Data / Mines / South Carolina / Nonmetal mines
Nonmetal mineral mines in South Carolina: 19 open mines
MSHA lists 19 open nonmetal mineral mines in South Carolina, run by 15 operators and employing 277 people. Since January 1, 2022 its inspectors issued 407 citations and orders there with $215,317 in proposed penalties, and operators reported 24 injury or illness cases. The operators with the most open mines are General Shale Brick, Inc.; Taylor Clay Products; U.S. Silica Company, LLC. Data from MSHA, November 6, 2026.
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- Open mines
- 19
- Operators
- 15
- Employees
- 277
- Active
- 14
- Intermittent
- 5
- Citations and orders since January 1, 2022
- 407
- Significant and substantial
- 60 (14.7%)
- Closure orders
- 9
- High negligence or reckless
- 32
- Proposed penalties
- $215,317
- Amount paid so far
- $159,868
- Inspections
- 238
- Inspector hours on site
- 2,424
- Citations per inspection
- 1.71 (all mines 2.30)
- Accident reports
- 24
- Injury and illness cases
- 24
- Fatalities
- 0
- Latest MSHA record
- October 30, 2026
Operators with the most open mines in South Carolina
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Shale Brick, Inc. | 4 | 7 | 3 | $419 | 0 |
| Taylor Clay Products | 2 | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| U.S. Silica Company, LLC | 1 | 55 | 124 | $61,055 | 3 |
| Specialty Vermiculite LLC | 1 | 20 | 85 | $94,826 | 3 |
| Kentucky Tennessee Clay Company | 1 | 24 | 47 | $11,642 | 7 |
| Alabama Sand and Gravel Inc | 1 | 28 | 36 | $14,603 | 1 |
| VM Buyer LLC | 1 | 27 | 31 | $12,409 | 4 |
| Active Minerals International LLC | 1 | 38 | 23 | $7,379 | 1 |
| Covia Solutions LLC | 1 | 29 | 21 | $3,950 | 1 |
| US Brick, LLC | 1 | 4 | 11 | $1,601 | 1 |
| Piedmont Mining, LLC | 1 | 7 | 10 | $1,518 | 0 |
| A. O. Hardee & Son, Inc. | 1 | 6 | 7 | $4,749 | 1 |
| W R Grace & Company | 1 | 24 | 7 | $864 | 2 |
| Palmetto Brick Company | 1 | 3 | 2 | $302 | 0 |
| Dream Catcher Mining LLC | 1 | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
Operators with the most citations in South Carolina
Citations and orders issued since January 1, 2022 at their open mines here.
| Operator | Open mines | Employees | Citations since 2022 | Proposed penalties | Injury cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Silica Company, LLC | 1 | 55 | 124 | $61,055 | 3 |
| Specialty Vermiculite LLC | 1 | 20 | 85 | $94,826 | 3 |
| Kentucky Tennessee Clay Company | 1 | 24 | 47 | $11,642 | 7 |
| Alabama Sand and Gravel Inc | 1 | 28 | 36 | $14,603 | 1 |
| VM Buyer LLC | 1 | 27 | 31 | $12,409 | 4 |
| Active Minerals International LLC | 1 | 38 | 23 | $7,379 | 1 |
| Covia Solutions LLC | 1 | 29 | 21 | $3,950 | 1 |
| US Brick, LLC | 1 | 4 | 11 | $1,601 | 1 |
| Piedmont Mining, LLC | 1 | 7 | 10 | $1,518 | 0 |
| A. O. Hardee & Son, Inc. | 1 | 6 | 7 | $4,749 | 1 |
| W R Grace & Company | 1 | 24 | 7 | $864 | 2 |
| General Shale Brick, Inc. | 4 | 7 | 3 | $419 | 0 |
| Palmetto Brick Company | 1 | 3 | 2 | $302 | 0 |
| Taylor Clay Products | 2 | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 |
| Dream Catcher Mining LLC | 1 | 2 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Plant | U.S. Silica Company, LLC | Lexington County, SC | Sand, industrial | 55 | 124 |
| Enoree Operations | Specialty Vermiculite LLC | Laurens County, SC | Vermiculite | 20 | 85 |
| K-T Clay Company | Kentucky Tennessee Clay Company | Aiken County, SC | Common clays | 24 | 47 |
| Marlboro Mine | Alabama Sand and Gravel Inc | Marlboro County, SC | Quartz, crystal | 28 | 36 |
| Dixie Clay (VM Buyer LLC) | VM Buyer LLC | Aiken County, SC | Common clays | 27 | 31 |
| Active Minerals Kaolin Divison | Active Minerals International LLC | Aiken County, SC | Clay, ceramic, refractory mnls. | 38 | 23 |
| Lugoff Plant | Covia Solutions LLC | Kershaw County, SC | Sand, industrial | 29 | 21 |
| Usb Columbia (Mobley-Koon/Dry Branch)) | US Brick, LLC | Richland County, SC | Common clays | 4 | 11 |
| Shade Mine | Piedmont Mining, LLC | Aiken County, SC | Common clays | 7 | 10 |
| National Kaolin Products | W R Grace & Company | Aiken County, SC | Kaolin and ball clay | 24 | 7 |
| Barefoot Pit | A. O. Hardee & Son, Inc. | Horry County, SC | Sand, industrial | 6 | 7 |
| Irby Mine | Palmetto Brick Company | Marlboro County, SC | Common clays | 3 | 2 |
| Richland County Mines | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Richland County, SC | Common clays | 1 | 2 |
| Turkey Creek | General Shale Brick, Inc. | Edgefield County, SC | Fire clay | 4 | 1 |
| Sericite Mine | Taylor Clay Products | Cherokee County, SC | Mica | 2 | 0 |
| Diamond Mine #3 | Dream Catcher Mining LLC | Dorchester County, SC | Ground silica | 2 | 0 |
| Taylor Mine | Taylor Clay Products | Kershaw County, SC | Fire clay | 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 |
Main commodities
| Main commodity | Open mines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Common clays | 8 | 42.1% |
| Sand, industrial | 3 | 15.8% |
| Fire clay | 2 | 10.5% |
| Kaolin and ball clay | 1 | 5.3% |
| Vermiculite | 1 | 5.3% |
| Clay, ceramic, refractory mnls. | 1 | 5.3% |
| Mica | 1 | 5.3% |
| Quartz, crystal | 1 | 5.3% |
| Ground silica | 1 | 5.3% |
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 | 78 | 13 | $53,625 | 5 |
| 2023 | 71 | 15 | $52,560 | 6 |
| 2024 | 101 | 15 | $56,790 | 4 |
| 2025 | 68 | 9 | $22,777 | 5 |
| 2026 | 89 | 8 | $29,565 | 4 |
Standards cited most at nonmetal mineral mines in South Carolina
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 56.14112 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 56 |
| 30 CFR 56.20003 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 42 |
| 30 CFR 56.12004 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 29 |
| 30 CFR 56.12032 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 26 |
| 30 CFR 56.14100 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 24 |
| 30 CFR 56.14107 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 19 |
| 30 CFR 56.14132 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 14 |
| 30 CFR 56.4201 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 13 |
| 30 CFR 56.14101 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 13 |
| 30 CFR 56.12018 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 10 |
| 30 CFR 56.18002 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 9 |
| 30 CFR 56.12030 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 9 |
| 30 CFR 56.11001 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 9 |
| 30 CFR 56.5001 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 9 |
| 30 CFR 56.14207 | Surface metal and nonmetal mines | 6 |
Injury and illness cases at nonmetal mineral mines in South Carolina
Accident reports by degree of injury, as the operator reported them to MSHA.
| Degree | Cases |
|---|---|
| Days away from work or restricted activity | 18 |
| No lost time, or an occupational illness | 6 |
What the accident reports at nonmetal mineral mines in South Carolina describe
Accident classification, as MSHA codes the circumstances that contributed most directly.
| Classification | Reports |
|---|---|
| Handling of materials | 11 |
| Slip or fall of person | 6 |
| Handtools (nonpowered) | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Powered haulage | 1 |
| Falling/sliding/rolling materials | 1 |
| Machinery | 1 |
Equipment named in accident reports at nonmetal mineral mines in South Carolina
| Equipment | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hand tools (not powered) | 3 |
| Trucks | 1 |
| Forklift | 1 |
| Shovel | 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.