Secretary of Labor on behalf of Jason Hargis v. Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC; Jason Hargis v. Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC

Plain-English summary

The Commission had granted cross-petitions for review in three consolidated proceedings involving Vulcan Construction Materials and miner Jason Hargis. After the parties filed their briefs, the Commission identified an issue they had not addressed. Mine Act section 105(c)(2) refers to a 30-day finality period in the temporary-reinstatement context, while section 113(d)(1) generally gives an administrative law judge's decision 40 days to become final if the Commission does not direct review. The Commission did not resolve that issue in this order. It directed the parties to file supplemental briefs within 14 days addressing how to calculate the final-order date for ending temporary reinstatement.

Decision snapshot

• Cited authority: 30 U.S.C. §§ 815(c)(2) and 823(d)(1)
• Outcome: The parties were ordered to submit supplemental briefs within 14 days.
• Key point: The Commission requested briefing on how the Mine Act's 30-day and 40-day finality provisions interact in temporary-reinstatement cases.

Full text (FMSHRC public release)

FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW
COMMISSION

1331
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW, SUITE 520N

WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20004-1710

SECRETARY
OF LABOR,                                                                           :                       Docket No. SE
2021-0163

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH                                                             :

ADMINISTRATION (MSHA),                                                             :                       Docket No. SE
2022-0001

on behalf of JASON HARGIS                                                                :

:                       Docket No. SE
2022-0013

v.                                                                                             :

:

VULCAN
CONSTRUCTION                                                                        :

MATERIALS, LLC                                                                                  :

:

:

JASON
HARGIS                                                                                            :

:

v.                                                                                             :

:

VULCAN
CONSTRUCTION                                                                        :

MATERIALS, LLC                                                                                  :

ORDER FOR
SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEFING

These proceedings
all involve cross-petitions for discretionary review by the Secretary of Labor
(“Secretary”), Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC (“Vulcan”), and a miner,
Jason Hargis (“Complainant”). On January 9, 2023, the Commission granted all
three petitions for discretionary review. On January 20, 2023, the Commission consolidated
the cases and set forth a briefing order. Since the filing of the parties’ briefs,
however, the Commission has noticed an
issue not previously briefed by the parties.

The issue involves
the interaction between two sections of the Mine Act. Specifically, section 105(c)(2)
authorizes temporary reinstatement pending “the final order on the complaint”
and instructs that the “order shall become final upon 30 days after
[the] issuance” of the decision. 30 U.S.C. § 815(c)(2) (emphasis added).

Section 113(d)(1) of
the Act states that “[t]he decision of the administrative law judge of the
Commission shall become the final decision of the Commission 40 days
after its issuance unless within such period the Commission has directed that
such decision shall be reviewed by the Commission . . . .” 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1)
(emphasis added).

Thus, the issue in
calculating the final order date for ending temporary reinstatement concerns
the applicability and interaction of the 30-day language in section 105(c)(2)
and the 40-day language in section 113(d)(1).

As a result, the Commission requests supplemental briefing on
the
calculation of a “final order” date for temporary reinstatement purposes given
section 105(c)(2) and section 113(d)(1). The briefs of the parties shall be
filed within 14 days of the date of this order and shall not exceed 15 pages in
length.

/s/ Mary Lu Jordan

Mary
Lu Jordan, Chair

/s/
William I. Althen

William
I. Althen, Commissioner

/s/ Marco M. Rajkovich, Jr.

Marco M. Rajkovich, Jr., Commissioner

/s/ Timothy J. Baker

Timothy J. Baker, Commissioner

Distribution:

Emma
P. Cusumano, Attorney

April
E. Nelson, Associate Solicitor

Emily
Toler Scott, Counsel for Appellate

Litigation
Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department

of
Labor Division of Mine Safety & Health

201
12th Street South, Ste. 401

Arlington,
VA 22202

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Christopher
M. Smith, Esq.

Office
of the Solicitor

U.S.
Department of Labor

618
Church Street, Suite 230

Nashville,
TN 37219

[email protected]

Elaine
M. Youngblood, Esq.

Ortale
Kelley

330
Commerce Street, Suite 110

Nashville,
TN 37201

[email protected]

Margaret
S. Lopez, Esq.

William
K. Doran, Esq.

Ogletree,
Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PC

1901
K Street NW, Suite 1000

Washington,
DC 20006

[email protected]

[email protected]

Chief
Administrative Law Judge Glynn F. Voisin

Office
of the Chief Administrative Law Judge

Federal
Mine Safety & Health Review Commission

1331
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 520N

Washington,
DC 20004-1710

[email protected]

Administrative
Law Judge Michael Young

Office
of the Chief Administrative Law Judge

Federal
Mine Safety & Health Review Commission

1331
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 520N

Washington,
DC 20004-1710

[email protected]