FMSHRC ALJ decision Docket KENT 92-919, KENT 92-920 Decided August 18, 1993 Settled Judge Gary Melick

Wilgar Land Company, Inc.

Wilgar Land Company, Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 92-919): Settlement approved and penalty reduced

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This order from 1993 bound only the parties to this case; it isn't precedent. Ask about your situation and see what the current MSHA standards and Commission precedent say, with citations.

Currency note: this decision dates from 1993
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.
Final ALJ decision, not Commission precedent
This decision became final under the 40-day rule in 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1) because no later Commission review appears in the official index. It binds the parties but is not Commission precedent. 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

The Secretary sought civil penalties against Wilgar Land Company in two proceedings involving its No. 3 Mine. The parties proposed a settlement that reduced the penalty from $2,755 to $1,000. Judge Gary Melick approved the settlement and ordered payment in equal monthly installments beginning September 1, 1993.

Decision snapshot

  • Cited standard(s): None stated in the decision.
  • Outcome: The settlement was approved, the penalty was reduced to $1,000, and the cases were ordered dismissed after payment.
  • Key point: The judge found the proposed settlement consistent with the Mine Act penalty criteria.

Full text (FMSHRC public release)

FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES

2 SKYLINE, 10th FLOOR

5203 LEESBURG PIKE

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA 22041

SECRETARY OF LABOR, : CIVIL PENALTY PROCEEDINGS
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH :
ADMINISTRATION (MSHA), : Docket No. KENT 92-919
Petitioner : A.C. No. 15-10396-03557
v. :
: Docket No. KENT 92-920
WILGAR LAND COMPANY, INC., : A.C. No. 15-10396-03558
Respondent : No. 3 Mine

                DECISION APPROVING SETTLEMENT

Appearances: Mary Sue Taylor, Esquire, Office of the
Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor,
Nashville, Tennessee, for Petitioner;
Barry Johns, Wilgar Land Company, Inc.,
Robinson Creek, Kentucky, for Respondent

Before: Judge Melick

 These cases are before me upon petitions for assessment

of civil penalty under Section 105(d) of the Federal Mine
Safety and Health Act of 1977 (the Act). At hearings, the
parties filed a motion to approve settlement agreement and
to dismiss the cases. A reduction in penalty from $2,755
to $1,000 was proposed. I have considered the representations
and documentation submitted in these cases, and I conclude
that the proffered settlement is consistent with the criteria
in Section 110(i) of the Act.

 WHEREFORE, the motion for approval of settlement is

GRANTED, and it is ORDERED that Respondent pay a penalty of
$1,000 in equal monthly installments commencing on September 1,
1993, and continuing on the first day of each month thereafter
until fully paid.

                            Gary Melick
                            Administrative Law Judge

Distribution:

Mary Sue Taylor, Esq., Office of the Solicitor,
U.S. Department of Labor, 2002 Richard Jones Road,
Suite B-201, Nashville, TN 37215 (Certified Mail)

Barry Johns, Wilgar Land Company, Inc., Box 266,
Robinson Creek, KY 41560 (Certified Mail)

Robert Newsome, Wilgar Land Company, Inc.,
P.O. Box 2200, Robinson Creek, KY 41560 (Certified Mail)

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