The U.S. Department of Labor has removed Morton Salt Inc.’s Weeks Island Mine and Mill in Louisiana from its pattern of violations (POV) list after the company demonstrated sustained improvements in safety and compliance.
The Weeks Island facility had been under the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) POV designation since December 2022—a status reserved for operations with a history of significant and substantial safety violations. Its removal follows nearly two years of corrective actions aimed at improving workplace conditions and reducing risk to miners.
Enhanced training, monitoring led to removal
To regain compliance, the New Iberia-based mine adopted a series of reforms, including enhanced safety training, stricter monitoring protocols, and targeted hazard mitigation efforts. In February 2025, MSHA conducted an inspection of the site and found no violations classified as significant and substantial—meeting a key requirement for lifting the POV status.
“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 Melanie Calhoun, MSHA’s acting deputy assistant secretary for operations.
The agency noted that it will continue to monitor the site to ensure compliance is maintained and safety remains a priority.
POV designation among agency’s strongest enforcement tools
The POV designation is one of MSHA’s most stringent enforcement mechanisms, triggered by a mine’s record of serious safety violations. Under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, operators with a high rate of significant and substantial violations may be subjected to increased oversight and enforcement action.
MSHA encourages all mine operators to take a proactive approach to safety by using its online tools, including the Pattern of Violations Calculator and the Significant and Substantial Calculator. These tools are designed to help operators monitor their performance and take corrective action before enforcement thresholds are reached.
Mine operators are responsible for tracking their own violation and injury data to determine if preventive steps are necessary to avoid a POV designation.
