Secretary of Labor v. Buckley Powder Company (Commission decision, October 6, 2014)

Plain-English summary

Buckley Powder missed the deadline to contest Citation No. 8478099 by one week because of an administrative oversight. The assessment became a final Commission order before the company requested relief. The Secretary did not oppose reopening and urged Buckley to adopt procedures that would prevent future missed deadlines. The Commission reopened the citation in the interest of justice and remanded it for merits proceedings. It directed the Secretary to file a penalty petition within 45 days.

Decision snapshot

• Governing authority: 30 U.S.C. § 815(a); 29 C.F.R. § 2700.28
• Outcome: Citation No. 8478099 was reopened and remanded for further proceedings.
• Key point: A brief administrative filing error may support reopening when the Secretary does not oppose relief, but the operator must improve its contest procedures.

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,

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH  

ADMINISTRATION (MSHA)

v.

BUCKLEY POWDER COMPANY

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Docket No.

A.C. No.

WEST 2013-1023

48-00086-325274 SB9

BEFORE: Nakamura, Acting Chairman; Cohen and Althen, 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. (2012) (“Mine Act”). On August 5, 2013, the Commission received from Buckley Powder Company (“Buckley”) a motion seeking to reopen Citation No. 8478099 in a penalty assessment that had become a final order of the Commission pursuant to section 105(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. § 815(a).

Under section 105(a) of the Mine Act, an operator who wishes to contest a proposed penalty must notify the Secretary of Labor no later than 30 days after receiving the proposed penalty assessment. If the operator fails to notify the Secretary, the proposed penalty assessment is deemed a final order of the Commission. 30 U.S.C. § 815(a).

We have held, however, that in appropriate circumstances, we possess jurisdiction to reopen uncontested assessments that have become final Commission orders under section 105(a). Jim Walter Res., Inc., 15 FMSHRC 782, 786-89 (May 1993) (“JWR”). 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 the Commission may relieve a party from a final order of the Commission on the basis of mistake, inadvertence, excusable neglect, or other reason justifying relief. 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”); JWR, 15 FMSHRC at 787. 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).

Records of the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”) indicate that the proposed assessment was delivered on June 26, 2013, and became a final order of the Commission on July 26, 2013. Buckley asserts that its administrative personnel inadvertently missed the contest deadline by one week. The Secretary does not oppose the request to reopen, and urges the operator to adopt procedures to ensure that future penalty contests are timely filed.

Having reviewed
Buckley’s request and the Secretary’s response, in the interest of justice, we hereby reopen Citation No. 8478099 and remand it 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. Accordingly, consistent with Rule 28, the Secretary shall file a petition for assessment of penalty within 45 days of the date of this order. See 29 C.F.R. § 2700.28.

/s/ Patrick K. Nakamura

Patrick K. Nakamura, Acting Chairman

/s/ Robert F.
Cohen, Jr.

Robert F. Cohen, Jr., Commissioner

/s/ William I.
Althen

William I. Althen, Commissioner