Secretary of Labor v. Root Construction, Inc. (Commission decision, March 10, 2014)

Secretary of Labor v. Root Construction, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2013-336-M): Predecessor's unfiled assessment contest excused

Decision type
Commission decision
Docket
CENT 2013-336-M
Decided
March 10, 2014
Outcome
Remanded
Precedential status
Citable Commission precedent
Checked against source
2026-08-02

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Currency note: this decision dates from 2014
The MSHA standards may have been amended, penalty amounts have been adjusted, and later Commission or court decisions may have changed the analysis since then. Treat this page as historical context, not current compliance advice. Verify the current standard before relying on any specific rule, threshold, or penalty mentioned here.
Decision of the Commission
This is a decision of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the highest level of agency review, citable as Commission precedent. It may have been appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals after issuance under 30 U.S.C. § 816; check subsequent history before relying on it. The full text below is from the official FMSHRC release.
About this page: The plain-English summary and decision snapshot below were written by Ezel based on the official FMSHRC release. The full text is the agency's own release.
Read the official release (fmshrc.gov)

Plain-English summary

Root Construction missed a proposed penalty contest deadline. Its new safety director found the delinquent assessment while sorting through documents left by the prior safety director. The Secretary did not oppose reopening but urged the operator to improve its filing procedures. The Commission reopened the final assessment in the interest of justice, remanded the matter, and directed the Secretary to file a penalty petition within 45 days.

Decision snapshot

  • Governing provisions: 30 U.S.C. § 815(a) and 29 C.F.R. § 2700.28
  • Outcome: The final assessment was reopened and remanded for a penalty petition within 45 days.
  • Key point: A filing missed during a safety-director transition supported unopposed reopening, with a warning to establish reliable contest controls.

Full text (FMSHRC public release)

������������������ FEDERAL MINE
SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

1331
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW, SUITE 520N

WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20004-1710

March
10, 2014

SECRETARY OF LABOR,

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH

ADMINISTRATION (MSHA)

��������������������� v.

ROOT CONSTRUCTION, INC.

���������� Docket No. CENT 2013-336-M

���������� A.C. No. 32-00924-311309

BEFORE: Jordan, Chairman; Young, Cohen, Nakamura, and
Althen, 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. (2012) (�Mine Act�). On March 20, 2013, the Commission received from Root Construction, Inc. (�Root�) 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 orders, the Commission
has found guidance in Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure under which the Commission may relieve a party from a final order of the Commission on the basis of mistake, inadvertence, excusable neglect, or other reason justifying relief. 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).

����������� Records of the Department of Labor�s Mine Safety and Health Administration indicate that the proposed assessment was delivered on January 16, 2013, and became a final order of the Commission on February 15, 2013. Root asserts that its new safety director discovered the delinquency while sorting through his predecessor�s documents. The Secretary does not oppose the request to reopen and urges the operator to take steps to ensure that future penalty contests are timely filed.

����������� Having reviewed
Root�s request and the Secretary�s response, in the interest of justice, we hereby reopen this matter and remand it to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings pursuant to the Mine Act and the Commission�s Procedural Rules, 29 C.F.R. Part 2700. Accordingly, consistent with Rule 28, the Secretary shall file a petition for assessment of penalty within 45 days of the date of this order. See 29 C.F.R. � 2700.28.

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� /s/ Mary Lu Jordan�������������������

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Mary Lu Jordan, Chairman

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� /s/Michael G. Young����������������� �

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Michael G. Young, Commissioner

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� /s/ Robert F. Cohen, Jr.��������������� �

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Robert F. Cohen, Jr., Commissioner

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� /s/ Patrick K. Nakamura���������������� ����

Patrick K.
Nakamura, Commissioner

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� /s/ William I. Althen������������������ �

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� William I. Althen, Commissioner

�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Distribution:

Eric M. Dullea, Esq.

Patton Boggs LLP

1801 California Street, Suite 4900

Denver, CO 80202

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

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