Ezel / Agency Decisions / kent-94-1077-r-thru-kent-94-1190-r-alj
FMSHRC ALJ decision Docket KENT 94-1077-R Thru KENT 94-1190-R Decided November 25, 1996 Procedural Judge Roy J. Maurer

Day Branch Coal Company

Day Branch Coal Company (FMSHRC KENT 94-1077-R through KENT 94-1190-R): Contest proceedings dismissed as moot

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This order from 1996 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 1996
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
This order dismissed the citation contests because the proposed penalty assessments had become final Commission orders. It is a final order of the administrative law judge under the 40-day rule in 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1), 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

Day Branch Coal Company and Bobby Joe Hensley contested a group of citations and orders from Mine No. 9. They did not file contests to the Secretary's proposed penalty assessments, which were sent in two groups in January and September 1995. Judge Roy J. Maurer ruled that the proposed assessments therefore became final Commission orders under 29 C.F.R. § 2700.27, making the related citation contests moot. He dismissed the cases.

Decision snapshot

  • Cited provisions: 29 C.F.R. § 2700.27
  • Outcome: The contest proceedings were dismissed because the penalty assessments had become final Commission orders and the contests were moot.
  • Key point: A failure to contest proposed penalty assessments can make them final and render a related citation contest moot.

Full text (FMSHRC public release)


[DOCID: f:k941077r.wais]

DAY BRANCH COAL COMPANY, INC.
November 25, 1996
KENT 94-1077-R

       FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

             OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES
                    2 SKYLINE, 10th FLOOR
                      5203 LEESBURG PIKE
                FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA  22041


                      November 25, 1996

DAY BRANCH COAL COMPANY, INC. : CONTEST PROCEEDINGS
and BOBBY JOE HENSLEY, :
Contestants : Docket Nos. KENT 94-1077-R
v. : Order No. 3822201; 7/8/94
:
SECRETARY OF LABOR, : Thru
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH :
ADMINISTRATION (MSHA), : Docket Nos. KENT 94-1190-R
Respondent : Order No. 4489780; 7/8/94
: (See the attached list)
:
: Mine No. 9
: Mine ID 15-16418

                    ORDER OF DISMISSAL

Before: Judge Maurer

 Respondent's renewed motion to dismiss the above-captioned

Notices of Contest is granted based on the assertions set forth
in the motion.

 More specifically, the contestants have failed to contest

the penalty proposals in these matters. Proposals for
assessment of civil penalties regarding the citations/orders
contained in these cases were made to both contestants via two
groups of assessments on January 17, 1995, and September 17,
1995. To date, no contests of the proposed assessments have ever
been filed.

 Accordingly, pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 2700.27, the Secretary's

proposed penalty assessments are deemed to be a final order of the
Commission. That being so, it appears that the contest herein of
the same citations/orders has been rendered moot. These cases are
therefore DISMISSED.

                            Roy J. Maurer
                            Administrative Law Judge

Distribution:

Bobby Joe Hensley, President, Day Branch Coal Company, Inc.,
P. O. Box 204, Cawood, KY 40815 (Certified Mail)

Mark R. Malecki, Esq., Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of
Labor, 4015 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203 (Certified Mail)

dcp

DOCKET NUMBER CIT/ORDER

KENT 94-1077-R3822201; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1078-R3822202; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1079-R3822203; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1080-R4471381; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1081-R4471382; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1082-R4471383; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1083-R4471384; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1084-R4471386; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1085-R4471388; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1086-R4471390; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1087-R4471391; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1088-R4471392; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1089-R4471393; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1090-R4471395; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1091-R4471396; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1092-R4471397; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1093-R4471398; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1094-R4471399; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1095-R4471402; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1096-R4471403; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1097-R4471404; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1098-R4471406; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1099-R4471407; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1100-R4471408; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1101-R4471409; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1102-R4471410; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1103-R4471411; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1104-R4471412; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1105-R4471413; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1106-R4471414; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1107-R4471415; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1108-R4471416; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1109-R4471417; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1110-R4471418; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1111-R4471419; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1112-R4471420; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1113-R4471421; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1114-R4471422; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1115-R4471423; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1116-R4471424; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1117-R4471425; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1118-R4471426; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1119-R4471427; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1120-R4471428; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1121-R4471429; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1122-R4471430; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1123-R4471432; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1124-R4471433; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1125-R4471435; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1126-R4471436; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1127-R4471437; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1128-R4471438; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1129-R4471439; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1130-R4471440; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1131-R4487695; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1132-R4487697; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1133-R4487698; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1134-R4487699; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1135-R4487700; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1136-R4489777; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1137-R4489778; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1138-R4489721; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1139-R4489722; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1140-R4489723; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1141-R4489724; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1142-R4489725; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1143-R4489726; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1144-R4489727; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1146-R4489729; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1145-R4489728; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1147-R4489730; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1148-R4489731; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1149-R4489732; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1150-R4489733; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1151-R4489734; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1152-R4489735; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1153-R4489736; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1154-R4489737; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1155-R4489739; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1156-R4489740; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1157-R4489741; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1158-R4489742; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1159-R4489743; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1160-R4489744; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1161-R4489745; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1162-R4489746; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1163-R4489747; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1164-R4489749; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1165-R4489750; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1166-R4489752; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1167-R4489753; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1168-R4489754; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1169-R4489755; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1170-R4489756; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1171-R4489757; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1172-R4489758; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1173-R4489759; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1174-R4489761; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1175-R4489762; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1176-R4489763; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1177-R4489764; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1178-R4489765; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1179-R4489766; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1180-R4489767; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1181-R4489768; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1182-R4489769; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1183-R4489770; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1184-R4489771; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1185-R4489773; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1186-R4489774; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1187-R4489775; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1188-R4489776; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1189-R4489779; 7/8/94
KENT 94-1190-R4489780; 7/8/94

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