mining Company | Kern County, CA | Gold ore | 179 | 106 |
| Sixteen To One Mine | Quartzview Corporation | Sierra County, CA | Gold ore | 0 | 54 |
| Beck Mine | U.S. Iron, LLC. | Inyo County, CA | Iron ore | 4 | 53 |
| Mesquite | Western Mesquite Mines, Inc. | Imperial County, CA | Gold ore | 277 | 30 |
| Big Seam Mine | Eagle's Nest Mining LLC | Placer County, CA | Gold ore | 8 | 29 |
| Silver Lake Mine | James Gang Enterprises Inc. | San Bernardino County, CA | Iron ore | 6 | 23 |
| Lincoln Mine Project | Seduli Sutter Operations Corporation | Amador County, CA | Gold ore | 3 | 18 |
| Ruby Mine | Ruby Gold, Inc. | Nevada County, CA | Gold ore | 2 | 7 |
| Rosemary's Mountain Quarry | Horizon Hill Materials, LLC | San Diego County, CA | Iron ore | 2 | 7 |
| Washington Mine | French Gulch (Nevada) Mining Corp | Shasta County, CA | Gold ore | 8 | 5 |
| Blue Moon Underground Mine | Small Mine Development | Mariposa County, CA | Zinc | 5 | 5 |
| Iron Age Mine | Iron Age Mine LLC | San Bernardino County, CA | Iron ore | 2 | 4 |
| Colosseum Rare Metals Inc. | Colosseum Rare Metals Inc. | San Bernardino County, CA | Gold ore | 6 | 1 |
| Baxter Mine | CalPortland Company | San Bernardino County, CA | Iron ore | 3 | 1 |
| Red Ledge Mine | Red Ledge Mining Company | Nevada County, CA | Gold ore | 3 | 1 |
Main commodities
| Main commodity | Open mines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Gold ore | 10 | 58.8% |
| Iron ore | 5 | 29.4% |
| Rare earths ore | 1 | 5.9% |
| Zinc | 1 | 5.9% |
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 | 111 | 16 | $29,801 | 20 |
| 2023 | 143 | 27 | $104,711 | 21 |
| 2024 | 87 | 18 | $52,399 | 21 |
| 2025 | 108 | 15 | $66,073 | 22 |
| 2026 | 111 | 20 | $108,127 | 27 |
Standards cited most at metal ore mines in California
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 56.14100 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 42 |
| 30 CFR 56.14107 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 24 |
| 30 CFR 47.41 | Hazard communication | 21 |
| 30 CFR 56.12028 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 21 |
| 30 CFR 50.30 | Reporting of accidents, injuries and illnesses | 17 |
| 30 CFR 56.20003 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 16 |
| 30 CFR 56.12002 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 14 |
| 30 CFR 56.12004 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 14 |
| 30 CFR 56.4201 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 13 |
| 30 CFR 56.14132 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 13 |
| 30 CFR 56.14112 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 13 |
| 30 CFR 56.14207 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 12 |
| 30 CFR 56.11001 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 12 |
| 30 CFR 56.12008 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 12 |
| 30 CFR 56.12032 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 10 |
Injury and illness cases at metal ore mines in California
Accident reports by degree of injury, as the operator reported them to MSHA.
| Degree | Cases |
|---|---|
| Permanent disability | 1 |
| Days away from work or restricted activity | 81 |
| No lost time, or an occupational illness | 29 |
What the accident reports at metal ore mines in California describe
Accident classification, as MSHA codes the circumstances that contributed most directly.
| Classification | Reports |
|---|---|
| Slip or fall of person | 33 |
| Handling of materials | 33 |
| Handtools (nonpowered) | 14 |
| Other | 10 |
| Powered haulage | 10 |
| Machinery | 8 |
| All other occupational illnesses | 2 |
| Stepping or kneeling on object | 2 |
| Exploding vessels under pressure | 1 |
| Disorders (repeated trauma) | 1 |
Equipment named in accident reports at metal ore mines in California
| Equipment | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hand tools (not powered) | 13 |
| Ore haulage trucks - off highway trucks | 6 |
| Hand tools (powered) | 5 |
| Front-end loader | 3 |
| Shovel | 3 |
| Trucks | 2 |
| Milling machinery | 1 |
| Crane | 1 |
| Mancar | 1 |
| Hoist | 1 |
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.