Secretary of Labor v. L & L Gravel (Commission decision, June 27, 2013)

Plain-English summary

L & L Gravel asked the Commission to reopen a final penalty assessment because its office manager had forgotten to mark one citation on the contest form. The assessment became final in November 2011, and the company did not file its reopening motion until December 2012. The Commission applied the one-year limit for relief based on mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect. Because the motion was filed more than one year after the assessment became final, it was untimely. The Commission denied reopening with prejudice.

Decision snapshot

• Governing provisions: 30 U.S.C. § 815(a) and 29 C.F.R. § 2700.1(b)
• Outcome: The motion to reopen was denied with prejudice as untimely.
• Key point: A request to reopen for mistake or excusable neglect cannot be filed more than one year after the assessment becomes final.

Full text (FMSHRC public release)

FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

1331 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW, SUITE 520N

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004-1710

June 27, 2013

SECRETARY OF LABOR,

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH

ADMINISTRATION (MSHA)

v.

L & L GRAVEL

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Docket No. CENT 2012-73-M

A.C. No. 25-01093-269393-02

BEFORE: Jordan, Chairman; Young and Nakamura, 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 December 18, 2012, the Commission received from L & L Gravel (“L&L”) a motion seeking to reopen a penalty assessment 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).

MSHA’s records indicate that the proposed assessment was delivered on October 17, 2011, and became a final order of the Commission on November 16, 2011. L&L asserts that its office manager forgot to check one box on the contest form for Citation No. 8587317. A settlement agreement for the remaining citations in this proposed assessment was approved by Chief Administrative Law Judge Lesnick on July 26, 2012. The Secretary opposes the request to reopen and notes that a delinquency notice was mailed to the operator on January 3, 2012, and the case was referred to the U.S. Department of Treasury for collection on April 19, 2012.

Under Rule 60(c), a Rule 60(b) motion shall be made within a reasonable time, and for reasons of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect, not more than one year after the judgment, order, or proceeding was entered or taken. This motion to reopen was filed more than one year after becoming a final order. Therefore, L&L’s motion is untimely. J S Sand & Gravel, Inc., 26 FMSHRC 795, 796 (Oct. 2004).

Accordingly, we deny L&L’s motion with prejudice.

/s/ Mary Lu Jordan

Mary Lu Jordan, Commissioner

/s/ Michael G. Young

Michael G. Young, Commissioner

/s/ Patrick K. Nakamura

Patrick K. Nakamura, Commissioner

Distribution;

Susan Neil

Office Mngr.

L & L Gravel

P.O. Box 1

Thedford, NE 69166

[email protected]

W. Christian Schumann, Esq.

Office of the Solicitor

U.S. Department of Labor

1100 Wilson Blvd., Room 2220

Arlington, VA 22209-2296

Melanie Garris

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

1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W., Suite 520N

Washington, D.C. 20004-1710