Broken Hill Mining Company, Incorporated (ALJ decision, September 5, 1995)

Plain-English summary

Broken Hill Mining Company agreed to settle all citations in two civil penalty proceedings. The proposed penalties totaled $1,747, and the approved settlement reduced the payment to $1,254. The Judge vacated and dismissed two citations, modified four others as specified in the settlement, and approved the remaining agreed dispositions under the Mine Act's penalty criteria. The cases were dismissed after payment.

Decision snapshot

• Cited standards: 30 C.F.R. §§ 75.503, 75.400, 75.1103-1, 75.809, 75.333(b)(1), and other standards listed in the decision
• Outcome: The settlement was approved, citations 4015300 and 4004143 were vacated and dismissed, four citations were modified, and a $1,254 penalty was assessed.
• Key point: The Judge approved the negotiated dispositions after considering the parties' documentation under the Mine Act's 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

September 5, 1995

SECRETARY OF LABOR,
: CIVIL PENALTY PROCEEDINGS
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH
:
ADMINISTRATION (MSHA),
: Docket No. KENT 94-946
Petitioner
: A. C. No. 15-15637-03557
v. :
: Mine No. 1
BROKEN HILL MINING COMPANY,
:
INCORPORATED,
: Docket No. KENT 94-947
Respondent
: A. C. No. 15-14959-03559
:
: Mine No. 3

D ECISION

A ppea ra nces: M a ry Su e Ta ylor, Esq., Office of the Solicitor, U.S. D epa rtm ent of La bor, Na shville, Tennessee, for Petitioner;
Hoba rt W . A nderson, President, Brok en Hill M ining Com pa ny, Inc., Pik eville, K entu ck y, Pro Se, for Respondent.

Before: Ju dg e Hodg don

These ca ses a re before m e on petitions for a ssessm ent of civil pena lty filed by the Secreta ry of La bor, a cting throu g h his M ine Sa fety a nd Hea lth A dm inistra tion ( M SHA ), a g a inst Brok en Hill M ining Com pa ny pu rsu a nt to Section 105 of the Federa l M ine Sa fety a nd Hea lth A ct of 1977, 30 U.S.C. ' 815. The petitions a lleg e severa l viola tions of the Secreta ry' s m a nda tory hea lth a nd sa fety sta nda rds a nd seek pena lties of $1,747.00. For the rea sons set forth below , I a pprove the settlem ent a g reem ent of the pa rties a nd a ssess civil pena lties of $1,254.0 0 .

The ca ses w ere hea rd on M a y 2, 1995, in Pik eville, K entu ck y. A t the beg inning of the hea ring , the pa rties a dvised tha t they ha d a g reed to settle a ll of the cita tions in these ca ses a s follow s:

V iola tion
Cita tion No. of 30 C.F.R. Proposed Pena lty A g reem ent

Dock et No. K ENT 94-946

4217421 ' 75.503 $ 50.00 $ 50.00

Page 2

4217422 ' 75.400 $ 128.00 $ 50.00 1

Dock et No. K ENT 94-947

4015294 ' 75.1103-1 $ 128.00 $ 106.00
4015295 ' 75.809 $ 119.00 $ 50.00 1
4015296 ' 75.333( b)( 1) $ 50.00 $ 50.00
4015297 ' 202( a ) $ 119.00 $ 119.00
4015298 ' 75.110 1- 2 3( c)( 1) $ 50.00 $ 50.00
4015300 ' 75.1712 $ 50.00 V a ca te2
4004141 ' 75.364( h) $ 50.00 $ 50.00
4004143 ' 75.503 $ 119.00 V a ca te2
4004144 ' 75.503 $ 119.00 $ 119.00
4003846 ' 77.205( a ) $ 119.00 $ 119.00
4041466 ' 77.1103( d) $ 119.00 $ 119.00
4004151 ' 77.1605( k ) $ 119.00 $ 50.00 1
4017904 ' 75.370 ( a )( 1) $ 136.00 $ 136.00
4017908 ' 75.333( g ) $ 136.00 $ 136.00
4017909 ' 75.400 $ 136.00 $ 50.00 1
$1,747.00 $1,254.00

Ha ving considered the representa tions a nd docu m enta tion presented, ( Tr. 4- 17), I conclu de tha t the proffered settlem ent is a ppropria te u nder the criteria set forth in Section 110 ( i) of the A ct, 30 U.S.C. ' 820( i).

ORD ER

A ccording ly, the m otion for a pprova l of settlem ent is GRA NTED , Cita tion Nos.
4015300 a nd 4004143 a re V A CA TED A ND D ISM ISSED , Cita tion Nos. 4217422, 4015295, 4004151 a nd 4017909 a re M ODIFIED a s indica ted a nd Brok en Hill M ining Com pa ny is ORD ERED TO PA Y a pena lty of $1,254.0 0 w ithin 30 da ys of the da te of this order. On receipt of pa ym ent, these ca ses a re D ISM ISSED .

1
The Secreta ry m oves to m odify the cita tion to delete the "sig nifica nt a nd su bsta ntia l" desig na tion.
2
The Secreta ry m oved to va ca te this cita tion.

2

Page 3

T. Todd Hodgdon
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 37215-2862 (Certified Mail)

Hobart W. Anderson, President, Broken Hill Mining Co., Inc.,
P.O. Box 356, Sidney, KY 41564 (Certified Mail)

/lbk

3