Data / Mines / Colorado / Metal mines
Metal ore mines in Colorado: 20 open mines
MSHA lists 20 open metal ore mines in Colorado, run by 18 operators and employing 1,294 people. Since January 1, 2022 its inspectors issued 1,107 citations and orders there with $571,864 in proposed penalties, and operators reported 171 injury or illness cases. The operators with the most open mines are Climax Molybdenum Company; Grand Island Resources, LLC; Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company, LLC. Data from MSHA, November 6, 2026.
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- Open mines
- 20
- Operators
- 18
- Employees
- 1,294
- Temporarily Idled
- 6
- NonProducing
- 6
- Active
- 4
- Intermittent
- 4
- Mines run by individuals, counted and not listed
- 2
- Citations and orders since January 1, 2022
- 1,107
- Significant and substantial
- 142 (12.8%)
- Closure orders
- 11
- High negligence or reckless
- 94
- Proposed penalties
- $571,864
- Amount paid so far
- $540,295
- Inspections
- 351
- Inspector hours on site
- 7,631
- Citations per inspection
- 3.15 (all mines 2.30)
- Accident reports
- 172
- Injury and illness cases
- 171
- Fatalities
- 0
- Latest MSHA record
- November 4, 2026
Operators with the most open mines in Colorado
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climax Molybdenum Company | 2 | 688 | 810 | $488,467 | 119 |
| Grand Island Resources, LLC | 2 | 24 | 21 | $2,542 | 0 |
| Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company, LLC | 1 | 514 | 157 | $45,140 | 46 |
| Titan Au, Inc. | 1 | 14 | 35 | $22,941 | 1 |
| Thorin Resources | 1 | 13 | 19 | $2,865 | 0 |
| Mt Elbert Mining Co LLC | 1 | 4 | 15 | $2,853 | 0 |
| MW Sorter LLC | 1 | 0 | 11 | $1,515 | 3 |
| BH Mining Company, LLC | 1 | 0 | 10 | $1,418 | 0 |
| CRG Mining LLC | 1 | 4 | 7 | $931 | 2 |
| Efr Colorado Plateau LLC | 1 | 3 | 7 | $1,005 | 0 |
| Pinon Ridge Mining LLC | 1 | 12 | 4 | $596 | 0 |
| Atlas Mining and Reclamation, LLC | 1 | 1 | 2 | $284 | 0 |
| Igwt Mining, Inc. | 1 | 3 | 1 | $151 | 0 |
| Rio Grande Silver, Inc. | 1 | 1 | 1 | $143 | 0 |
| Asteroid Explorations LLC | 1 | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| Disa Technologies, Inc. | 1 | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
Operators with the most citations in Colorado
Citations and orders issued since January 1, 2022 at their open mines here.
| Operator | Open mines | Employees | Citations since 2022 | Proposed penalties | Injury cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climax Molybdenum Company | 2 | 688 | 810 | $488,467 | 119 |
| Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company, LLC | 1 | 514 | 157 | $45,140 | 46 |
| Titan Au, Inc. | 1 | 14 | 35 | $22,941 | 1 |
| Grand Island Resources, LLC | 2 | 24 | 21 | $2,542 | 0 |
| Thorin Resources | 1 | 13 | 19 | $2,865 | 0 |
| Mt Elbert Mining Co LLC | 1 | 4 | 15 | $2,853 | 0 |
| MW Sorter LLC | 1 | 0 | 11 | $1,515 | 3 |
| BH Mining Company, LLC | 1 | 0 | 10 | $1,418 | 0 |
| CRG Mining LLC | 1 | 4 | 7 | $931 | 2 |
| Efr Colorado Plateau LLC | 1 | 3 | 7 | $1,005 | 0 |
| Pinon Ridge Mining LLC | 1 | 12 | 4 | $596 | 0 |
| Atlas Mining and Reclamation, LLC | 1 | 1 | 2 | $284 | 0 |
| Igwt Mining, Inc. | 1 | 3 | 1 | $151 | 0 |
| Rio Grande Silver, Inc. | 1 | 1 | 1 | $143 | 0 |
| Asteroid Explorations LLC | 1 | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| Disa Technologies, Inc. | 1 | 3 | 0 | $0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson Operations | Climax Molybdenum Company | Clear Creek County, CO | Molybdenum ore | 373 | 480 |
| Climax Mine | Climax Molybdenum Company | Lake County, CO | Molybdenum ore | 315 | 330 |
| Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Com | Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company, LLC | Teller County, CO | Gold ore | 514 | 157 |
| Box Creek Placer | Titan Au, Inc. | Lake County, CO | Gold ore | 14 | 35 |
| Revenue Mine | Thorin Resources | Ouray County, CO | Silver ore | 13 | 19 |
| Willow Creek Mine | Mt Elbert Mining Co LLC | Lake County, CO | Gold ore | 4 | 15 |
| Consolidated Caribou District | Grand Island Resources, LLC | Boulder County, CO | Gold ore | 12 | 13 |
| Lucky Strike Mine & Mill | MW Sorter LLC | Gunnison County, CO | Gold ore | 0 | 11 |
| Bates-Hunter Mine | BH Mining Company, LLC | Gilpin County, CO | Gold ore | 0 | 10 |
| Cross Mine | Grand Island Resources, LLC | Boulder County, CO | Gold ore | 12 | 8 |
| Gold Links | CRG Mining LLC | Gunnison County, CO | Gold ore | 4 | 7 |
| Whirlwind Mine | Efr Colorado Plateau LLC | Mesa County, CO | Uranium-vanadium ore | 3 | 7 |
| Sunday Mine | Pinon Ridge Mining LLC | San Miguel County, CO | Uranium ore | 12 | 4 |
| Von Doose | Atlas Mining and Reclamation, LLC | Ouray County, CO | Gold ore | 1 | 2 |
| Hector Placer Mine | Igwt Mining, Inc. | Park County, CO | Gold ore | 3 | 1 |
| Bulldog Mine | Rio Grande Silver, Inc. | Mineral County, CO | Silver ore | 1 | 1 |
| Mobile Hpsa Remediation Equipment | Disa Technologies, Inc. | Montrose County, CO | Uranium ore | 3 | 0 |
| Kichelmann 1 | Asteroid Explorations LLC | Montrose County, CO | Gold ore | 2 | 0 |
Main commodities
| Main commodity | Open mines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Gold ore | 13 | 65% |
| Silver ore | 2 | 10% |
| Molybdenum ore | 2 | 10% |
| Uranium ore | 2 | 10% |
| Uranium-vanadium ore | 1 | 5% |
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 | 198 | 17 | $85,569 | 33 |
| 2023 | 237 | 21 | $112,575 | 53 |
| 2024 | 202 | 21 | $97,598 | 40 |
| 2025 | 248 | 51 | $152,676 | 25 |
| 2026 | 222 | 32 | $123,446 | 20 |
Standards cited most at metal ore mines in Colorado
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 56.12028 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 63 |
| 30 CFR 57.12028 | Underground metal and nonmetal mines | 44 |
| 30 CFR 56.20003 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 44 |
| 30 CFR 47.41 | Hazard communication | 42 |
| 30 CFR 57.20003 | Underground metal and nonmetal mines | 41 |
| 30 CFR 56.4201 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 40 |
| 30 CFR 56.14100 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 40 |
| 30 CFR 57.4201 | Underground metal and nonmetal mines | 29 |
| 30 CFR 56.11001 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 29 |
| 30 CFR 57.12032 | Underground metal and nonmetal mines | 25 |
| 30 CFR 56.12004 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 25 |
| 30 CFR 57.14112 | Underground metal and nonmetal mines | 24 |
| 30 CFR 57.12004 | Underground metal and nonmetal mines | 24 |
| 30 CFR 56.14112 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 22 |
| 30 CFR 57.12018 | Underground metal and nonmetal mines | 17 |
Injury and illness cases at metal ore mines in Colorado
Accident reports by degree of injury, as the operator reported them to MSHA.
| Degree | Cases |
|---|---|
| Days away from work or restricted activity | 129 |
| No lost time, or an occupational illness | 42 |
What the accident reports at metal ore mines in Colorado describe
Accident classification, as MSHA codes the circumstances that contributed most directly.
| Classification | Reports |
|---|---|
| Slip or fall of person | 43 |
| Handling of materials | 43 |
| Machinery | 25 |
| Powered haulage | 19 |
| Handtools (nonpowered) | 18 |
| Other | 7 |
| Stepping or kneeling on object | 5 |
| Striking or bumping | 3 |
| Electrical | 2 |
| Disorders (repeated trauma) | 1 |
Equipment named in accident reports at metal ore mines in Colorado
| Equipment | Reports |
|---|---|
| Ore haulage trucks - off highway trucks | 21 |
| Hand tools (not powered) | 19 |
| Front-end loader | 8 |
| Trucks | 7 |
| Shovel | 5 |
| Mancar | 4 |
| Bulldozer | 4 |
| Hoist | 3 |
| Hand tools (powered) | 3 |
| Flotation and filters | 2 |
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.