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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Shelby M. Clisso, widow of Frank Clisso v. Elro Coal Company and Old Republic Insurance Company
Clisso v. Elro Coal (BRB 20-0405 BLA): survivor benefits affirmed after remand
Shelby Clisso sought survivor benefits after the death of her husband Frank, who had at least 20 years of underground coal mine work and a disabling respiratory impairment. The Board had previously sent the case back for more findings on whether Elro Coal rebutted the presumption that…
Gregory H. Miniard v. Shamrock Coal Company, Incorporated
Miniard v. Shamrock Coal (BRB 18-0174 BLA and 18-0174 BLA-A): reconsideration denied, erratum issued
Shamrock Coal asked the Board to reconsider its 2019 decision, which had upheld part of a denial of Gregory Miniard's black lung claim and vacated part for further proceedings. The Board denied reconsideration en banc because a majority did not vote to grant it. The order also corrected the earlier…
J.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Greater Indiana Performance Cluster, Indianapolis, IN
Board upholds denial of J.E.'s arm injury claim (ECAB 21-0956)
J.E., a postal mail handler assistant, reported arm, shoulder, and rib pain after a container struck him at work. OWCP accepted that the incident happened but denied the claim for lack of qualifying medical proof of a condition caused by it. The Board found that the nurse practitioners' reports did…
S.S. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Reno, NV
Board upholds refusal to add S.S.'s shoulder conditions (ECAB 21-0837)
S.S., a transportation security officer, had an accepted right shoulder and upper arm sprain after lifting a tool case at work. She later sought to add a rotator cuff tear and other shoulder conditions. The Board found that earlier treating reports did not explain a causal link, while a later…
D.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Nashville, TN
Board upholds denial of D.D.'s wage-loss claim (ECAB 21-0775)
D.D., a postal mail handler assistant, had an accepted thoracic sprain after lifting a heavy mail sack at work. He sought wage-loss compensation for November 28, 2020 through January 9, 2021. His physician reported back pain, injections, and work restrictions, but did not explain why the accepted…
C.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Charlotte, NC
Board upholds denial of C.J.'s schedule award (ECAB 21-0741)
C.J., a postal city carrier, had an accepted right shoulder contusion and complete rotator cuff tear. He applied for a schedule award for permanent impairment but submitted no supporting medical evidence. OWCP asked him for a physician's impairment evaluation under the sixth edition of the A.M.A…
J.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Buffalo, NY
Board upholds denial of J.N.'s injury claim (ECAB 21-0606)
J.N., a postal rural carrier, reported left shoulder pain after lifting a bundle of mail. OWCP accepted that the work incident occurred but denied her injury claim because the medical evidence did not establish that the incident caused a diagnosed condition. Her physician diagnosed strains and said…
J.P. and Department of the Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service, Virginia Beach, VA
Board upholds refusal to reopen J.P.'s mold exposure claim (ECAB 21-0552)
J.P., a park ranger, had claimed that mold in her workstation caused several health conditions. OWCP denied her claim and later declined to reopen it when she requested reconsideration. The Board reviewed only that later procedural decision. It found that her physician's new report repeated an…
C.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Harrison, OH
Board upholds C.H.'s $15,666 benefit overpayment (ECAB 20-1456)
C.H., a former postal rural carrier associate, received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits based partly on federal service during the same period. The Board agreed that the missing offset caused a $15,666 overpayment, though C.H. was without fault. It upheld OWCP's…
T.N. and Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Medical Center, Washington, DC
Board orders a new calculation of T.N.'s FECA overpayment (ECAB 20-0164)
T.N., a former VA file room clerk with an accepted asthma claim, received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits during the same period. OWCP found a $34,976.44 overpayment, denied waiver, and ordered deductions of $204.63 every 28 days. The Board agreed that an…
Department of the Navy, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and International Association of Fire Fighters and affiliated locals
Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and IAFF (FLRA WA-RP-21-0003): Authority remands unit-consolidation petition
Navy Region Mid-Atlantic sought to consolidate seven firefighter bargaining units into one unit represented by the International Association of Fire Fighters. IAFF directly represented two units and was the parent organization of locals representing the other five, but it objected to serving as the…
D.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Loudon Post Office, Loudon, TN
Board upholds denial of D.A.'s back injury claim and hearing request (ECAB 21-0939)
D.A., a postal rural carrier, reported lower back pain after loading mail into a vehicle. OWCP accepted that the incident happened but denied her injury claim. The Board found that her physicians' reports diagnosed back conditions without specifically linking them to the work incident, while…
J.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
Board finds J.T.'s work incident occurred and orders injury review (ECAB 21-0561)
J.T., a postal tractor trailer operator, reported right shoulder pain while pushing a mail hamper inside a trailer. OWCP denied his injury claim because it found the incident itself unproven. The Board found his account consistent with his same-day statement, his supervisor's acknowledgment, and…
F.B. and Department of the Army, Fort Hunter Liggett, CA
Board reverses F.B.'s retirement-offset overpayment (ECAB 21-0549)
F.B., a former civilian Army guard with an accepted injury claim, received FECA compensation and Social Security retirement benefits. OWCP found an overpayment of about $14,747 and ordered recovery, using an offset for Social Security benefits attributed to federal service. The Board found no…
K.A. and Department of the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Downers Grove, IL
Board dismisses K.A.'s appeal while OWCP case remains pending (ECAB 21-0408)
K.A. appealed after an OWCP hearing representative set aside an earlier decision and returned her claim for further evidence. The Board explained that it can review only final adverse OWCP decisions. Because the hearing representative's remand left the claim pending, there was no decision within…
M.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Richmond Post Office, Richmond, VA
Board orders further medical review of M.H.'s collision claim (ECAB 21-0331)
M.H., a postal rural carrier, reported neck and back pain after his mail vehicle was struck from behind while he was working. OWCP accepted that the collision occurred but denied his injury claim for lack of medical causation evidence. His physician later explained how the collision could cause…
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Kansas City, MO
Board reverses termination of M.C.'s medical benefits (ECAB 20-1396)
M.C., a postal clerk, had multiple accepted conditions after a fall at work. OWCP ended medical benefits for all but her left knee meniscus tear, relying on an impartial orthopedic surgeon's opinion that other sprains and strains had resolved. The Board found that the surgeon did not explain how…
H.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Los Angeles Processing & Distribution Center, Los Angeles, CA
Board orders combined review of H.B.'s back injury files (ECAB 20-1298)
H.B., a postal clerk, claimed that years of handling mail contributed to a lumbar condition requiring surgery. OWCP denied his claim and later rejected his reconsideration request as untimely without clear evidence of error. The Board noted that H.B. had an earlier claim involving the same part of…
Secretary of Labor v. Holcim (US) Inc.
Citation-vacatur question certified for review
Holcim and the Secretary proposed settling thirteen citations by vacating four, modifying or leaving nine unchanged, and reducing total penalties from $28,148 to $17,843. The Secretary did not provide information supporting the vacaturs or state that they were independent of the rest of the…
Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC
Citation-vacatur question certified for review
Greenbrier Minerals and the Secretary proposed settling six citations by vacating two, leaving four unchanged, and reducing total penalties from $1,960 to $1,213. The Secretary relied only on asserted prosecutorial discretion as the explanation for the vacaturs. Judge Michael G. Young held that…
Secretary of Labor v. Crimson Oak Grove Resources LLC
Citation-vacatur question certified for review
Crimson Oak Grove Resources and the Secretary proposed settling five citations by vacating one, modifying or leaving four unchanged, and reducing total penalties from $29,497 to $11,672. The Secretary did not provide information supporting the vacatur or state that it was independent of the rest of…
Secretary of Labor v. Crimson Oak Grove Resources LLC
Citation-vacatur question certified for review
Crimson Oak Grove Resources and the Secretary proposed resolving three citations by vacating one, leaving two unchanged, and reducing total penalties from $1,154 to $1,029. Judge Michael G. Young treated the motion to dismiss as a settlement because the vacatur appeared tied to the operator's…
Secretary of Labor v. River City Stone-DIV/Mathy Construction Co.
Citation-vacatur question certified for review
River City Stone and the Secretary proposed resolving two citations by vacating one, leaving the other unchanged, and reducing total penalties from $250 to $125. Judge Michael G. Young treated the motion to dismiss as a settlement because the vacatur appeared tied to the operator's agreement to pay…
Matter of Omar A. VALENZUELA
California carjacking was a crime of violence
The Board reconsidered a Mexican respondent's removability after the Ninth Circuit remanded the case for further analysis of his California carjacking conviction. It held that California carjacking requires force sufficient to overcome a victim's resistance and therefore categorically qualifies as…
M.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Loma Carrier Annex, Long Beach, CA
Board orders further medical review of M.G.'s foot claim (ECAB 21-0879)
M.G., a postal city carrier, claimed that years of walking on uneven surfaces injured her right foot and ankle. OWCP accepted her walking duties but denied the claim for insufficient medical causation evidence. An orthopedic surgeon later described how repeated walking could produce the diagnosed…
D.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Cincinnati-Corryville Station, Cincinnati, OH
Board dismisses D.C.'s appeal of a preliminary overpayment notice (ECAB 21-0703)
D.C. appealed a January 25, 2021 OWCP preliminary overpayment determination. The Board held that it could review only final adverse OWCP decisions, and that this preliminary notice was an interlocutory step. It dismissed this appeal for lack of jurisdiction without deciding whether D.C. had…
G.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Linn Grove Post Office, Linn Grove, IA
Board upholds refusal to reopen G.B.'s hip injury claim (ECAB 21-0464)
G.B., a rural letter carrier, sought compensation for a left hip condition after a fall while working. OWCP denied the claim and later declined to reopen it for another merits review. The Board considered only the reopening question. G.B.'s new statement described two falls in 2018, but it was not…
D.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Grand Junction Carrier Annex, Grand Junction, CO
Board reverses reduction of D.A.'s wage-loss compensation (ECAB 21-0267)
D.A., a postal rural carrier with an accepted back injury, later worked full time as a medical receptionist. OWCP used that job's earnings to reduce her wage-loss compensation. But the physician whose work restrictions OWCP relied on had authorized only four hours of work per day. OWCP had not…
F.Y. and Fluor Corporation, Fluor Federal Global Projects, Kabul, Afghanistan
Board dismisses F.Y.'s appeal for lack of a recent OWCP decision (ECAB 20-1114)
F.Y. appealed purported OWCP decisions from 2014 and 2017 in May 2020. The Board explained that its jurisdiction extends to a final adverse OWCP decision issued within 180 days before the appeal. The transmitted record contained no such decision. The Board dismissed the appeal without deciding the…
L.S. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Grand Rapids, MI
Board grants L.S. wage-loss compensation for treatment visits (ECAB 20-1239)
L.S., an IRS revenue agent, had an accepted left knee contusion after moving away from a dog in an office hallway. She sought wage-loss compensation for time away from work to attend medical and physical therapy appointments. OWCP denied the claim, but the Board found that treatment records…
B.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Hinsdale, IL
Board orders further review of B.B.'s left leg impairment (ECAB 20-1187)
B.B., a retired postal employee, sought additional schedule awards for her arms and legs after several accepted injuries. The Board found that the record did not establish greater impairment of either arm or any right-leg impairment from her lumbar conditions. But an examining physician had rated…
T.S. and Department of the Army, Civilian Personnel Advisory Center, Fort McCoy, WI
Board recognizes T.S.'s knee bruise but rejects additional conditions (ECAB 21-0570)
T.S., an Army equipment mechanic, struck his right knee after slipping while checking a generator at work. OWCP accepted the incident but denied his injury claim. The Board found that an emergency physician's diagnosis of a right knee contusion matched the examination and the way the injury…
A.A. and Department of the Army, Fort Hamilton, Department of Public Works, Brooklyn, NY
Board reverses termination of A.A.'s compensation and medical benefits (ECAB 21-0222)
A.A., an Army general engineer, injured his back and other body parts in a fall down stairs at work. OWCP accepted several injuries and later stopped his wage-loss compensation and medical benefits after its second-opinion doctor said he had no remaining work-related disability or need for…
G.G. and Federal Judiciary, U.S. District Court, San Antonio, TX
Board upholds G.G.'s overpayment but sends waiver request back (ECAB 21-0875)
G.G., a former federal court docket clerk, received wage-loss compensation after a work injury and later received Social Security retirement benefits. OWCP found that it had not offset the part of those retirement benefits attributable to her federal service and assessed a $39,639.56 overpayment…
H.D. and Department of the Army, U.S. Army Garrison, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, MD
Board keeps H.D.'s overpayment but reverses the collection rate (ECAB 21-0838)
H.D., a former Army security guard, received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits attributable in part to federal service. OWCP found a $4,256.74 overpayment because it had not applied the required offset. The Board upheld that finding and the denial of waiver because…
K.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Northridge Post Office, Northridge, CA
Board upholds denial of K.H.'s late reconsideration request (ECAB 21-0784)
K.H., a postal carrier, sought reconsideration of OWCP's decision ending benefits after a work vehicle crash. OWCP's last merits decision was dated October 8, 2019, and its case system recorded the reconsideration request as received on October 9, 2020. The Board held that the request missed the…
T.M. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hospital, Montrose, NY
Board upholds T.M.'s overpayment and recovery schedule (ECAB 21-0782)
T.M., a former VA secretary, received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits attributable in part to federal service. OWCP found that it had not applied the required offset and assessed a $23,577.91 overpayment for April 2003 through August 2020. The Board upheld the…
C.L. and U.S. Postal Service, General Mail Facility Boston, Boston, MA
Board upholds C.L.'s overpayment and $250 deduction (ECAB 21-0433)
C.L., a former postal clerk, received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits attributable in part to federal service. OWCP assessed a $13,381.38 overpayment for September 2019 through October 2020 because it had not applied the required offset. The Board upheld that…
E.S. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, United States Penitentiary Atwater, Atwater, CA
Board affirms denial of E.S.'s injury claim and abandoned hearing (ECAB 21-0189)
E.S., a prison communications technician, reported shoulder, head, and knee injuries after restraining an inmate at work. The Board found that the medical record did not establish a diagnosed condition caused by the accepted incident: the physician's reports named pain without a firm diagnosis, the…
US Technology Media, Inc.
In re US Technology Media, Inc. (EAB RCRA 21-03C): hazardous-waste storage settlement ratified
EPA alleged that US Technology Media, Inc. stored spent blast media that had become characteristic hazardous waste at facilities in Georgia, Ohio, and Utah without a RCRA permit. The agreement states that the company had speculatively accumulated the material because it did not recycle at least 75…
Ford v. Plus Way Transportation, Inc.
Appeal dismissed for failure to prosecute
Michael Ford did not file the opening brief required by the Board's briefing schedule. The Board ordered him to explain by November 5, 2021 why his petition should not be dismissed. Ford responded on the deadline, but his filing discussed his discrimination allegations and did not explain the…
L.E. and Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, New Orleans, LA
Board upholds L.E.'s overpayment and recovery rate (ECAB 21-0777)
L.E., a former VA health technician, received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits attributable in part to federal service. OWCP found that it had not applied the required offset and assessed a $13,150.41 overpayment for November 2016 through August 2020. The Board…
C.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Santa Clarita, CA
Board affirms denial of C.A.'s shoulder claim (ECAB 21-0601)
C.A., a postal carrier, attributed right shoulder pain to carrying a mail satchel on his route. One physician offered only possible labral tear diagnoses, and another diagnosed a labral lesion but said its work connection was uncertain. The Board found that these opinions did not establish a firm…
A.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Elgin, IL
Board rejects A.D.'s disability claim but reopens review of additional conditions (ECAB 21-0143)
A.D., a postal carrier, injured her lower back when another vehicle struck her mail truck, and OWCP accepted a lumbar strain. The Board upheld denial of disability compensation from May 22, 2017 because the medical reports did not adequately explain how the accepted injury caused inability to work…
E.R. and U.S. Postal Service, McGaheysville Post Office, McGaheysville, VA
Board confirms E.R. was overpaid but rejects the stated amount (ECAB 21-0133)
E.R., a postal carrier, received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits attributable in part to federal service. The Board agreed that receiving both without the required offset created an overpayment. It set aside OWCP's stated amount of $89,478.37 because OWCP had…
K.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Wilmington, DE
Board affirms denial of K.V.'s cervical condition claim (ECAB 21-0008)
K.V., a postal processing employee, sought compensation for cervical conditions she attributed to repetitive duties at work. Earlier Board decisions had rejected the evidence then available. A later physician's report listed several neck, nerve, and arm conditions and said they were work related…
L.T. and Department of the Air Force, Tinker Air Force Base, OK
Board recognizes L.T.'s back diagnoses but denies a work connection (ECAB 20-0582)
L.T., an Air Force sheet metal mechanic, reported back pain after trying to turn over an aircraft rudder at work. OWCP denied his injury claim. The Board found that physicians had diagnosed lumbar degenerative disc disease, an aggravation of that disease, and radiculitis. It nevertheless found that…
Innovair LLC v. Administrator, Wage and Hour Division
Innovair LLC v. Administrator (DOL ARB 2020-0070): later CBA rates not required for contract extension
Innovair provided aircraft-maintenance support under a federal contract that GSA extended from May 1 through September 30, 2019. A new collective bargaining agreement took effect May 15, and Innovair sought a contract-price adjustment after paying higher wages and benefits, claiming $624,556.44 in…
S.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Baker, LA
Board affirms denial of S.S.'s claimed 2013 disability period (ECAB 21-0763)
S.S., a postal carrier, injured her back while lifting a tray of mail, and OWCP accepted a temporary aggravation of a lumbar sprain. She sought compensation for time away from work between June 13 and December 27, 2013. The Board found that her doctors had not adequately explained how the accepted…
D.S. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Longmont, CO
Board reverses D.S.'s retirement offset overpayment (ECAB 21-0305)
D.S., a former air traffic control specialist, received FECA compensation and Social Security retirement benefits. OWCP assessed a $17,082.97 overpayment using a calculation for Federal Employees Retirement System benefits. An employer letter said a retirement coverage error had placed D.S. under…
M.B. and Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, Los Angeles, CA
Board dismisses M.B.'s appeal while OWCP case remains open (ECAB 21-0127)
M.B. appealed to the Board after an OWCP hearing representative vacated an earlier OWCP decision and sent the case back for more medical evidence. The Board found that the record contained no final adverse OWCP decision it could review. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. The…
K.O. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Camas, WA
Board reverses K.O.'s benefit termination and sends an added condition back (ECAB 20-0425)
K.O., a postal carrier, was injured in a fall on wet stairs, and OWCP accepted several back and ankle conditions. OWCP later ended her wage-loss compensation and declined to add thoracic outlet syndrome to the claim. The Board reversed the termination because OWCP's doctors had not adequately…
M.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Manasota, FL
Board upholds denial of M.W.'s late reconsideration request (ECAB 21-0925)
M.W., a retired postal carrier, sought reconsideration of an occupational disease claim involving his neck, back, arms, and legs. OWCP's last merits decision was issued in July 2012, but his new request arrived in May 2021. The Board held that the request missed the one-year deadline. It also found…
K.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Brick Post Office, Brick, NJ
Board upholds K.M.'s overpayment and denial of waiver (ECAB 21-0917)
K.M., a former postal clerk, received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits attributable in part to federal service. OWCP found a $6,474.86 overpayment for April through October 2019 because the required offset had not been applied. The Board upheld the amount and…
A.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Wylie Post Office, Wylie, TX
Board upholds refusal to reconsider A.M.'s schedule award (ECAB 21-0603)
A.M., a postal carrier, sought a larger schedule award for accepted arm and wrist conditions. She asked OWCP to reconsider its prior decision and resubmitted medical studies and work-status forms already in the record. The Board found no new relevant medical evidence or new legal argument…
J.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, North Metro, GA
Board sends J.H.'s reconsideration request back for an explained ruling (ECAB 21-0571)
J.H., a postal delivery worker, claimed hand and wrist conditions caused by repetitive mail handling. After OWCP denied the claim, she sought reconsideration and submitted reports from a neurologist who diagnosed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. OWCP declined to reopen the claim without discussing…
J.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Houston, TX
Board orders an explained decision on J.F.'s reconsideration request (ECAB 21-0407)
J.F., a postal mail processor, repeatedly sought reconsideration of a shoulder injury claim. In the request before the Board, he argued that OWCP had made a clear error and submitted documents about his claim history. OWCP denied the request as late without explaining how it evaluated those…
C.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Vincentown, NJ
Board sends C.S.'s schedule-award claim back for medical adviser review (ECAB 21-0125)
C.S., a former rural mail carrier, sought a schedule award for permanent impairment after accepted arm and shoulder conditions. OWCP denied the claim without obtaining an impairment rating. The Board found that the record contained diagnoses, shoulder replacement history, and range-of-motion…
E.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Kuna Post Office, Kuna, ID
Board upholds denial of E.F.'s disability claim and physical therapy request (ECAB 20-1680)
E.F., a rural postal carrier, injured her knees and back in a fall from a delivery vehicle. She sought compensation for intermittent disability beginning November 5, 2019 and authorization for physical therapy. The Board found that her physicians had not adequately linked the claimed disability to…
C.F. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Huntington VA Medical Center, Huntington, WV
Board orders medical review of C.F.'s recurrence claim (ECAB 20-1572)
C.F., a VA program specialist, claimed that disability beginning December 29, 2012 was related to an accepted injury and later cervical fusion surgery. OWCP denied the recurrence claim. The Board found that her physician's reports were not fully reasoned, but consistently linked her worsening…
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.