Ezel / Agency Decisions / LAKE 93-261

Buck Creek Coal, Inc. (ALJ decision, February 15, 1995)

Buck Creek Coal, Inc. (FMSHRC LAKE 93-261 and related dockets): Stay continued pending status conference

Decision type
ALJ decision
Dockets
LAKE 93-261, LAKE 93-268, LAKE 93-273, LAKE 93-278, LAKE 94-8, LAKE 94-13, LAKE 94-21, LAKE 94-41, LAKE 94-42, LAKE 94-50, LAKE 94-72, LAKE 94-73, LAKE 94-81, LAKE 94-89, LAKE 94-111, LAKE 94-128, LAKE 94-142, LAKE 94-143, LAKE 94-210, LAKE 94-211, LAKE 94-220, LAKE 94-433, LAKE 94-434, LAKE 94-435, LAKE 94-600, LAKE 94-601, LAKE 94-602, LAKE 94-603, LAKE 94-604, LAKE 94-605, LAKE 94-606, LAKE 94-669, LAKE 94-670, LAKE 94-671, LAKE 94-677, LAKE 94-707, LAKE 94-708, LAKE 94-709, LAKE 94-710, LAKE 94-714, LAKE 94-745, LAKE 94-746, LAKE 95-24, LAKE 95-49, LAKE 95-50, LAKE 95-51, LAKE 95-52, LAKE 95-74, LAKE 95-87, LAKE 95-94, LAKE 95-111, LAKE 95-112, LAKE 95-154, LAKE 95-158, LAKE 94-162-R, LAKE 94-253-R thru 94-394-R, LAKE 94-356-R thru 94-357-R, LAKE 94-370-R thru 94-394-R, LAKE 94-408-R thru 94-409-R, LAKE 94-410-R thru 94-425-R, LAKE 94-447-R thru 94-454-R, LAKE 94-461-R thru 94-562-R, LAKE 94-569-R thru 94-597-R, LAKE 94-607-R thru 94-613-R, LAKE 94-637-R thru 94-646-R, LAKE 94-660-R thru 94-667-R, LAKE 94-672-R thru 94-674-R, LAKE 94-681-R thru 94-691-R, LAKE 94-697-R thru 94-703-R, LAKE 94-717-R thru 94-744-R, LAKE 95-1-R thru 95-14-R, LAKE 95-18-R thru 95-22-R, LAKE 95-26-R thru 95-42-R, LAKE 95-57-R thru 95-73-R, LAKE 95-75-R thru 95-77-R, LAKE 95-82-R, LAKE 95-96-R thru 95-104-R, LAKE 95-115-R thru 95-118-R, LAKE 95-136-R thru 95-154-R, LAKE 95-158-R and 95-171-R
Decided
February 15, 1995
Presiding judge
T. Todd Hodgdon
Outcome
Procedural
Precedential status
Interlocutory order, not final
Checked against source
2026-08-13
Cited standards
30 U.S.C. § 815
Official source
Read the official release (fmshrc.gov)
PDF
View Official PDF

Apply this to your situation

This order from 1995 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 1995
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.
Interlocutory ALJ order, not Commission precedent
This order continued a stay while related criminal proceedings and their consequences were sorted out. It did not dispose of the cases or become a final decision under the 40-day rule in 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1). It 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

Buck Creek Coal, Inc. faced a large group of civil penalty and contest proceedings involving its Buck Creek Mine. The ALJ had stayed the cases while the United States Attorney considered related criminal prosecutions. After the criminal cases were completed, the Secretary requested another 90-day stay so it could identify which matters were connected to the prosecutions and which could proceed. The judge continued the stay until May 16, 1995, and scheduled a status conference to decide whether the stay should continue or whether some cases could move forward.

Decision snapshot

  • Cited provision: 30 U.S.C. § 815
  • Outcome: The stay was continued until May 16, 1995, with a status conference scheduled.
  • Key point: The order addressed case management only and did not decide the underlying citations or penalties.

Full text (FMSHRC public release)

FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

OFFICE OF A D M INISTRA TIV E LA W JUDGES 2 SK YLINE, 10 th FLOOR
5203 LEESBURG PIK E
FA LLS CHURCH, V IRGINIA 22041

February 15, 1995

SECRETARY OF LABOR, : CIVIL PENALTY PROCEEDINGS
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH
:
ADMINISTRATION (MSHA), : Docket No. LAKE 93-261
Petitioner : A.C. No. 12-02033-03596
v. :
: Docket No. LAKE 93-268
BUCK CREEK COAL INC., : A.C. No. 12-02033-03597
Respondent
:
: Docket No. LAKE 93-273
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03598
:
: Docket No. LAKE 93-278
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03599
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-8
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03600
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-13
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03601
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-21
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03602
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-41
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03603
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-42
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03604
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-50
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03605
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-72
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03606
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-73
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03607
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-81
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03608
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-89
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03610
:

Page 2

: Docket No. LAKE 94-111
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03611
: Docket No. LAKE 94-128
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03614
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-142
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03615
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-143
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03616
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-210
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03620
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-211
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03621
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-220
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03622
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-433
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03623
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-434
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03624
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-435
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03625
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-600
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03626
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-601
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03627
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-602
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03629
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-603
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03630
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-604
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03631
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-605
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03632
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-606
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03633
:

Page 3

: Docket No. LAKE 94-669
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03636

: Docket No. LAKE 94-670
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03637
: Docket No. LAKE 94-671
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03638
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-677
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03640
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-707
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03641
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-708
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03642
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-709
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03643
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-710
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03644
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-714
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03645
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-745
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03646
:
: Docket No. LAKE 94-746
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03647

: Docket No. LAKE 95-24
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03648
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-49
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03652
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-50
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03652
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-51
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03652
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-52
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03650
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-74

3

Page 4

: A.C. No. 12-02033-03653
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-87
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03654

: Docket No. LAKE 95-94
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03655
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-111
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03656
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-112
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03657
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-154
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03658
:
: Docket No. LAKE 95-158
: A.C. No. 12-02033-03659
:
: Buck Creek Mine
:
:
BUCK CREEK COAL INC., : CONTEST PROCEEDINGS Contestant :
v. : Docket Nos. LAKE 94-162-R,
: LAKE 94-253-R thru 94-394-R,
SECRETARY OF LABOR, : LAKE 94-356-R thru 94-357-R, MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH : LAKE 94-370-R thru 94-394-R, ADMINISTRATION (MSHA), : LAKE 94-408-R thru 94-409-R,
Respondent : LAKE 94-410-R thru 94-425-R, : LAKE 94-447-R thru 94-454-R
: LAKE 94-461-R thru 94-562-R,
: LAKE 94-569-R thru 94-597-R,
: LAKE 94-607-R thru 94-613-R,
: LAKE 94-637-R thru 94-646-R,
: LAKE 94-660-R thru 94-667-R,
: LAKE 94-672-R thru 94-674-R,
: LAKE 94-681-R thru 94-691-R,
: LAKE 94-697-R thru 94-703-R,
: LAKE 94-717-R thru 94-744-R,
: LAKE 95- 1-R thru 95- 14-R,
: LAKE 95- 18-R thru 95- 22-R,
: LAKE 95- 26-R thru 95- 42-R,
: LAKE 95- 57-R thru 95- 73-R,
: LAKE 95- 75-R thru 95- 77-R,
: LAKE 95- 82-R,
: LAKE 95- 96-R thru 95-104-R,

4

Page 5

: LAKE 95-115-R thru 95-118-R,
: LAKE 95-136-R thru 95-154-R,
: LAKE 95-158-R and 95-171-R.
:
: BUCK CREEK MINE
: Mine ID 12-02033

ORDER CONTINUING STAY

By an order dated September 8, 1994, all cases involving Buck Creek, before me or subsequently assigned to me, were stayed for 90 days or until such time as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana made a determination regarding the prosecution of Buck Creek Coal, Inc. and any of its officers, whichever occurred first. On December 7, 1994, the Secretary filed a motion requesting a 90 day extension of the stay.

An extension of the stay was granted on January 10, 1995, until a prehearing conference was held on February 9, 1995, to determine whether the stay should be continued. At the prehearing conference, the Secretary requested that the stay be continued for 90 days. The Secretary's counsel stated that at the end of 90 days the Secretary would be in a position to state specifically which dockets and citations were involved in the criminal proceedings, which were not, and whether the cases not involved could proceed to disposition. (Tr. 37-38.) Buck Creek opposes continuing the stay.

After weighing the interests of the parties, I conclude that the reasons for originally granting the stay still apply. Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the STAY in these cases is CONTINUED until May 16, 1995. The provisions concerning the lifting of the stay in individual cases set out in the September 8, 1994, order remain in effect.

It is FURTHER ORDERED that a status conference will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 1995, for the purpose of determining whether the stay should be continued beyond the conference; if so, under what conditions; whether it will include all docketed cases as well as future cases; and whether some cases can be separated from the rest and proceed to disposition without prejudice to either party. The conference will begin at 9:00 A.M. at the following location:

Hearing Room

5

Page 6

Office of Administrative Law Judges
2 Skyline, 10th Floor
5203 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, Virginia 22041

T. Todd Hodgdon
Administrative Law Judge
(703) 756-4570
Distribution:

Rafael Alvarez, Esq., Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604 (Certified Mail)

Henry Chajet, Esq., Jackson & Kelly, 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20037 (Certified Mail)

/lbk

6

Page 7

7

What applies to your situation today?

This order bound one employer. Ezel checks the current MSHA standards and Commission precedent against your facts, with citations.

Opens in Ezel Pro.

  • Checks the law as it stands today, not only this page
  • Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
  • Chat, drafting and research in one workspace