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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D.S. and Department of the Air Force, Tinker Air Force Base, OK
D.S. and Department of the Air Force (ECAB 19-1764): Untimely written record review denied
An Air Force aircraft engine repairer asked for written record review of an earlier shoulder injury decision. He filed the request more than 30 days after the OWCP decision. The Board found the request untimely and found that OWCP reasonably exercised its discretion to decline review because…
V.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Chicago, IL
V.J. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1600): Claimed work fall not established
A postal employee reported a fall while approaching her workplace. OWCP denied the traumatic injury claim. The Board found materially different accounts of where and how the fall occurred, including descriptions of an incline, a dock, and a ramp. Because the record did not establish the incident at…
P.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Oklahoma City, OK
P.H. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1354): Reconsideration ruling remanded for correct standard
A postal employee sought reconsideration of an earlier compensation decision. OWCP received her request one day after the deadline, then evaluated it under the standard for timely requests. The Board found that the request was untimely and required review under the clear evidence of error standard…
B.I. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Milwaukee, WI
B.I. and Department of Homeland Security (ECAB 18-0988): Spinal surgery authorization remanded for impartial opinion
A TSA screener sought authorization for spinal surgery after a work related fall. OWCP denied the request. The Board found a conflict between the treating physician, who linked the proposed surgery to the accepted injury, and OWCP’s second opinion physician, who attributed the conditions to…
L.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Yorktown Heights, NY
L.C. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0933): Right shoulder injury denial affirmed
A postal clerk reported a pop and pain in her right shoulder while handling a parcel at work. OWCP accepted the incident but denied the injury claim. The Board found that several physician reports addressed repetitive work generally without describing the specific incident, while a form that did…
Secretary of Labor v. Solar Sources Mining, LLC
Berm penalty vacated and remanded
Solar Sources Mining was cited after a haul truck went through a deficient berm at a surface mine and overturned 47 feet below, while the driver escaped with serious foot and ankle injuries. The judge affirmed the berm violation as S&S, high negligence, and an unwarrantable failure, then assessed…
Harmon L. Kilgore v. Clinchfield Coal Company
Kilgore v. Clinchfield Coal (BRB 19-0097 BLA): black lung benefits award affirmed
Harmon Kilgore received benefits after a judge found a totally disabling respiratory impairment and credited thirty-eight and one-half years of underground coal mine work. Clinchfield Coal challenged the disability finding and the judge's conclusion that it had not rebutted the statutory…
S.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Glen Ellyn, IL
S.F. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1735): Disability recurrence denial affirmed
A postal carrier with an accepted back injury claimed that she could no longer work in her light duty position beginning in October 2018. OWCP denied the recurrence claim. The Board found no alleged change in her light duty assignment and no reasoned medical opinion explaining how the accepted…
F.F. and Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Command, Fort Riley, KS
F.F. and Department of the Army (ECAB 19-1594): Late injury claim denial affirmed
A former Army employee filed a compensation claim in 2018 for an alleged fall in 2011. OWCP denied the claim as untimely. The Board found that the filing came after the three year deadline and that the record did not establish timely notice to a supervisor. It affirmed the denial without reaching…
N.L. and Department of the Treasury, U.S. Mint, San Francisco, CA
N.L. and Department of the Treasury (ECAB 19-1592): Right arm condition claim remanded for specialist review
A Mint metal forming machine operator claimed right shoulder and elbow conditions from repetitive tasks. OWCP denied the claim. The Board found that her physician described the accepted movements and gave a reasoned explanation linking them to shoulder strain and elbow epicondylitis. That report…
Y.S. and Department of the Army, Expeditionary Contracting Command, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
Y.S. and Department of the Army (ECAB 19-1572): Left knee claim remanded for specialist review
An Army quality assurance specialist claimed left knee conditions after tripping in a parking area at work. OWCP denied the claim. The Board found that a physician gave a detailed explanation linking the fall to a knee sprain and worsening symptoms, and discussed a later treatment complication…
S.A. and Department of the Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base, SC
S.A. and Department of the Air Force (ECAB 18-1024): Neurostimulator authorization remanded for medical review
An Air Force electrician sought authorization for a spinal cord stimulation implant after an accepted injury. OWCP denied the request based on an earlier medical adviser assessment. The treating physician later supplied results from a stimulation trial and more information about prior treatment…
L.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Des Moines Post Office, West Des Moines, IA
L.P. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0995): Overpayment decision reversed for late notice
A postal employee received more compensation than her adjusted wage earning capacity allowed for February 5 through March 4, 2017. The Board found that payment records showed a $1,898.43 difference. OWCP, however, did not send preliminary overpayment notice within 30 days of identifying it, as its…
C.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Network Distribution Center, Sharonville, OH
C.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0742): Wage loss reduction based on receptionist work affirmed
A postal mail handler challenged the reduction of wage loss benefits after an accepted back injury. OWCP identified receptionist work as an available job within her medical restrictions and calculated her earning capacity from it. The Board found that the medical and vocational evidence supported…
U.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Elizabeth, NJ
U.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0691): Stress condition claim denial affirmed
A postal clerk claimed emotional and physical stress symptoms after an accepted workplace incident. OWCP denied the claim. The Board found that physician reports attributed symptoms to the incident without explaining how it caused a diagnosed condition. Other reports did not address the accepted…
Estile B. Gregory v. Eastover Mining Company
Gregory v. Eastover Mining (BRB 19-0250 BLA): new pulmonary evaluation ordered
Estile Gregory appealed the denial of his subsequent black lung claim. The Board upheld the judge's finding that the existing record did not establish total respiratory disability because the breathing tests were invalid and the medical opinions did not cure that gap. But the invalid test was part…
L.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Point Marion, PA
L.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1799): Claimed parking lot injury not established
A postal postmaster reported sudden knee pain while walking through a parking lot after delivering packages. OWCP denied the traumatic injury claim. The Board found that the account did not explain the mechanism of injury and lacked corroboration; the incident was reported more than two weeks…
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Jacksonville, FL
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1790): Injury claim reconsideration denial affirmed
A postal clerk requested reconsideration of an injury claim based on an alleged workplace assault. OWCP declined merit review. The Board found that newly submitted imaging and a brief medical report did not supply the missing factual details about when, where, and how the alleged incident occurred…
C.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Mamaroneck, NY
C.P. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1716): Knee disability compensation denial affirmed
A postal worker claimed work disability after a door struck her left knee. OWCP had accepted a knee contusion but denied compensation for disability beginning in May 2018. The Board found that medical reports addressed other knee diagnoses without explaining how the accepted contusion caused…
R.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Chesterton, IN
R.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1577): Cervical condition claim denial affirmed
A postal carrier attributed cervical spine and upper body symptoms to repetitive work, including carrying a mail satchel. OWCP denied the occupational disease claim. The Board found that the physician’s causation opinions were speculative and did not distinguish the effects of earlier conditions…
D.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, St. Louis, MO
D.J. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1494): Chiropractic treatment authorization denial affirmed
A postal carrier assistant sought payment for chiropractic treatment after an accepted back injury. OWCP denied authorization for treatment over a six month period. The Board found no x-ray based diagnosis of spinal subluxation and no physician referral for the chiropractic care. It found OWCP had…
M.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Everett, WA
M.R. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1449): Emotional condition reconsideration denial set aside
A postal carrier sought reconsideration of an emotional condition claim tied to route assignments and other work conditions. OWCP declined merit review. The Board found a new legal argument about whether her regular duties were compensable factors, along with relevant employer dispute decisions and…
R.G. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Gateway National Recreation Area, Brooklyn, NY
R.G. and Department of the Interior (ECAB 18-0792): Shoulder injury claim denial affirmed after wave incident
A National Park Service surf guard reported shoulder pain after being struck by a wave while swimming at work. OWCP accepted the incident but denied the injury claim. The Board found that the physician reports did not explain how the wave caused or aggravated a diagnosed shoulder condition…
B.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Attica, NY
B.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0732): Termination of wage loss and medical benefits affirmed
A postal rural carrier challenged the termination of benefits for an accepted head and neck injury. OWCP relied on a referral physician who found the accepted neck sprain and postconcussion syndrome had resolved and that she could work full duty. The Board found his examination and explanation…
Eugene Williams v. Ports America, Incorporated
Williams v. Ports America (BRB 19-0431): alternate employment finding remanded
Eugene Williams received Longshore Act disability benefits after a work-related shoulder and nerve injury. Ports America argued that a groundman job available through the union should count as suitable alternate employment and raise Williams's post-injury earning capacity. The Board left most of…
Bobby J. Hall (deceased) v. Plowboy Coal Company, Incorporated
Hall v. Plowboy Coal (BRB 19-0154 BLA): black lung benefits award affirmed
Bobby Hall received benefits after a judge found 16.56 years of underground coal mine work and total respiratory disability. Plowboy Coal challenged the work history and argued that it had rebutted the resulting statutory presumption. The Board upheld the judge's review of the evidence about…
Waymon Vance v. Lee Sartin Trucking Company
Vance v. Lee Sartin Trucking (BRB 19-0127 BLA): black lung benefits award affirmed
Waymon Vance received benefits without using the fifteen-year presumption because the judge credited him with less than fifteen years of coal mine work. Lee Sartin Trucking challenged its designation as responsible operator and the findings of legal pneumoconiosis, total disability, and disability…
Weeks Marine, Inc.
Lodging-cost award vacated and claim remanded for denial
Nine union employees sought reimbursement from Weeks Marine for lodging costs above the $35 daily subsistence allowance in their collective bargaining agreement. The Davis-Bacon Act generally treats lodging as benefiting the employee unless the Wage and Hour Division rebuts that presumption. These…
G.B. and Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rogue River Basin Project, Trail, OR
G.B. and Department of the Army (ECAB 19-1762): Late benefits reconsideration denial affirmed
An Army Corps employee sought reconsideration of an earlier termination of compensation and medical benefits. OWCP denied the late request for lack of clear evidence of error. The Board found that a physician assistant’s reports, a later scan, and arguments about current health did not show on…
I.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Santa Ana, CA
I.J. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1672): Insurance premium overpayment recovery affirmed
A postal employee received an $8,282.47 compensation overpayment because life insurance premiums were underwithheld. The Board affirmed the amount and agreed that she was without fault. It found that the financial record did not meet the standard for waiving recovery and that OWCP considered her…
F.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Westland, MI
F.D. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1663): Late reconsideration request denied
A postal carrier sought reconsideration of an earlier right hand injury denial after the one year deadline. OWCP found that her request did not show clear evidence of error. The Board agreed that her additional account and medical reports did not demonstrate on their face that OWCP’s factual denial…
L.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Priority Mail Annex, Kent, WA
L.G. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1616): Lower back injury claim denial affirmed
A postal sorting clerk claimed a lower back injury after lifting tubs at work. OWCP accepted the incident but denied the condition claim. The Board found that the chiropractor’s reports did not qualify as physician evidence because the record lacked a properly documented x-ray diagnosis of spinal…
K.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Los Angeles, CA
K.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1588): 11 percent right arm schedule award upheld
A postal mail handler sought a schedule award for an accepted right shoulder injury. The Board found that the medical adviser correctly applied the impairment guides and rated the right arm at 11 percent, higher than a second rating method produced. The record did not support a greater permanent…
T.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Melville, NY
T.L. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-1187): Neck and back condition claim remanded
A postal processing clerk attributed cervical and lumbar conditions to handling magazines and other work. OWCP denied the occupational disease claim. The Board found that her physician offered a detailed explanation of how the accepted work could worsen spinal conditions. That opinion warranted…
D.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Columbia, SC
D.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 18-0876): Carpal tunnel denial affirmed and reconsideration remanded
A VA pharmacy technician claimed hand conditions from repetitive work. The Board affirmed OWCP’s initial merits denial because the record then did not establish causation. It also found that a later physician report addressed the work duties and diagnoses in more detail. That report was relevant…
D.L. and Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Girdwood, AK
D.L. and Department of Agriculture (ECAB 18-0767): Claim after traffic stop injury denied
A Forest Service law enforcement officer reported being struck by a vehicle during a traffic stop. OWCP accepted the incident but denied the injury claim. The Board found that a physician documented knee pain without diagnosing a compensable condition and that imaging alone did not establish a…
Sport Air Traffic Controllers Organization and United States Department of the Air Force, Edwards Air Force Base, California
SPORT and Edwards Air Force Base (FLRA 0-AR-5483): Earlier ULP charge bars grievance
The union filed an unfair-labor-practice charge challenging Edwards Air Force Base's plan to implement a new collective-bargaining agreement. It later grieved the loss of official time under the prior agreement, and an arbitrator ruled that the new agreement governed. The Authority found that both…
Administrator, Wage and Hour Div., USDOL v. Price Gordon, LLC
Administrator, Wage and Hour Division v. Price Gordon, LLC (DOL ARB 2019-0032): SCA liability period expanded
Price Gordon and related entities provided non-emergency medical transportation under a Veterans Affairs contract covered by the Service Contract Act. The ALJ found that drivers and dispatchers had not received required prevailing wages and benefits, but limited owner Nicholas Price's liability to…
J.E. and Department of the Navy, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA
J.E. and Department of the Navy (ECAB 19-1620): Hearing loss schedule award remanded
A retired Navy shipyard mechanic sought a greater schedule award for noise related hearing loss and tinnitus. OWCP awarded 14 percent binaural hearing impairment, including one percent for tinnitus. The Board accepted the hearing test calculation but found that OWCP had not gathered enough…
V.C. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Orlando, FL
V.C. and Department of Homeland Security (ECAB 19-1459): Reconsideration request denied without merits review
A TSA screening supervisor sought reconsideration of an earlier injury claim decision. The Board found that her request identified no legal error, raised no new relevant argument, and included no new evidence. It therefore affirmed OWCP’s refusal to reopen the claim. The Board did not review the…
B.J., son of W.H. Sr., and Department of the Army, Red River Army Depot, Texarkana, TX
B.J. (ECAB 19-1409): Death benefit claim held untimely
A son sought survivor benefits for his father’s December 2001 death, alleging that Army depot asbestos exposure caused it. He filed the claim in May 2017, beyond FECA’s three year deadline. The Board found no probative medical evidence that he was incompetent to file during the limitations period…
D.B. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Training Academy, Quantico, VA
D.B. and Department of Justice (ECAB 19-0811): Cardiac claim remanded for proper development
An FBI special agent trainee reported chest pain and heavy breathing during firing range and running activities. OWCP developed his claim as a pulmonary condition involving exposure to substances, although he had claimed a cardiac event. The Board found that OWCP had not requested information…
R.R. and Department of the Air Force, Air Education & Training Command, Altus Air Force Base, OK
R.R. and Department of the Air Force (ECAB 19-0104): Overpayment and waiver denial affirmed
An Air Force employee received FECA wage loss compensation while also receiving Social Security retirement benefits attributable to federal service. The Board found that OWCP correctly calculated a $19,670.12 overpayment for February 2016 through March 2018. It agreed that he was without fault but…
Houran USA Construction, LLC
Three serious construction citations affirmed
Houran USA Construction renovated a three-story building using a four-tier scaffold. OSHA cited the company after an inspector observed an employee without a hard hat below scaffold work, employees using a scaffold with a missing guardrail about 24 feet above the ground, and an access ladder that…
R.G. and Department of Agriculture, APHIS Plant Protection & Quarantine, Tampa, FL
R.G. and Department of Agriculture (ECAB 18-0917): Lumbar injury claim denial affirmed
An agricultural plant protection officer reported lower back pain after climbing into his vehicle following an inspection. OWCP accepted the incident but denied his lumbar condition claim. The Board found that a physician relied on an incomplete symptom history and did not explain how the incident…
J.M. and Department of the Air Force, Randolph Air Force Base, Randolph, TX
J.M. and Department of the Air Force (ECAB 18-0853): Injury after stairway fall denied
An Air Force management analyst reported ankle, wrist, and shoulder injuries after losing his balance on stairs at work. OWCP accepted the incident but denied the claimed injury. The Board found that the treating physician identified conditions without explaining how the incident caused them…
Vickery Environmental, Inc.
In re Vickery Environmental, Inc. (EAB RCRA Appeal No. 19-01): permit petition dismissed after Region withdrawal
Vickery Environmental, Inc. petitioned the Environmental Appeals Board to review a hazardous waste management permit issued by EPA Region 5, objecting to permit conditions concerning air emissions standards. Before the Region filed its response, it asked the Board to acknowledge its withdrawal of…
Matter of W-E-R-B-
Serious nonpolitical crime bar applied
The Board reviewed a Salvadoran respondent's appeal after an Immigration Judge denied asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protection based on the serious nonpolitical crime bar. The record included an Interpol Red Notice and related evidence concerning an allegation that…
Yellott v. Packaging Corp. of America
Yellott v. Packaging Corporation of America (DOL ARB 2019-0055): environmental settlement approved
Aron Yellott alleged that Packaging Corporation of America terminated her for activity protected by the Safe Drinking Water Act and Solid Waste Disposal Act. An ALJ dismissed the complaint after a hearing, and Yellott appealed. The parties settled while the appeal was pending and submitted their…
Fort v. Landstar Transportation Logistics, Inc.
STAA summary dismissal affirmed
Landstar log-compliance employee Annecia Fort alleged that the company transferred her to another department after she raised concerns involving three drivers. One driver received electronic-log retraining, another was told to call back about training, and the company corrected a third driver's…
D.M. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, DC
D.M. and Department of the Interior (ECAB 19-1674): Reconsideration denial affirmed
A National Park Service line lieutenant claimed a back injury after a horse threw her during mounted police duty. She later requested reconsideration of OWCP’s claim denial. The Board found that her request raised no new relevant legal argument and supplied no additional medical evidence. It…
T.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Knoxville, TN
T.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1566): Left foot stress fracture claim denied
A postal mail handler claimed that extensive walking on concrete caused a left foot stress fracture. OWCP accepted her work duties but denied the condition claim. The Board found that her podiatrist described the diagnosis and duties without giving a reasoned opinion that connected them. Imaging…
D.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA
D.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-1543): Chest and emotional condition claims denied
A VA employee claimed chest and emotional conditions after a coworker moved a table into her chest. OWCP accepted the incident but denied both condition claims. The Board found no reasoned medical opinion connecting a chest diagnosis to the contact. It also found that reports discussing stress and…
A.L., Representative of the Estate of M.G., and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
A.L. (ECAB 18-1016): Upper extremity condition claim denied
The representative of a deceased postal employee’s estate sought benefits for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and finger tenosynovitis. The claim attributed the conditions to repetitive lifting and handling at work. The Board found that a physician supported a connection in general terms but did…
A.H. and Department of Health & Human Services, National Disaster Medical Services, Washington, DC
A.H. and Department of Health & Human Services (ECAB 18-0754): Heat related injury claim denied
An administrative assistant reported leg and foot cramps after helping unload equipment for disaster training on a hot, humid day. OWCP accepted the work incident but denied the injury claim. The Board noted that the treating physician did not believe her dehydration was caused or aggravated by…
A.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Des Moines, IA
A.R. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0728): Left wrist occupational disease claim denied
A postal clerk attributed left wrist pain to repetitive work on parcel sorting machines. OWCP accepted the duties but denied the condition claim. The Board found that a physician’s report suggesting a triangular fibrocartilage injury was partly speculative and did not give a reasoned explanation of…
V.Y. and Department of Justice, U.S. Marshals Service, Arlington, VA
V.Y. and Department of Justice (ECAB 18-0610): Left knee injury claim denied
A U.S. Marshals Service inspector reported a knee injury while holding a punching bag during defensive tactics training. OWCP accepted the incident but denied the condition claim. The Board found that a physician checked a causation box and later said the incident could have aggravated chronic knee…
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, Council 222 (Union)
HUD and AFGE Council 222 (FLRA 0-AR-5505): Union information-request award upheld
AFGE Council 222 asked HUD for budget and bargaining-cost information while negotiating ground rules for a new agreement. HUD denied three versions of the union's eight-part request. An arbitrator found that the final request explained a particularized need and that the refusal was an unfair labor…
United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee, Florida and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1570, Council of Prison Locals #33
FCI Tallahassee and AFGE Local 1570 (FLRA 0-AR-5485): Overtime remedy upheld
After Hurricane Maria, FCI Tallahassee assigned three non-bargaining-unit employees overtime to receive and transport inmates arriving from Puerto Rico. An arbitrator found that the facility had several days to prepare, that the work was normally performed by bargaining-unit employees, and that the…
Diamond 3S, LLC
In re Diamond 3S, LLC (EAB SDWA Appeal No. 20-(01)): Initial Decision and Default Order becomes final
Regional Judicial Officer Thomas Rucki issued an Initial Decision and Default Order involving Diamond 3S, LLC under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Neither party appealed. The Environmental Appeals Board declined to review the case on its own initiative under 40 C.F.R. §§ 22.27(c)(4) and 22.30(b). The…
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.