Federal Agency Decisions
Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB), each with a plain-English summary, the law it cites, and whether it counts as precedent. More agencies are coming.
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District Council of Iron Workers of the State of California and Vicinity v. Wage and Hour Division, USDOL
District Council of Iron Workers v. Wage and Hour Division (DOL ARB 2020-0035): rural California wage survey remanded
The Wage and Hour Division surveyed residential construction in rural California but did not publish an ironworker prevailing wage rate after dividing the work into structural, reinforcing, and ornamental subclasses. The survey forms uniformly identified the workers as ironworkers, and 17 of 18…
R.B. and Department of Defense, Department of Defense Educational Activity, Lakenheath, UK
Board declines to expand accepted concussion claim (ECAB 22-0713)
A school aide slipped on ice at work, and OWCP accepted post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic headaches. She sought to add other reported cognitive and psychological problems to the claim. The Board found that her clinicians described symptoms and diagnosed depression and anxiety but did not…
B.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Columbus, OH
Board upholds denial of postal carrier's disability recurrence (ECAB 22-0213)
A postal carrier had accepted knee and shoulder injuries from a 2014 fall and returned to full duty in 2016. She stopped work in November 2020 and sought benefits for a recurrence, including after a left knee replacement. The Board found that the medical reports did not explain how the accepted…
G.A. and Department of Veterans Affairs, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, TN
Board reverses VA nurse's benefit termination over disputed job fitness (ECAB 22-0192)
A VA practical nurse with an accepted back injury was offered a medical support assistant position. OWCP terminated compensation after he declined the job, relying on a physician who said he could do modified work. His treating physician disagreed and reported that later testing showed spinal canal…
R.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Memphis, TN
Board upholds denial of postal worker's late reconsideration request (ECAB 21-1405)
A postal clerk sought reconsideration of an injury claim the Board had last decided on the merits in September 2010. OWCP received her new request in May 2021, well beyond the one-year reconsideration period. She supplied no evidence with the request to show clear error in the earlier decision. The…
A.G. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, East Boston, MA
Board upholds initial pay denial but orders reasoned reconsideration decision (ECAB 21-0817)
A TSA employee injured his back when a chair collapsed at work. On his injury form he selected sick or annual leave rather than continuation of pay, and by April 5, 2021 he had not requested conversion of that leave. The Board upheld OWCP's pay denial as of that date. He later sought leave buyback…
J.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Phoenix, AZ
Board upholds denial of carrier's back injury claim (ECAB 22-0622)
A postal carrier reported back pain while walking his route with a mail satchel. OWCP accepted the reported incident but denied the injury claim. The Board found that the physician's reports described low back pain, which it treated as a symptom rather than a compensable diagnosis. A physician…
G.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Kansas City, MO
Board orders new leg impairment assessment using complete injury history (ECAB 22-0301)
A retired postal clerk sought a larger schedule award for leg impairment after decades of accepted back conditions and treatment. OWCP's medical reviewers received a statement of accepted facts that omitted several accepted conditions and an earlier right leg award. The Board found that those…
F.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Irvine, CA
Board upholds denial of carrier's shoulder claim without medical evidence (ECAB 22-0208)
A postal carrier said repeated effort to close a stuck vehicle door caused shoulder pain. OWCP asked for medical evidence to support an occupational disease claim, but he submitted none. The Board held that his account of the work activity, without a medical diagnosis and an opinion linking it to…
E.B. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Morgantown, WV
Board upholds denial of late reconsideration request in prison worker's claim (ECAB 22-0169)
A former prison cook foreman sought compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder that he linked to his 1978 employment. Earlier decisions rejected the claim as filed too late. He requested reconsideration years after the last merit decision, arguing that he could not have reported the condition…
M.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Seaford Post Office, Seaford, NY
Board orders review of postal worker's benefit termination challenge (ECAB 22-0069)
A postal carrier challenged OWCP's termination of wage loss and medical benefits for an accepted shoulder injury. She argued that the medical report OWCP relied on was 17 months old by the time benefits ended and that OWCP had authorized treatment after that report. The Board found those arguments…
K.K. and Department of the Army, Sierra Army Depot, Herlong, CA
Board finds depot worker was performing duties when finger was injured (ECAB 21-0538)
A woodworker at an Army depot lost part of his right index finger while using a jointer. The employer argued that he was working on a personal project and had violated safety rules. The Board found that the record did not prove willful misconduct or a departure from assigned work; coworkers…
Frank Alo
In re Frank Alo (EAB CWA Appeal No. 22-01): Default order remanded before appeal period
EPA Region 9 alleged that Frank Alo discharged fill material into waters of the United States without authorization under Clean Water Act section 404. After Alo failed to answer, the Regional Judicial Officer found liability by default but left the penalty issue for later action while labeling the…
D.C. and Department of the Army, U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Fort Bliss, TX
Board upholds denial of Army worker's hernia claim (ECAB 22-0669)
An Army laborer reported abdominal pain while moving supplies at work and was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia. OWCP accepted the reported work incident but denied the claim for insufficient evidence that the incident caused the hernia. The Board found that imaging showed a hernia but did not…
P.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Jenks Post Office, Jenks, OK
Board orders medical review of carrier's back claim after fall (ECAB 22-0428)
A rural postal carrier fell while delivering a package and sought coverage for back conditions. Her physician later explained a possible link between the fall and diagnosed lumbar disc and nerve conditions. The Board found the reports insufficient to prove causation, but said they raised an…
R.C. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Fayetteville VA Medical Center, Fayetteville, NC
Board upholds denial of VA clerk's neck injury claim (ECAB 22-0426)
A VA medical clerk reported neck and arm symptoms after folding a large box at work. A neurologist diagnosed cervical conditions but did not give an opinion explaining whether the box incident caused or aggravated them. Other reports and scans also did not supply that causal link under the Board's…
A.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Oswego Post Office, Oswego, NY
Board upholds denial of carrier's second shoulder claim (ECAB 22-0317)
A postal carrier reported shoulder pain after lifting a tub of mail, following an earlier shoulder fracture. One treating physician related the diagnosed condition to the earlier injury and said the mail tub incident caused no new injury. Other physicians described impingement or arm symptoms but…
R.T. and Department of the Air Force, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, AZ
Board upholds denial of mechanic's back injury claim (ECAB 22-0231)
An Air Force aircraft mechanic reported back discomfort after lifting a trailer tongue at work. A physician assistant described back pain and spasm, and an x-ray showed degenerative changes. The Board found that a report signed only by a physician assistant could not provide the medical opinion…
M.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Austin, TX
Board orders related postal injury files combined for reconsideration (ECAB 22-0217)
A postal clerk sought reconsideration of a denied claim involving neck, wrist, and shoulder symptoms. OWCP had relied on restrictions from an earlier accepted claim involving overlapping body areas, but it had not combined the two files. The Board found that a fair review of whether her new request…
A.P. and Department of Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard, Alameda, CA
Board upholds termination of Coast Guard worker's compensation benefits (ECAB 22-0155)
A Coast Guard architect technician received compensation after OWCP accepted his cyclothymic disorder in 1989. OWCP later terminated his wage-loss compensation and medical benefits, relying on a second-opinion psychiatrist's 2021 evaluation. The psychiatrist concluded that any work-related…
K.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Doris Miller VA Medical Center, Waco, TX
Board reverses termination based on unclear VA light-duty job offer (ECAB 21-1207)
A VA medical center food service worker received wage-loss compensation after an accepted injury involving a cart and falling pans. The medical center later offered two different temporary light-duty assignments, and OWCP ended her wage-loss benefits after she did not accept the offered work. The…
S.B. and Department of the Army, Red River Army Depot, Texarkana, TX
Board affirms denial of Army mechanic's left knee claim (ECAB 21-0646)
An Army depot mechanic reported that he slipped and twisted his left knee while working in a wash rack. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied compensation for the knee conditions. The physician who diagnosed a meniscus tear and internal derangement stated that the incident caused or…
T.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Carol Stream, IL
Board dismisses postal worker's appeal without a reviewable OWCP decision (ECAB 22-0781)
A postal worker appealed what her representative described as a February 4, 2022 OWCP decision. The record sent to the Board did not contain that decision. It also contained no final adverse OWCP decision issued within 180 days of the appeal. Because the Board lacked a decision it could review, it…
B.M. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA
Board dismisses appeal from OWCP decision issued during another appeal (ECAB 22-0506)
An IRS worker sought benefits after she stopped work again following an accepted arm and shoulder injury. OWCP denied her recurrence claim, and she appealed that denial to the Board. The next day, OWCP denied a separate request to reconsider the same issue. The Board held that OWCP could not decide…
K.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Portland, ME
Board finds postal carrier's lifting incident occurred and orders medical review (ECAB 22-0370)
A rural postal carrier reported pain and a hernia after lifting a package into a delivery vehicle. OWCP denied his claim because it found the reported incident had not been established. The Board found his account consistent with medical records made soon afterward, and the employer had supplied no…
A.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Charlotte, NC
Board denies postal carrier's claimed intermittent disability after dog attack (ECAB 21-1093)
A rural postal carrier returned to light-duty work after an accepted injury from a dog attack. She later sought compensation for intermittent hours missed during several months in 2019. The Board gave greater weight to a second-opinion physician who found she could return to her prior job without…
J.R. and Department of Homeland Security, Peace Arch Port of Entry, Blaine, WA
Board reverses life insurance premium overpayment finding (ECAB 21-0631)
A former federal investigator received FECA compensation while premiums were withheld for optional life insurance. OWCP later calculated that it had withheld too little over many years and demanded repayment. The Board found that the record lacked a signed election showing whether he had chosen the…
G.D. and Department of the Air Force, McGuire Air Force Base, NJ
Board orders more review of carpal tunnel claim, upholds other condition denials (ECAB 20-0966)
An Air Force housing referral assistant tripped over an open dishwasher door at work. OWCP accepted wrist sprains, contusions, and other conditions, but rejected further knee, shoulder, and carpal tunnel diagnoses. The Board found the evidence insufficient to link the knee and shoulder conditions…
Henkels & McCoy, Inc.
Digger-derrick bolt maintenance citation affirmed
A Henkels & McCoy crew leader died after a digger derrick structurally failed while employees were removing a utility pole. OSHA cited the company under the general duty clause for failing to maintain and torque-test the machine's rotation-bearing bolts as directed by the manufacturer. The…
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 15 and United States Department of the Army, Joint Munitions Command, Rock Island, Illinois
AFGE Local 15 and Joint Munitions Command (FLRA 0-NG-3478): Authority dismisses negotiability petition
AFGE Local 15 proposed contract terms addressing union access, official time, discipline, and personnel records while bargaining with the Army's Joint Munitions Command. The Army withdrew its nonnegotiability allegation for five proposals after the executive orders behind the dispute were revoked…
National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 149 and United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Hidalgo, Texas
CBP Hidalgo and NTEU Chapter 149 (FLRA 0-AR-5747): Authority upholds withdrawal from scheduling agreement
CBP and NTEU Chapter 149 had a local agreement governing rotational schedules and assignments at the Hidalgo Port of Entry. An arbitrator found that CBP properly withdrew from that agreement by giving written notice, but violated the national agreement by failing to bargain over the effects of the…
R.P. and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, San Ysidro, CA
Board affirms denial of border specialist's back injury claim (ECAB 22-0621)
A customs and border protection agriculture specialist reported lower back pain after lifting heavy contraband at work. OWCP accepted that the June 9, 2021 incident occurred, but denied his injury claim. Physicians diagnosed a lumbar disc tear and other back conditions, yet their reports did not…
S.K. and Department of the Air Force, MacDill Air Force Base, FL
Board upholds biceps claim denial and late hearing denial (ECAB 22-0592)
An Air Force physical security specialist reported injuring his left biceps tendon while removing equipment from a rack. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied his injury claim. His doctors diagnosed a tendon rupture and documented surgery without giving a medical opinion on what…
J.T. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Muskogee Veterans Medical Center, Muskogee, OK
Board denies continuation of pay after late COVID-19 injury notice (ECAB 22-0588)
A VA medical center nurse reported contracting COVID-19 after exposure while caring for patients. She missed work in early January 2022 but did not file her Form CA-1 until February 17. Federal continuation of pay requires written notice on the approved form within 30 days of the traumatic injury…
B.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Board upholds overpayment from concurrent FECA and Social Security benefits (ECAB 22-0540)
A VA medical support assistant received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits at the same time. OWCP later calculated an overpayment for the portion of her Social Security benefits attributable to federal employment that should have been offset. The Board upheld the…
R.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Las Vegas, NV
Board upholds denial of late reconsideration of postal worker's claim (ECAB 22-0481)
A postal processing worker sought reconsideration of a denied claim involving conditions he attributed to lifting parcels. He filed his latest request more than a year after the Board's last decision on the merits. His new doctor's report repeated an earlier opinion linking his conditions to the…
E.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Manasota Processing & Distribution Center, Sarasota, FL
Board rejects overlapping postal wage-loss and schedule award payments (ECAB 22-0116)
A postal processing employee had accepted claims arising from separate workplace injuries. She received a schedule award for permanent impairment of both legs, then sought wage-loss compensation for the same period under another claim. The Board found that both accepted claims involved bilateral…
R.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Harrisburg, PA
Board reverses benefit termination over full-time postal job offer (ECAB 21-0565)
A postal carrier with an accepted knee injury received compensation after leaving work. The Postal Service offered him a modified city carrier position for eight hours a day, which he declined. OWCP terminated his benefits as a refusal of suitable work. The Board found that the medical report OWCP…
United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, and Erin Lamm
Blue Ridge Parkway decertification petition (FLRA AT-RP-22-0007): Authority requests briefing on certification bar
An individual sought an election to decertify AFGE after the Union was certified, without an election, as representative of a consolidated National Park Service bargaining unit. A regional director dismissed the petition under a rule barring election petitions filed within twelve months after…
J.F. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN
Board upholds refusal to reopen park mechanic's lightning claim (ECAB 22-0420)
A National Park Service mechanic reported symptoms after a lightning strike near his work crew. OWCP accepted that the event occurred but denied the injury claim for lack of sufficient medical evidence of a diagnosed injury. He sought reconsideration with a new account of the incident and a…
R.L. and Department of the Air Force, Hanscom Air Force Base, Bedford, MA
Board orders review of Air Force mechanic's wage-earning capacity request (ECAB 22-0409)
An Air Force mechanic's compensation was reduced based on his assessed capacity to work as a customer service representative. He later submitted medical records and asked OWCP to reconsider the reduction. OWCP rejected the request as late under its ordinary reconsideration rule. The Board held that…
W.P. and Department of Justice, U.S. Attorneys Office, Newport News, VA
Board orders review of doctor's note in prosecutor's reconsideration request (ECAB 22-0396)
A former federal prosecutor sought reconsideration after his claim involving Meniere's disease was denied as untimely. He submitted a statement and a letter on which a doctor had written an affirmative response to his question about a possible work connection. OWCP discussed only the statement when…
B.I. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Milwaukee, WI
Board upholds denial of added spine conditions and cervical surgery (ECAB 22-0090)
A TSA officer fell at work, and OWCP accepted several contusions. He later sought acceptance of additional cervical and lumbar conditions and authorization for cervical surgery. Medical opinions conflicted, so OWCP obtained an impartial orthopedic examination. The Board found that the examiner gave…
R.P. and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, Tucson, AZ
Board affirms denial of border agent's knee and back injury claim (ECAB 21-0477)
A border patrol agent slipped while hiking on duty and reported knee and back pain. OWCP accepted that the fall occurred but denied his injury claim. Doctors identified knee and back problems, and he later had knee surgery. The Board found that the reports did not give a reasoned medical…
W.C. and Department of the Treasury, U.S. Mint, Philadelphia, PA
Board upholds seven percent leg impairment award for Mint officer (ECAB 20-0691)
A U.S. Mint police officer injured his left foot in a workplace fall and received a schedule award for seven percent impairment of his left leg. His examining physician proposed a higher rating based on ankle and knee arthritis. The Board found that the district medical adviser applied the…
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2361 and United States Department of the Air Force, Whiteman AFB, Missouri
Whiteman Air Force Base and AFGE Local 2361 (FLRA 0-AR-5795): Authority denies award exceptions
AFGE Local 2361 filed exceptions to an arbitration award involving Whiteman Air Force Base. The Union requested an expedited, abbreviated decision under the Authority's regulations, and the Air Force did not oppose that request. The Authority granted expedited treatment after considering the case's…
B.V. and Department of the Army, Army National Guard, Morrisville, NC
Board dismisses medical provider's attempted appeal (ECAB 22-0374)
A health care provider tried to appeal to obtain payment of medical expenses related to an Army National Guard claim. The Clerk assigned a docket number, but the Board found that the provider was not a person authorized to appeal a final OWCP decision in this matter. Because there was no valid…
V.P. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
Board affirms denial of VA worker's rib and concussion claim (ECAB 22-0373)
A VA medical center housekeeping employee reported slipping while stripping a floor and striking a machine. An emergency doctor diagnosed a rib contusion and concussion, and a coworker described the fall. OWCP accepted that the incident happened but denied the injury claim for lack of medical…
S.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Indianapolis, IN
Board affirms denial of postal worker's carpal tunnel claim (ECAB 22-0245)
A postal sales and distribution employee reported hand and wrist symptoms from repetitive duties, including moving mail and packages. OWCP accepted the work activities but denied her carpal tunnel claim. One doctor said long-term overuse caused the condition without explaining the medical…
V.S. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix, NJ
Board orders medical causation review of prison worker's hip claim (ECAB 22-0105)
A federal prison maintenance supervisor reported leg and hip pain after stepping down while stacking heavy cement bags. OWCP accepted the incident but denied his claim for lack of a medical diagnosis. The Board found that an orthopedic surgeon had diagnosed left hip femoroacetabular impingement on…
L.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Antonio, TX
Board orders impartial review of postal worker's additional conditions (ECAB 22-0034)
A postal clerk with accepted neck, back, and shoulder conditions asked OWCP to add further spine and shoulder diagnoses. Her treating doctor linked the conditions to detailed repetitive mail handling duties. A second-opinion doctor and a medical adviser attributed the findings to age-related…
E.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Indian Trail Post Office, Indian Trail, NC
Board reverses benefit termination over job exceeding postal carrier's lifting limit (ECAB 21-0333)
A postal carrier with an accepted shoulder injury declined a modified delivery position. OWCP ended his benefits, finding the job suitable. The Board compared the job description with his doctor's restrictions and found a direct conflict: the offer required intermittent lifting, pushing, or pulling…
S.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Beaver Dam Post Office, Beaver Dam, WI
Board accepts postal carrier's elbow contusion and orders cervical review (ECAB 22-0421)
A rural postal carrier hurt her elbow in a vehicle accident while working. OWCP accepted the accident but denied her injury claim for lack of a diagnosed condition. The Board found that the documented elbow bruise was a minor visible injury that could be accepted without a physician's report. It…
K.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Las Vegas, NV
Board orders new capacity assessment for postal worker's disability claim (ECAB 21-1262)
A postal mail processing clerk returned to a modified job after shoulder surgery, then sought wage-loss compensation when she stopped work again. OWCP denied a recurrence of disability. Its second-opinion doctor found that she could work with limits but later said her restrictions needed…
M.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Tooele, UT
Board orders merit review of postal worker's new medical evidence (ECAB 20-1617)
A postal carrier's wage-loss and medical benefits were terminated after an impartial examination. He sought reconsideration and supplied more medical evidence. OWCP refused to reopen the case. The Board found that a doctor's report addressing his conditions and symptoms was new, relevant evidence…
C.B. and Department of Defense, Defense Commissary Agency, Robins Air Force Base, GA
Board recognizes some workplace harassment factors and orders medical review (ECAB 20-1259)
A Defense Commissary Agency worker attributed an emotional condition to her supervisor's conduct and personnel decisions. The Board found support for specific incidents, including the supervisor locking her out of a shared office, yelling and waving his hands, and making comments about her hair and…
S.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Charlotte, NC
Board upholds Social Security offset overpayment and recovery rate (ECAB 22-0367)
A postal operations manager received wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits during the same period. OWCP found that the federal service portion of her Social Security benefits should have reduced her FECA payments. The Board upheld the resulting $26,208.18 overpayment…
K.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, St. Louis, MO
Board affirms denial of postal driver's vehicle accident injury claim (ECAB 22-0353)
A rural postal carrier reported an accident in which her mail vehicle hydroplaned into a stop sign and rock bluff. OWCP accepted that the accident occurred but denied her injury claim. An emergency doctor documented pain in several areas and mentioned a possible cervical disc herniation. The Board…
E.S. and Department of the Navy, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, GA
Board remands mechanic’s injury claim after finding work incident occurred (ECAB 22-0209)
A Marine Corps logistics base mechanic reported back pain and leg numbness while tightening bolts on an amphibious vehicle. OWCP denied his claim because it found that he had not established the work incident. The Board found his account consistent with his supervisor’s response and medical records…
M.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New Haven, CT
Board upholds refusal to reopen postal carrier’s schedule award claim (ECAB 21-1399)
A postal carrier received a schedule award for three percent permanent impairment of her right leg after a work injury. She sought reconsideration and submitted a later doctor’s report, a work status note, and physical therapy records. The Board found that these records discussed treatment but did…
What these documents are
- The agencies: Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB). Each decision page names its agency.
- Commission, Board and Authority decisions: Rulings by the agency's highest review level (the Commission at OSHRC and FMSHRC, the Authority at FLRA, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Review Board at Labor, and the Environmental Appeals Board at EPA). These are citable as precedent, though a decision may have been appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals after issuance.
- ALJ decisions: Rulings by the agency's Administrative Law Judges after a hearing. When no Commissioner directs review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order that binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent: under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j) at OSHRC, and after the 40-day window of 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1) at FMSHRC.
- Why finality matters: Every page here says which kind of decision you are reading, so you know whether it is precedent you can cite or a final order that only shows how one judge ruled on one set of facts.
- Where they come from: Every page links the official public release from the deciding agency, and the full text on the page is that release. The plain-English summaries are written by Ezel.