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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N.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Des Moines, IA
N.M. (ECAB 15-1405): Fall at work did not establish claimed wrist fracture
N.M., a rural postal carrier, claimed a right wrist fracture after tripping and falling at work. OWCP accepted that the fall occurred but found the medical evidence insufficient to establish a resulting injury. Her treatment reports came from a physician assistant and a nurse practitioner, whose…
A.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Los Angeles, CA
A.T. (ECAB 15-1278): Two-day disability claim lacked proof that modified work was unavailable
A.T., a postal letter carrier, returned to modified duty after an accepted finger injury. He sought compensation for two February 2015 days, saying his manager sent him home because no suitable work was available. OWCP asked for written confirmation from the employer, but none was submitted. The…
T.N. and Department of the Army, Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, AL
T.N. (ECAB 15-1258): OWCP reconsideration ruling void while Board appeal was pending
T.N., an Army Depot police officer, sought compensation for conditions he attributed to chemical paint exposure. After OWCP denied his claim and a later reconsideration request, he appealed the reconsideration issue to the Board. OWCP issued another decision on that same issue while the appeal…
M.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, McDonough, GA
M.M. (ECAB 15-1221): Emotional condition claim lacked a compensable work factor
M.M., a postal rural carrier on detail as an acting supervisor, claimed an emotional condition after he was returned to his regular assignment during an investigation. The Board treated the reassignment and investigation as personnel actions rather than his regular job duties. It found no evidence…
B.V. and Department of the Navy, Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, CA
B.V. (ECAB 15-0846): Termination of wage-loss benefits reversed
B.V., a Navy drug program specialist, received wage-loss compensation after an accepted stress-related injury. OWCP ended those payments based on a second opinion saying she could return to her full-time position. The Board found that the physician had also described continuing symptoms and a need…
H.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Edison, NJ
H.P. (ECAB 15-0568): Wage-loss termination upheld after impartial medical review
H.P., a postal clerk, received wage-loss compensation after a mail hamper struck her and OWCP accepted several leg, hip, back, and knee conditions. Her treating physicians and an OWCP referral physician disagreed about continuing injury-related disability. An impartial orthopedic specialist…
M.H. and Department of the Navy, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH
M.H. (ECAB 14-1747): Arm impairment award returned for nerve-injury review
M.H., a Navy shipyard electrician, received a seven percent right arm schedule award after a work-related fall and shoulder surgery. The Board found seven percent was the maximum rating under the applicable table for his rotator cuff tear, contrary to higher ratings offered by two physicians. It…
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (Agency) and National Association of Government Employees, Local R3-77 (Union)
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and NAGE Local R3-77 (FLRA 0-AR-4416): Reduced retaliation damages upheld
An arbitrator found that Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation officials retaliated against an employee for earlier equal employment opportunity testimony by failing to investigate her complaint. The Authority had previously sent the damages issue back for clarification. On remand, the arbitrator…
Secretary of Labor v. American Colloid Company
Fall-protection violations affirmed and chocking citations vacated
MSHA cited American Colloid for two unchocked trucks on slight grades and for two truck drivers working atop loads without fall protection. Judge L. Zane Gill vacated both chocking actions because professional surveys showed grades of only 1.0 and 1.2 percent, and the Secretary did not prove that…
T.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, South Hackensack, NJ
T.C. (ECAB 15-1237): Meniscus tear claim lacked a reasoned causal opinion
T.C., a postal letter carrier, felt knee pain while walking and climbing stairs on his route and was diagnosed with a meniscus tear. OWCP accepted that he was delivering mail as described but denied the claim for lack of medical proof of causation. His orthopedic surgeon first said he could not…
G.F. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Long Beach, CA
G.F. (ECAB 15-1053): Late reconsideration request showed no clear error
G.F., a Veterans Affairs nursing assistant, had an accepted claim for mental health conditions arising from patient abuse and threats. She later sought compensation for disability beginning in January 2009, which OWCP denied. OWCP received her request to reconsider the September 16, 2013 merit…
C.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Mullica Hill, NJ
C.G. (ECAB 15-1035): Refusal of suitable postal work ended wage-loss benefits
C.G., a rural postal carrier, had an accepted claim for lumbar sprain and left hip bursitis. A referee physician found that she could work full time with a 30-pound lifting restriction. The Postal Service offered a sedentary position involving telephone and light data-entry work, and OWCP warned…
A.O. and U.S. Postal Service, Wilmington Processing & Distribution Center, New Castle, DE
A.O. (ECAB 15-0995): Medical opinion did not justify ending back-injury benefits
A.O., a postal clerk, had an accepted aggravation of preexisting lumbar radiculopathy after lifting mail trays. OWCP ended his wage-loss compensation and medical benefits after a second opinion physician said the work-related aggravation had resolved. The Board found the physician did not…
T.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Georgetown Annex, Washington, DC
T.P. (ECAB 15-0806): Missed hearing and no timely rescheduling request
T.P., a postal city carrier assistant, sought an oral hearing after OWCP denied her traumatic injury claim. OWCP mailed notice of a September 12, 2014 hearing to her address of record. She did not attend or ask OWCP within 10 days to schedule another hearing. On appeal, she said a job interview…
D.G. and Tennessee Valley Authority, Paradise Fossil Plant, Chattanooga, TN
D.G. (ECAB 15-0443): Earlier hearing-loss file needed for a new award decision
D.G., a heavy equipment operator for the Tennessee Valley Authority, had received a schedule award for hearing loss under an earlier claim. He sought an additional award, alleging further hearing loss from work noise. OWCP denied the new claim after a second opinion physician could not attribute…
D.C. and Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Washington, DC
D.C. (ECAB 15-0293): Reconsideration request arrived after the one-year deadline
D.C., a federal criminal investigator, claimed a left foot injury after moving office boxes in high heels. OWCP denied the claim in April 2013 because the medical evidence did not establish a link to work. It received her request for reconsideration on April 8, 2014, more than one year after the…
J.M. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, East Orange, NJ
J.M. (ECAB 15-0013): Claimed workplace stress factors were not established
J.M., a medical support assistant at a Veterans Affairs facility, claimed that workplace stress caused high blood pressure. She said she often worked alone and overtime, faced difficult patients, and experienced problems with transfer requests and supervisors. Her supervisor disputed the staffing…
E.L. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, East Boston, MA
E.L. (ECAB 14-1450): Later disability was not tied to accepted lumbar sprain
E.L., a transportation security officer, had an accepted lumbar sprain from lifting a bag in 2010 and returned to limited duty. He later sought compensation for total disability beginning June 14, 2013, saying his back condition had worsened. The Board found no physician’s opinion linking that…
American Federation of Government Employees, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, National Council 118 (Union) and United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Agency)
ICE Council 118 and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (FLRA 0-NG-3248): Bargaining ordered over overtime proposal
AFGE's ICE Council 118 proposed ground rules to protect bargaining-team members' administratively uncontrollable overtime pay and eligibility while they participated in contract negotiations. ICE argued that the proposal conflicted with federal law and regulations, an agency overtime rule, and…
Secretary of Labor v. Harry Crooker & Sons, Inc.
Disputed penalty contest reopened
A proposed MSHA penalty assessment became a final Commission order after MSHA recorded no timely contest from Harry Crooker & Sons. The operator asserted that it mailed a signed contest form within the deadline, but it had no certified-mail proof of delivery. Because the Secretary did not oppose…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Matthew G. Totten and Joseph A. Whipkey v. TK Mining Services, LLC and The Marshall County Coal Company
Temporary reinstatement continued
Matthew Totten and Joseph Whipkey received temporary economic reinstatement after alleging that TK Mining Services and Marshall County Coal discriminated against them. Marshall sought to end its payment obligation because its parent stopped using TK and replaced it with a less expensive contractor…
Secretary of Labor v. Emerald Coal Resources, LP
Final penalty assessment reopened after safety director's medical leave
Emerald Coal missed the 30-day deadline to contest an MSHA penalty assessment while its safety director was on extended medical leave, causing the assessment to become a final Commission order. The Commission majority reopened the matter in the interest of justice because the Secretary did not…
Stewart v. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.
Audit complaint dismissal affirmed
Teresa Stewart alleged that Lockheed Martin Aeronautics denied regular telecommuting, harassed her, and constructively discharged her because she raised audit concerns. An administrative law judge dismissed her whistleblower complaint after a hearing. The Board held that substantial evidence…
M.W. and Department of the Navy, Naval Air Systems Command, San Diego, CA
M.W. (ECAB 15-1324): Prior shoulder award exceeded the current impairment rating
M.W., a Navy aircraft systems mechanic, previously received schedule awards totaling 13 percent impairment of her right upper extremity after shoulder injuries and surgeries. She sought an increased award after another shoulder procedure. A second opinion physician rated her current impairment at…
N.O. and Social Security Administration, SSA Region IV, RPO Human Resources Office, Atlanta, GA
N.O. (ECAB 15-1110): Asthma claim lacked a reasoned opinion on workplace exposure
N.O., a Social Security Administration claims representative with a history of asthma, reported breathing problems after exposure to a vacuum and cleaning products at work. OWCP accepted that dust and chemical exposure occurred and that she had an asthma diagnosis. The Board found that her…
F.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Vehicle Maintenance Facility, Bellmawr, NJ
F.S. (ECAB 15-1018): Improper referee reports required a new impairment review
F.S. sought an additional schedule award for arm impairment. OWCP had used a referee physician to resolve conflicting medical evidence, but an OWCP hearing representative later found that telephone contacts with that physician made his supplemental reports improper. The Board found that OWCP left…
W.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Solon, OH
W.A. (ECAB 15-1014): Shoulder repair did not support a higher schedule award
W.A., a postal distribution clerk, sustained accepted right shoulder injuries and underwent two rotator cuff repairs. One physician rated his permanent right-arm impairment at 34 percent by treating the second surgery as a shoulder arthroplasty. The Board found that the operative report documented…
C.M. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Las Vegas, NV
C.M. (ECAB 15-0537): Back and knee claim lacked medical proof of causation
C.M., a Veterans Affairs supply technician, claimed that repeated lifting, bending, and stooping caused low back and knee problems. OWCP had denied the claim partly because it found the work activities unproved. The Board found that those duties were undisputed, but the medical reports still did…
D.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Jackson, MS
D.S. (ECAB 15-0411): Workplace disputes did not establish a compensable stress factor
D.S., a Veterans Affairs secretary, said supervisory conduct, payroll and leave problems, and denied training and overtime opportunities caused workplace stress. She also alleged harassment and verbal threats. The Board found no established error or abuse in the agency’s administrative actions and…
S.V. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Redding, CA
S.V. (ECAB 15-0377): Endoscopy work was established but hand-injury causation was not
S.V., a Veterans Affairs gastrointestinal physician, said repeated endoscope use caused right thumb and left ring finger problems. The Board accepted his account of performing endoscopies and handling the equipment. His physicians diagnosed hand conditions and described a general risk of injury…
P.W., claiming as widow of D.W., and Department of the Air Force, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, AK
P.W. (ECAB 15-0186): Health premium debt reduced by calculation correction
P.W. received survivor benefits after OWCP accepted that her husband’s death resulted from his work injury. OWCP failed to withhold health insurance premiums for part of the benefit period and later sought repayment. The Board agreed that the missing premiums were an overpayment, but corrected…
J.P. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Anchorage, AK
J.P. (ECAB 14-0987): Withdrawal of accommodated job required renewed disability review
J.P., a Federal Aviation Administration personnel manager, had an accepted work-related post-traumatic stress disorder claim. Under an EEO settlement, the agency gave him a temporary assignment that accommodated his restriction against working with a former supervisor. When the two-year assignment…
Secretary of Labor v. Wm. J. Clark Trucking Service, Inc.
Mechanic required comprehensive new-miner training
Wm. J. Clark Trucking used an independent mechanic to repair mobile and stationary mining equipment at its sand and gravel pit, but provided him no mine-safety training. Judge Margaret A. Miller held that the mechanic was a miner under Part 46 because he worked at the mine intermittently and…
Secretary of Labor v. Wolf Mountain Coal, Inc.
Conveyor pull-cord violation affirmed with no negligence
A conveyor stopped when its pull cord was activated but unexpectedly restarted as soon as the switch was reset, rather than requiring a separate restart from the control panel. Judge Richard W. Manning held that the malfunction violated the electrical-maintenance standard and was S&S because a…
Jim Walter Resources, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor
Section 103(k) ignition order and mine-wide training upheld
After a welding ignition at Jim Walter Resources' methane-liberating No. 7 Mine, MSHA issued a telephone section 103(j) order, converted it to a section 103(k) order when an inspector arrived, and required all miners to complete one hour of ignition training. The Commission vacated the section…
Secretary of Labor v. Big Ridge, Inc.
Section 103(k) control order and violation upheld
A roof fall struck and injured a Big Ridge mechanic, after which MSHA issued a telephone section 103(j) control order and converted it to a section 103(k) order when inspectors arrived. Big Ridge later mined in the affected area without approval and destroyed potential accident evidence. The…
K.M. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, St. Louis, MO
K.M. (ECAB 15-1636): Shoulder records did not address the claimed stretcher injury
K.M., a Veterans Affairs nurse, reported injuring her left shoulder while moving a patient on a stretcher on February 1, 2014. She submitted records describing shoulder conditions and prior surgeries. The Board found that the medical reports discussed injuries on other dates but gave no reasoned…
D.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Mattapan, MA
D.N. (ECAB 15-1182): Late request did not reopen a vocational-rehabilitation ruling
D.N., a postal letter carrier with accepted left foot and ankle conditions, had his wage-loss compensation reduced to zero after OWCP found that he did not cooperate with vocational rehabilitation. He sought reconsideration of OWCP’s September 12, 2013 merit decision, but OWCP did not receive the…
K.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Greenfield, IN
K.S. (ECAB 15-0940): Augmented benefits continued after dependent eligibility ended
K.S., a postal rural carrier receiving disability compensation after a work injury, was paid at the higher rate available to claimants with eligible dependents. His youngest child turned 18 in July 2012, and the record did not show continued eligibility as a student or because of disability. OWCP…
C.T. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, McClellan Air Force Base, CA
C.T. (ECAB 15-0634): Renewed back treatment needed a supported causal explanation
C.T., a Veterans Affairs dentist, had an accepted permanent aggravation of a lumbar condition and sought authorization for more treatment years after being released from active care. He said his back pain had worsened, but the treatment record showed long periods with little care for the accepted…
S.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cincinnati, OH
S.K. (ECAB 15-0511): Insurance election needed before finding a premium debt
S.K., a postal distribution clerk receiving disability compensation, was told she owed $2,775.32 in life insurance premiums that OWCP had not withheld. OWCP relied on an Office of Personnel Management letter saying she had elected optional postretirement coverage without a reduction in benefits…
H.L. and Department of Agriculture, Food Safety & Inspection Service, Geneseo, IL
H.L. (ECAB 15-0172): Parking-lot argument did not show clear error in prior denial
H.L., a federal meat inspector, sought compensation after falling in a parking lot while going to work. OWCP had denied the claim on the ground that the lot was outside the workplace premises. In an untimely reconsideration request, she argued that her supervisor directed her to use the lot and…
J.E. and Department of the Army, Installation Management Command, Fort Stewart, GA
J.E. (ECAB 15-0131): Late request did not reopen an emotional condition claim
J.E., an Army human resources assistant, attributed an emotional condition to work involving death-related cases and to alleged workplace conduct. OWCP denied the claim in April 2013 because she had not established a compensable work factor. It received her reconsideration request two days after…
G.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Oakland, CA
G.I. (ECAB 14-1857): Benefit termination lacked a reasoned medical basis
G.I., a retired postal distribution clerk, had an accepted low back strain with left-sided radiculopathy and continued to receive medical benefits. OWCP terminated benefits after a second opinion physician said her current symptoms came from an earlier stroke rather than the work injury. The Board…
A.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Fort Worth, TX
A.G. (ECAB 14-1590): Headache treatment did not prove a later work disability
A.G., a postal city carrier, had an accepted concussion after a garage door struck his head at work. His neurologist released him to full duty in May 2012, and he worked until his appointment expired that October. He continued treatment for headaches and later reported another head impact in a car…
Matter of R-K-K-
Credibility concerns require notice and a chance to explain
The Board reviewed an Indian respondent's applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture after an Immigration Judge found that his account closely resembled his brother's earlier asylum application. The Board held that an Immigration Judge may…
R.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Scottsboro, AL
R.B. (ECAB 15-1369): Medical reports did not link neck condition to one workday
R.B., a postal letter carrier with a history of neck surgery, reported increased neck and arm pain after a day of heavy mail delivery and casing. OWCP accepted that he performed the described work on March 15, 2014. His physicians diagnosed spinal conditions, but their reports did not give a…
D.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Chicago, IL
D.J. (ECAB 15-1307): No medical rating supported a larger knee award
D.J., a postal worker with an accepted permanent aggravation of knee arthritis, had received awards totaling 37 percent impairment of each leg. She requested an increase after knee replacement surgeries. Her medical submissions described knee pain and treatment but did not rate a greater permanent…
C.C., daughter of J.C., and Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration, Sacramento, CA
C.C. (ECAB 15-1230): Survivor benefits paid after student eligibility ended
C.C. received survivor benefits following her father’s fatal work injury. She remained a full-time student but turned 23 on December 28, 2014, ending eligibility for the student benefit. OWCP’s next payment included 13 days after eligibility ended, creating an $811.66 overpayment. The Board upheld…
L.W. and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Towaoc, CO
L.W. (ECAB 15-1191): Claim lacked details of the alleged inmate incident
L.W., a Bureau of Indian Affairs correctional officer, reported left arm and shoulder injuries while booking an intoxicated woman. Her claim form and treatment notes described the activity generally but did not explain what happened to cause the injury. OWCP asked for a detailed account, and the…
D.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Mankato Processing & Distribution Center, Mankato, MN
D.V. (ECAB 15-1145): Written-record review request missed the 30-day deadline
D.V., a postal mail processing clerk with an accepted left carpal tunnel claim, sought review of OWCP’s December 2013 denial of a claimed recurrence of disability. His request for review of the written record was postmarked in October 2014, well after the 30-day period for that review as a matter…
J.P. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Tampa, FL
J.P. (ECAB 15-1031): Late toe-injury request did not show clear error
J.P., a Veterans Affairs nursing assistant, claimed a right great toe fracture after a patient’s motorized wheelchair ran over his foot. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied the claim in December 2013 because he had submitted no medical evidence of causation. OWCP received his…
D.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Southeastern, PA
D.P. (ECAB 15-0318): Benefits termination upheld; continuing disability remanded
D.P., a postal clerk, had accepted right carpal tunnel syndrome and right ulnar nerve compression claims. OWCP ended her wage-loss and medical benefits after an impartial orthopedic examiner found no remaining effects from those accepted conditions. The Board found that the examiner was properly…
K.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Columbus, OH
K.P. (ECAB 14-1458): Right shoulder claim lacked a reasoned work connection
K.P., a postmaster, attributed right shoulder pain to repeatedly sorting and distributing mail. OWCP accepted that she performed those duties and that she had a shoulder condition, but denied the claim for lack of medical evidence connecting the two. Two physicians marked form boxes saying work…
Leiva v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., Inc.
Board appeal attorney fees awarded
The Board had affirmed a finding that Union Pacific Railroad retaliated against Daniel Leiva under the Federal Rail Safety Act and sent the case back for a decision on punitive damages. Leiva's lawyer then requested $6,670 for work on the Board appeal. Union Pacific did not object to the amount…
S.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Spokane, WA
S.F. (ECAB 15-1272): Vacuuming injury claim lacked a physician’s report
S.F., a postal maintenance mechanic, said that vacuuming for several hours a day caused pain in his right wrist and forearm. He submitted reports from physician assistants and physical therapy notes. OWCP told him that he needed medical evidence from a physician and denied the claim when he did not…
R.D. and Department of the Navy, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA
R.D. (ECAB 15-1152): Hearing request arrived after the 30-day deadline
R.D., a Navy shipyard electrician, claimed that workplace noise caused bilateral hearing loss. OWCP denied the claim on October 14, 2014 after finding that he had not established the claimed events. He asked for an oral hearing on December 22, more than 30 days after the denial. The Board held that…
T.K. and Department of Homeland Security, New York City, NY
T.K. (ECAB 15-1081): Additional knee and arm conditions lacked a causal explanation
T.K., a Homeland Security special agent, injured his right knee and elbow while pursuing a suspect. OWCP accepted a knee sprain and contusion and an elbow sprain, but declined to add cubital tunnel syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, elbow tendinopathy, and knee tendinitis. His treating physician…
J.M. and Department of the Army, Army ROTC, Edwardsville, IL
J.M. (ECAB 15-1008): New medical report did not reopen ROTC injury claim
J.M., an Army ROTC cadet, reported shoulder and knee injuries during obstacle course training. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied his claim because the medical evidence did not link a diagnosed condition to it. He sought reconsideration with a new orthopedic report describing his…
R.D. and Department of Labor, Mine Safety & Health Administration, Homewood, AL
R.D. (ECAB 15-0966): Current hearing loss did not exceed prior award
R.D., a Mine Safety and Health Administration investigator, had a prior schedule award for 23 percent bilateral hearing loss. OWCP accepted his later hearing-loss claim but denied another award after its medical adviser calculated 18 percent current loss. The Board found an error in that…
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.