Florida CRI, Inc. (Commission decision, December 19, 2011)

Plain-English summary

Florida CRI defaulted after the Commission did not receive an answer to the Secretary's penalty petition. The operator said it had responded promptly in 2009 but apparently sent the answer to an MSHA conference representative instead of filing it with the Commission, and it did not receive later correspondence. The Secretary did not oppose reopening. In the interest of justice, the Commission vacated the default and remanded the penalty proceeding to the Chief Administrative Law Judge.

Decision snapshot

• Governing provisions: 29 C.F.R. §§ 2700.69(b) and 2700.70(a); 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)
• Outcome: The final default order was vacated and the penalty proceeding was remanded.
• Key point: A timely answer apparently sent to the wrong government recipient supported reopening an unopposed default.

Full text (FMSHRC public release)

Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission

FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

601 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, NW

SUITE 9500

WASHINGTON, DC 20001

December 19, 2011

SECRETARY OF LABOR,

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH

ADMINISTRATION (MSHA)

v.

FLORIDA CRI, INC.

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Docket No. SE 2009-695-M
A.C. No. 08-00958-187673

BEFORE: Jordan, Chairman; Duffy, Young, Cohen, and Nakamura, 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. (2006) (“Mine Act”). On August 12, 2011, the Commission received from Florida CRI, Inc. (“Florida CRI”) a motion seeking to reopen a penalty assessment proceeding and relieve it from the order of default entered against it.

On March 15, 2011, Chief Judge Lesnick issued an Order to Show Cause and Order of Default in response to Florida CRI’s failure to answer the Secretary’s August 26, 2009 Petition for Assessment of Civil Penalty. The judge ordered the operator to file its answer within 30 days or it would be in default.

Florida CRI asserts that it filed a timely response to the Secretary’s Petition for Assessment of Civil Penalty. Florida CRI further states that it did not receive any correspondence since it replied on August 27, 2009. However, it appears that the answer may have been sent to a Conference Litigation Representative at MSHA, instead of being filed with the Commission. The Secretary does not oppose the request to reopen.

The judge’s jurisdiction in this matter terminated when the default occurred. 29 C.F.R.
§ 2700.69(b). Under the Mine Act and the Commission’s procedural rules, relief from a judge’s decision may be sought by filing a petition for discretionary review within 30 days of its issuance. 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(2); 29 C.F.R. § 2700.70(a). If the Commission does not direct review within 40 days of a decision’s issuance, it becomes a final decision of the Commission. 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1). Consequently, the judge’s order here has become a final decision of the Commission.

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, for example, a party could be entitled to relief from a final order of the Commission on the basis of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect. 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”); Jim Walter Res., Inc., 15 FMSHRC 782, 786-89 (May 1993) (“JWR”). 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).

Having reviewed Florida CRI’s request and the Secretary’s response, in the interest of justice, we hereby reopen the proceeding and vacate the Order of Default. Accordingly, this case is remanded 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.

/s/ Mary Lu Jordan

Mary Lu Jordan, Chairman

/s/ Michael F. Duffy

Michael F. Duffy, Commissioner

/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

Distribution:

Gary Frommer, Vice Pres.

Florida CRI Inc.

1910 Seward Ave.

Naples, Fl 34101

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

601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Suite 9500

Washington, D.C. 20001-2021