The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration has released Morton Salt Inc.’s Weeks Island Mine and Mill from the agency’s pattern of violations designation after demonstrating significant and sustained improvements in safety and compliance.
The New Iberia, Louisiana, operator of the Weeks Island Mine and Mill worked closely with MSHA to improve safety practices, reduce significant and substantial violations, and create a safe working environment for miners after MSHA issued the mine its POV designation in December 2022. One of the agency’s toughest enforcement actions, POV designations are assigned to mines when a high number of significant and substantial violations and other safety and health compliance problems are found.
“MSHA’s top priority is the health and safety of America’s miners, and we recognize the efforts made by Weeks Island Mine and Mill to take the corrective actions needed,” said MSHA’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations Melanie Calhoun. “By taking proactive steps to address safety concerns and maintain compliance, they have created a safer working environment for their miners.”
Since 2022, Weeks Island implemented enhanced safety training, hazard mitigation measures, and stricter monitoring protocols. These actions led measurable improvements in workplace conditions and allowed the mine to meet the requirement for release from the POV designation. In February 2025, MSHA completed an inspection of the mine and did not issue a citation or order designated as significant and substantial.
MSHA will continue to monitor the mine for compliance and provide support to ensure safety remains a top priority. The agency encourages all mining operations to be proactive in taking steps to protect their workers and prevent future violations by using MSHA’s Pattern of Violations Calculator, which allows mine operators to monitor performance under the POV screening criteria and alerts mine operators that corrective actions are needed, and the Significant and Substantial Calculator, which enables mine operators to monitor their violations. Mine operators are responsible for tracking their violation and injury histories to determine if they must take action to avoid triggering a POV notice.