E.R. Jahna Industries, Inc. (Commission decision, February 29, 2012)

Plain-English summary

E.R. Jahna Industries did not answer the Secretary's penalty petition, prompting a Chief ALJ to issue a show-cause order that would become a default after 30 days. Jahna responded on time, but its filing contained a typographical error in the docket number. The Secretary did not oppose reopening. The Commission held that Jahna was never in default because it had timely complied with the order, and it remanded the case for further proceedings.

Decision snapshot

• Governing authority: Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977
• Outcome: The Commission found no default and remanded the penalty case for further proceedings.
• Key point: A typographical error in a docket number did not erase the operator's timely compliance with a show-cause order.

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

February 29, 2012

SECRETARY OF LABOR,

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH

ADMINISTRATION (MSHA) 

v.

E.R. JAHNA INDUSTRIES, INC. 

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Docket No. SE 2010-780-M

A.C. No. 08-01021-218131

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 19, 2011, the Commission received from E.R. Jahna Industries, Inc. (“Jahna”) a motion seeking to reopen a penalty assessment proceeding and relieve it from the order of default entered against it.

On March 17, 2011, Chief Administrative Law Judge Lesnick issued an Order to Show Cause which by its terms became an Order of Default if the operator did not file an answer within 30 days. This Order to Show Cause was issued in response to Jahna’s failure to answer the Secretary’s August 19, 2010 Petition for Assessment of Civil Penalty.

Jahna filed a timely response to the Show Cause Order which included a typographical error in the case docket number. The Secretary does not oppose the request to reopen.

Having reviewed Jahna’s request and the Secretary’s response, in the interest of justice, we conclude that Jahna was not in default under the terms of the Show Cause Order, as it timely complied with the Order. 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:

Dwight R. Graves, Safety Mngr.

E.R. Jahna Industries, Inc.

202 E. Stuart, Ave.

Lake Wales, Florida 33859

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