Secretary of Labor v. Ray County Stone Producers, LLC (Commission decision, December 10, 2009)

Plain-English summary

Ray County Stone Producers said the employee who signed for a three-citation assessment never forwarded it for action. The company wanted reopening so it could try to settle the penalties. The Secretary did not oppose relief. The Commission nevertheless held that the company had not given enough detail about how the assessment was handled or why the deadline was missed. It denied the request without prejudice.

Decision snapshot

• Governing provisions: 30 U.S.C. § 815(a); 29 C.F.R. § 2700.1(b)
• Outcome: The reopening request was denied without prejudice.
• Key point: Saying only that an employee failed to forward an assessment does not provide the detailed explanation required for reopening.

Full text (FMSHRC public release)

Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission

FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

601 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, NW

SUITE 9500

WASHINGTON, DC 20001

December 10, 2009

SECRETARY OF LABOR,

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH

ADMINISTRATION (MSHA)

v.

RAY COUNTY STONE
PRODUCERS, LLC

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Docket No. CENT 2010-88-M

A.C. No. 23-02274-192621

BEFORE: Jordan, Chairman; Duffy, Young, and Cohen, Commissioners

ORDER

BY THE COMMISSION:

This matter arises under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, 30 U.S.C.
§ 801 et seq. (2006) (“Mine Act”). On October 28, 2009, the Commission received a request to reopen a penalty assessment issued to Ray County Stone Producers, LLC (“Ray County”) that had become a final order of the Commission pursuant to section 105(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. § 815(a).

Under section 105(a) of the Mine Act, an operator who wishes to contest a proposed penalty must notify the Secretary of Labor no later than 30 days after receiving the proposed penalty assessment. If the operator fails to notify the Secretary, the proposed penalty assessment is deemed a final order of the Commission. 30 U.S.C. § 815(a).

We have held, however, that in appropriate circumstances, we possess jurisdiction to reopen uncontested assessments that have become final Commission orders under section 105(a). Jim Walter Res., Inc., 15 FMSHRC 782, 786-89 (May 1993) (“JWR”). In evaluating requests to reopen final section 105(a) orders, the Commission has found guidance in Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure under which, for example, a party could be entitled to relief from a final order of the Commission on the basis of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect. See 29 C.F.R. § 2700.1(b) (“the Commission and its Judges shall be guided so far as practicable by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure”); JWR, 15 FMSHRC at 787. We have also observed that default is a harsh remedy and that, if the defaulting party can make a showing of good cause for a failure to timely respond, the case may be reopened and appropriate proceedings on the merits permitted. See Coal Prep. Servs., Inc., 17 FMSHRC 1529, 1530 (Sept. 1995).

On July 29, 2009, the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”) issued Proposed Assessment No. 000192621 to Ray County for three citations MSHA had issued to the operator on June 2, 2009. The request to reopen states that the employee who signed for the assessment when it was delivered never forwarded it for action by the operator. Ray County wishes to reopen the assessment so that it can try to reach a settlement of the penalties. The Secretary of Labor states that she does not oppose reopening in this instance.

Having reviewed Ray County’s request and the Secretary’s response, we conclude that Ray County has failed to provide a sufficiently detailed explanation for its failure to timely contest the proposed penalty assessment. Accordingly, we deny without prejudice Ray County’s request. See Eastern Assoc. Coal, LLC, 30 FMSHRC 392, 394 (May 2008); James Hamilton Constr., 29 FMSHRC 569, 570 (July 2007).

Mary Lu Jordan, Chairman

Michael F. Duffy, Commissioner

Michael G. Young, Commissioner

Robert F. Cohen, Jr., Commissioner

Distribution:

Earl Wilson

Safety Consultant

Wilson & Assoc.

10737 Miles St.

Rolla, MO 65401

W. Christian Schumann, Esq.

Office of the Solicitor

U.S. Department of Labor,

1100 Wilson Blvd., Room 2220

Arlington, VA 22209-2296

Myra James, Chief

Office of Civil Penalty Compliance

MSHA

U.S. Dept. of Labor

1100 Wilson Blvd., 25th Floor

Arlington, VA 22209-3939

Chief Administrative Law Judge Robert J. Lesnick

Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission

601 New Jersey Avenue, N. W., Suite 9500

Washington, D.C. 20001-2021