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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S.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Pittsburgh, PA
S.D. (ECAB 16-1043): Lower back injury claim denied
A postal mail clerk reported lower back pain while lifting mail trays at work. OWCP accepted that the lifting incident occurred. The Board found that the submitted medical evidence did not adequately explain how the incident caused a diagnosed back injury. It affirmed OWCP’s November 19, 2015…
S.M. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Santa Rosa, CA
S.M. (ECAB 16-0990): Emotional disability claim remanded
A Federal Aviation Administration manager sought compensation for disability during a period following workplace conflict. OWCP had accepted an adjustment disorder but rejected the claimed disability. The Board found that medical reports supporting a period of disability called for further…
M.D. and Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Albuquerque, NM
M.D. (ECAB 16-0745): Soil dust infection claim denied
A Forest Service employee reported exposure to soil dust during work at an archaeological site and was diagnosed with coccidioides infection. The Board found that the medical opinion did not adequately connect the infection to the accepted work exposure. It also upheld OWCP’s refusal to reopen the…
L.R. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Jesse Brown Medical Center, Chicago, IL
L.R. (ECAB 15-1542): Right arm award rating remanded
A Veterans Affairs health technician sought a schedule award above the five percent right arm impairment already awarded. The Board found that OWCP had used inconsistent methods for rating upper extremity impairment. It set aside OWCP’s January 13, 2015 decision and remanded for reassessment under…
Leaks v. Arctic Glacier
Truck driver's retaliation complaint dismissed
Nathan Leaks, an ice delivery driver for Arctic Glacier, claimed he faced retaliation after refusing to drive a truck he considered unsafe. An administrative law judge found that Leaks had not shown a safety violation or a reasonable fear of serious injury from driving the truck. The judge also…
N.R. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Fort Dix, NJ
N.R. (ECAB 16-1613): Impartial examiner selection remanded
A Bureau of Prisons employee sought an additional schedule award for lower extremity impairment. OWCP relied on an impartial medical examiner after an earlier remand. The Board found that the record did not establish that OWCP selected the examiner under its required procedures. It set aside the…
A.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Gastonia, NC
A.H. (ECAB 16-1537): Schedule award conversion remanded
A postal employee contested the impairment rating used for a schedule award involving his left testicle. The Board found that OWCP’s medical adviser had not considered the agency procedure for converting a whole person impairment rating for certain organs. It set aside the July 14, 2016 decision…
J.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Memphis, TN
J.D. (ECAB 16-1253): Reconsideration denial affirmed
A postal clerk sought reconsideration of a denied occupational disease claim involving several body parts. Her physician submitted reports that largely repeated a previously considered opinion connecting the conditions to postal duties. The Board found no new and relevant evidence or legal argument…
K.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Coconut Creek, FL
K.K. (ECAB 16-1187): Reconsideration standard remanded
A postal rural carrier sought reconsideration of an OWCP decision terminating benefits. Her request reached OWCP more than one year after its last merit decision. The Board found that OWCP used the wrong standard to assess the late request. It set aside the January 4, 2016 refusal to reopen and…
United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Gulf Coast Medical Center, Biloxi, Mississippi (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1045 (Union)
VA Gulf Coast Medical Center and AFGE Local 1045 (FLRA 0-AR-5221): Rescission of drug-test suspension upheld
A VA clinical psychologist tested positive for marijuana, completed the agency's employee-assistance rehabilitation program, and passed later drug tests. The agency nevertheless suspended him for fourteen days without pay. An arbitrator found that the collective-bargaining agreement required the…
United States Department of the Army, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Fort Bragg, North Carolina (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1770 (Union)
Fort Bragg and AFGE Local 1770 (FLRA 0-AR-5201): Security-guard grievance paused for unit ruling
AFGE Local 1770 challenged Fort Bragg's unilateral change to security guards' schedules. Before reaching the merits, an arbitrator found that the guards belonged to the bargaining unit and directed the parties to continue the arbitration. The Authority accepted interlocutory review because the Army…
Secretary of Labor v. Rockwell Mining, LLC
Settlement approved with a note on look-alike penalty cuts
MSHA cited Rockwell Mining nine times at the Gateway Eagle Mine, an underground coal mine, and originally assessed $4,611 in penalties. The parties proposed settling for $3,704, with several citations modified. Two ventilation-plan citations and two trailing-cable citations were reduced from…
L.D. and Department of the Navy, Naval Supply Systems Command, Norfolk, VA
L.D. (ECAB 16-1793): Asthma claim denied with changed reasoning
A Navy supply technician said exposure to wet carpet at work triggered an asthma attack. OWCP denied the claim because it found the alleged exposure unproven. The Board found that wet carpet exposure was established but that the medical evidence did not adequately connect it to an asthma attack. It…
M.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Lake Zurich, IL
M.K. (ECAB 16-1772): Left shoulder injury claim denied
A postal employee claimed a left shoulder injury from a December 2, 2014 work incident. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred. The Board found that the medical reports did not adequately explain how it caused or aggravated a diagnosed shoulder condition. It affirmed OWCP’s August 8, 2016 denial.
E.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Antonio, TX
E.H. (ECAB 16-1678): Zero compensation for rehabilitation refusal affirmed
A postal employee challenged the reduction of her compensation after refusing to participate in early vocational rehabilitation. Medical evidence showed she could perform restricted full time work. The Board found that she failed to cooperate without good cause. It affirmed OWCP’s July 25, 2016…
T.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Little Rock, AR
T.W. (ECAB 16-1524): Benefit suspension for missed exam affirmed
A postal employee did not attend an impartial medical examination scheduled by OWCP for April 1, 2016. The Board found the examination request reasonable and that she offered no reason for missing it, even after OWCP gave her 14 days to respond. It affirmed OWCP’s April 22, 2016 suspension of…
S.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Edison, NJ
S.S. (ECAB 16-1409): Wage loss termination affirmed
A postal employee contested the end of wage loss compensation after an accepted 2013 injury. The Board credited an impartial medical opinion resolving conflicting physician reports and found that the accepted injury no longer caused disability. It also found no established continuing work related…
V.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Pontiac, MI
V.D. (ECAB 16-1175): Disability recurrence denial affirmed
A postal employee claimed reduced work capacity beginning April 19, 2014 from accepted right wrist and hand conditions. The Board found that her physician’s reports did not adequately explain how those conditions caused the claimed intermittent disability. It affirmed OWCP’s April 4, 2016 denial.
L.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, West Palm Beach, FL
L.G. (ECAB 16-0535): Occupational disease claim held untimely
A postal letter carrier filed an occupational disease claim in February 2015 for lumbar conditions she attributed to work. The Board found that she knew of the claimed connection by September 2011. It held that the claim was filed outside FECA’s time limit and affirmed OWCP’s November 30, 2015…
Best Touch Tub & Tile, LLC
Citation affirmed after repeated failure to answer
OSHA issued Best Touch Tub & Tile a citation alleging serious violations with proposed penalties totaling $25,200. After contesting, the company did not answer the Secretary's complaint. The judge sent three orders to show cause, including notices to updated counsel and directly to the company's…
Bayer CropScience, LP
In re Bayer CropScience, LP (EAB FIFRA Appeal No. 17-01C): Consent Agreement ratified
Bayer CropScience, LP resolved an EPA enforcement matter through a Consent Agreement. The Environmental Appeals Board incorporated that agreement into a Final Order and ratified it under 40 C.F.R. § 22.18(b)-(c). The Board ordered the respondent to comply with all terms of the Consent Agreement…
D.G. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Pine Knot, KY
D.G. (ECAB 16-1747): Back injury and reconsideration denials affirmed
A Bureau of Prisons employee claimed a back injury while pushing a food cart at work. The Board accepted that he pushed the cart but found no sufficient medical evidence connecting it to a back injury. It also upheld OWCP’s refusal to reopen the claim for merit review. It affirmed the May 11 and…
E.B. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Morgantown, WV
E.B. (ECAB 16-1521): Late reconsideration denial affirmed
A Bureau of Prisons employee requested reconsideration of an occupational disease claim that had been denied as untimely. The Board found that his latest request came too late and did not show clear evidence that OWCP had erred. It affirmed OWCP’s July 7, 2016 refusal to reopen the claim.
R.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Melville, NY
R.R. (ECAB 16-1508): Back injury and reconsideration denials affirmed
A postal employee claimed an injury involving an automatic door at work on November 3, 2014. The Board accepted that the incident occurred but found that medical reports gave inconsistent accounts and did not adequately explain the claimed lumbar injury. It also upheld OWCP’s refusal to reopen the…
B.C. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, El Paso, TX
B.C. (ECAB 16-1371): Reconsideration denial affirmed
A Customs and Border Protection employee requested reconsideration of a schedule award ruling. She resubmitted an impairment report OWCP had already considered and a note restating its rating. The Board found no new and relevant evidence requiring merit review. It affirmed OWCP’s March 22, 2016…
C.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Minneapolis, MN
C.S. (ECAB 16-1150): Compensation overpayment recovery affirmed
A Veterans Affairs employee received compensation at the higher rate for workers with dependents while she had no qualifying dependents. The Board upheld OWCP’s $5,820.50 overpayment finding, its refusal to waive recovery, and deductions of $230 every 28 days from ongoing compensation. It affirmed…
R.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, DeKalb, IL
R.R. (ECAB 16-0589): Left leg impairment rating remanded
A postal employee sought a schedule award above the one percent left leg impairment already awarded. The Board found that OWCP’s medical adviser had not adequately explained the rating or addressed the role of a preexisting knee condition. It set aside OWCP’s January 7, 2016 decision and remanded…
M.A. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Hilo, HI
M.A. (ECAB 15-1956): Left shoulder claim denial affirmed
A Transportation Security Administration officer claimed that an accepted November 2012 right shoulder injury also injured or later caused a condition in her left shoulder. The Board found that the medical reports did not adequately connect the left shoulder condition to the lifting event or…
Sanderson Farms, Inc.
Poultry-line guarding citation vacated
Sanderson Farms operated poultry-processing cone lines with a small gap between a splashguard and a moving conveyor. An employee reached for trapped chicken material and suffered an amputated finger when her hand became caught. OSHA amended its citation to allege a machine-guarding violation under…
Secretary of Labor v. ARJ Construction Company, Inc.
Default entered on $32,100 in penalties after a year of nonresponse
MSHA sought $32,100 in penalties from ARJ Construction Company over two alleged violations at the Taylor # 1 mine. The company answered the petition, but then let the case sit. Its counsel did not complete settlement discussions with the Solicitor over roughly nine months, missed a December 6…
Jones Brothers, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Jones Brothers, Inc.
Jones Brothers, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC SE 2016-218, et al.): Road-fill rock pit was a mine, not an exempt borrow pit
A highway contractor opened a rock pit beside a Tennessee road project to supply its own fill material, and MSHA inspected the pit and issued nine citations and orders. Jones Brothers moved for summary decision, arguing the pit was a "borrow pit" that falls under OSHA rather than MSHA under the…
A.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Oakland, CA
A.E. (ECAB 16-1803): Back and leg occupational claim denied
A postal employee attributed back and leg conditions to years of casing and moving mail. The Board had previously found her medical reports insufficient to establish causation. It found that the later evidence still did not adequately explain how specific duties caused or aggravated her conditions…
R.W., Administrator of the Estate of J.W., and National Aeronautics & Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Estate of J.W. (ECAB 16-1728): Posthumous wage claim remanded
An estate administrator sought wage loss compensation for a NASA employee after his death. The employee had filed a traumatic injury claim during his lifetime, but OWCP rejected the later disability request solely because he had died. The Board held that the prior injury claim preserved the right…
D.H. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Wilmington, DE
D.H. (ECAB 16-1727): Right leg rating conflict remanded
A Veterans Affairs employee sought a schedule award above 21 percent right leg impairment following knee replacement surgery. The Board found a conflict between his physicians and OWCP’s medical adviser about the surgical result and rating. It set aside OWCP’s August 19, 2016 decision and remanded…
K.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Big Lake, CA
K.C. (ECAB 16-1510): Left hip condition claim denied
A postal letter carrier attributed a left hip condition to years of work, including getting in and out of her vehicle. Several physicians supported a work connection. The Board found that their reports lacked enough medical reasoning to explain how the duties caused or aggravated the diagnosed…
D.R. and Department of the Navy, Naval Reserve, Norfolk, VA
D.R. (ECAB 16-1395): Stroke claim denial affirmed
A Naval Reserve employee attributed a stroke to the demands of his work. OWCP accepted his duties and the stroke diagnosis. The Board found that the medical reports described his condition but did not adequately link it to employment factors. It affirmed OWCP’s December 22, 2015 denial.
K.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Portland, ME
K.H. (ECAB 16-0692): Schedule award denial affirmed
A postal employee sought a schedule award after accepted gluteal, hamstring, and coccyx sprains. Her physician, Dr. Garvey, rated impairment at 20 percent in the right leg and 30 percent in the left, while OWCP's medical adviser rated one percent in each leg. The Board credited an impartial…
D.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Washington, DC
D.B. (ECAB 14-2056): Right arm award rating remanded
A Veterans Affairs nursing assistant sought a schedule award above the 15 percent right arm impairment already awarded. The Board found that OWCP had used inconsistent methods for rating upper extremity impairment. It set aside OWCP’s September 10, 2014 decision and remanded for reassessment under…
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 2219 (Union) and United States Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District (Agency)
IBEW Local 2219 and Army Corps Little Rock District (FLRA 0-AR-5219): Summer schedule change upheld
The Army Corps changed one employee's summer schedule each week from Monday through Friday to Tuesday through Saturday, avoiding the Saturday overtime that had occurred under its earlier practice. An arbitrator found that the change complied with federal scheduling requirements and did not violate…
J.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Teaneck, NJ
J.C. (ECAB 17-0219): Hernia claim denial affirmed
A postal city carrier reported groin pain while casing and moving mail on December 31, 2014. OWCP accepted the work activity, and the record showed a left inguinal hernia. The Board found that the medical evidence did not adequately explain how the work caused the hernia. It affirmed OWCP’s May 31…
R.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
R.K. (ECAB 17-0099): Reconsideration request deemed timely
A postal employee sought reconsideration of an occupational disease claim denial. OWCP received the request on January 29, 2016, exactly one year after the last merit decision, but treated it as late. The Board held that the request was timely. It set aside OWCP’s April 20, 2016 denial and remanded…
R.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Richmond, VA
R.H. (ECAB 16-1802): Shoulder, arm, and neck claim denied
A postal employee reported pain after lifting a bucket of mail at work. The Board accepted that the incident occurred. It found that the medical reports did not adequately explain how the lifting caused or aggravated his diagnosed right shoulder, arm, and cervical conditions. It affirmed OWCP’s…
A.T. and Department of the Army, Civilian Personnel Advisory Center, Fort Dix, NJ
A.T. (ECAB 16-1787): Repetitive duty claim remanded
An Army human resources assistant attributed hand and elbow conditions to extensive computer, mouse, and telephone work. OWCP denied the claim because it found her account of the work factors insufficient. The Board found that her uncontradicted testimony established those duties. It set aside…
M.P. and Department of the Navy, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, HI
M.P. (ECAB 16-1758): Hearing loss award review denied
A shipyard welder asked OWCP to reconsider the start date of a hearing loss schedule award. He resubmitted a workplace noise exposure document and argued for an earlier date of maximum medical improvement. The Board found that the submission did not satisfy the standard for merit review. It…
S.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Kearny, NJ
S.J. (ECAB 16-1682): Timely reconsideration request remanded
A postal employee requested reconsideration of a traumatic injury claim denial. OWCP received the request on March 16, 2016, within one year of its March 17, 2015 merit decision, but treated it as late. The Board set aside OWCP’s June 7, 2016 denial and remanded for review under the timely request…
D.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Omaha, NE
D.E. (ECAB 16-1604): Additional disability claims denied
A postal employee sought additional compensation for January 2016 and claimed a consequential injury. The Board found insufficient factual and medical support for the added periods of disability and the claimed injury. It affirmed OWCP’s March 2 and 22 and June 10, 2016 decisions.
W.P. and Department of the Army, Fort Leonard Wood, MO
W.P. (ECAB 16-1566): Unreviewed medical report prompts remand
An Army training instructor requested reconsideration of a denied shoulder injury claim. Before denying the request, OWCP received a new medical report but did not address it in its decision. The Board set aside OWCP’s June 20, 2016 denial and remanded for consideration of all timely submitted…
S.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
S.P. (ECAB 16-1384): Disability period evidence remanded
A postal employee sought wage loss compensation for periods after an accepted consequential left ankle fracture. OWCP requested a supplemental medical opinion, but the physician did not answer the questions about the claimed disability periods. The Board set aside OWCP’s March 17, 2016 denial and…
Secretary of Labor v. Essroc Cement Corp.
Substantial response and continued talks excused default
Essroc failed to file its answer with the Commission, and an unanswered show-cause order became a final default. The company had sent MSHA a detailed position statement and continued settlement communications with both the conference representative and the Solicitor's Office, leading it to believe…
Secretary of Labor v. Willits Company, Inc.
Ongoing negotiations justified reopening default
Willits Company did not timely answer the Secretary's penalty petition, and an unanswered show-cause order became a final default order. Willits said it did not understand how the case had closed because it had been negotiating the penalty with the Solicitor's Office. The Secretary confirmed that…
Jim Walter Resources, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Jim Walter Resources, Inc.
Jim Walter Resources, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC SE 2007-203 R, SE 2007-294): Fatal roof-control violation carried $35,500 penalty
A miner repairing a ventilation stopping at Jim Walter Resources' No. 7 Mine was killed when a large rock fell from the roof. A prior judge vacated the roof-control citation, but the Commission reversed and remanded for an S&S determination and penalty. Judge Jacqueline R. Bulluck rejected requests…
Secretary of Labor v. South Central Coal Indiana, LLC
Default vacated where filings never reached the operator's attorney
South Central Coal Indiana did not answer a penalty petition, so the Chief ALJ issued a show cause order that became a default order when no answer arrived within 30 days. The company asked the Commission to reopen, explaining that it had hired an outside attorney for MSHA matters and that an…
Matter of Kwan Ho KIM
California mayhem is a crime of violence
The Board reviewed DHS's appeal after an Immigration Judge terminated removal proceedings against a South Korean lawful permanent resident convicted in California of mayhem. The Board held that the offense necessarily involves violent force because it requires a malicious act resulting in great…
National Nurses United (Union) and United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Hines, Illinois (Agency)
National Nurses United and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (FLRA 0-AR-5214): Nurse's record-falsification suspension upheld
The VA suspended a registered nurse for fourteen days after finding medical-record entries that reported meetings with veterans that had not occurred. An arbitrator upheld the discipline, relying on the nurse's hearing testimony as an admission that some corrective action was appropriate. The…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Steve Glosson v. Lopke Quarries, Inc.
Loader records compelled without delaying hearing
The Secretary sought discovery in Steve Glosson's discrimination case against Lopke Quarries, including service records for loaders Glosson had operated. Lopke missed extended deadlines, produced incomplete interrogatory answers, and sent unlabeled documents that did not appear to include the…
Hunter Sand & Gravel, LLC v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Hunter Sand & Gravel, LLC
Hunter Sand & Gravel, LLC v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC KENT 2014-391 RM, et al.): Dredge safety violations yielded $50,530 penalty
A Hunter Sand & Gravel dredge hand disappeared while taking a draft reading from a snow-covered barge on the Ohio River and was presumed to have fallen into the water and drowned. Judge David F. Barbour vacated the snow-removal citation because the Secretary did not prove that sanding, salting, or…
Secretary of Labor v. Ash Grove Cement Company
Contractor training citations vacated
MSHA cited Ash Grove Cement twice for alleged failures to ensure that independent-contractor employees received 24 hours of new-miner training at its Foreman Quarry and Plant. Judge Priscilla M. Rae held that three hazmat workers cleaning spilled hydraulic oil were not miners because they performed…
E.H. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Bloomfield Veterans Center, East Orange, NJ
E.H. (ECAB 16-1786): Printer lifting claim denied for insufficient medical reasoning
A Veterans Affairs technology specialist claimed a back injury after moving six printers at work. OWCP accepted that he lifted printers weighing up to 65 pounds, but denied the claim. His physician attributed several back conditions to the lifting without explaining how the incident caused or…
J.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Marysville, CA
J.C. (ECAB 16-1768): Left knee impairment rating sent back for cane use finding
A retired postal supervisor received a schedule award for 15 percent permanent impairment of her left leg after an accepted knee injury. The examining physician noted that she used a cane, but his rating assigned the modifier for walking without one. The Board found that this inconsistency could…
W.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Carrier Annex, Harwood Heights, IL
W.H. (ECAB 16-1483): Mail cart incident lacked proof of a new injury
A postal carrier said he hurt his back when a loaded mail cart struck locked doors and jolted him forward. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred, but denied compensation because the medical evidence did not establish a related injury. One physician did not address causation, and another did not…
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.