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.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Sunset Point Post Office, Clearwater, FL
S.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Clearwater (ECAB 14-1154): Earnings ruling modified
S.G., a postal employee with accepted shoulder conditions, returned to a modified job at his full retained salary. OWCP reduced his wage-loss compensation to zero based on a formal finding that the job represented his earning capacity. The Board found that the medical evidence did not support that…
T.E. and Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, New York City, NY
T.E. and Department of Labor, New York City (ECAB 14-0582): Emotional condition claim denial affirmed
T.E., an OWCP claims examiner, attributed depression and anxiety to work demands, management actions, and an internal investigation. The Board found no evidence of error or abuse in the administrative actions and insufficient corroboration for the claimed stressors arising from his regular duties…
United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, San Diego Sector, San Diego, California (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, National Border Patrol Council, Local 1613 (Union)
Border Patrol San Diego Sector and AFGE Local 1613 (FLRA 0-AR-5039): Canine handlers' overtime remedy upheld
Two Border Patrol canine handlers completed training after the agency submitted its annual list for overtime earnings cap waivers. Their waiver requests were denied, and the agency restricted their administratively uncontrollable overtime. An arbitrator found that these actions violated the union…
Star Mine Operations, LLC v. Secretary of Labor
Pattern notice contest dismissed for lack of jurisdiction
MSHA issued Star Mine Operations a written pattern-of-violations notice after Star Mine had sold the Revenue Mine to another company. Star Mine asked the Commission to review the notice, arguing that MSHA continued to identify it publicly as the operator and that dismissal would deny it due…
B.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Madison, WI
B.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Madison (ECAB 14-1819): Occupational back injury denial affirmed
B.K., a letter carrier, attributed lumbar conditions to repeated bending, reaching, and stooping at work. OWCP accepted those duties but found the medical evidence did not connect them to his diagnosed conditions. The Board agreed: one physician’s explanation focused on a single incident rather…
I.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Farmingdale, NY
I.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Farmingdale (ECAB 14-1717): Carpal tunnel claim denial affirmed
I.M., a letter carrier, claimed that repetitive postal duties caused bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. OWCP accepted the work activities but found no reasoned medical opinion connecting them to the diagnosed condition. The Board agreed that the physicians diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome without…
D.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Chattanooga, TN
D.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Chattanooga (ECAB 14-1686): Delayed hearing ruling set aside
D.E., a postal employee, requested review of an OWCP decision ending further compensation after a fraud plea. His written-record review request was filed after the 30-day deadline. OWCP waited more than eight months before denying it as late, however, and that delay prevented a timely Board appeal…
S.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Charleston, WV
S.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Charleston (ECAB 14-1414): Termination of injury benefits affirmed
S.G., a postal distribution clerk, fell on an icy workplace parking lot and received benefits for accepted knee and elbow contusions. OWCP later ended compensation and medical benefits after its second opinion surgeon found those injuries had resolved. The Board found his conclusion well explained…
A.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Saint Louis, MO
A.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Saint Louis (ECAB 14-1354): Elbow injury denial affirmed
A.E., a postal carrier, fell on porch steps while delivering mail and later claimed a right elbow injury. OWCP accepted the fall but found that the medical reports did not explain how it caused her diagnosed tendon conditions. The Board agreed: imaging ruled out the physician’s initial suspected…
R.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Baltimore, MD
R.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Baltimore (ECAB 14-1043): Emotional condition claim remanded
R.B., a postal letter carrier, attributed an emotional condition to a demanding route and her supervisor’s conduct. OWCP accepted that her route was overburdened but found no proof of the alleged harassment. Its second opinion psychiatrist attributed R.B.’s condition to declining physical health…
J.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Charleston, WV
J.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Charleston (ECAB 14-0217): Total disability recurrence denied
J.E., a postal distribution clerk, had accepted work-related anxiety and depression and worked four hours a day with partial wage-loss benefits. He sought total disability compensation after stopping work in October 2012. The Board found that his physicians linked the additional inability to work…
E.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Louisville, KY
E.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Louisville (ECAB 14-1871): Injury claim denial affirmed
E.A., a postal city carrier, reported falling on ice while delivering mail. OWCP accepted the fall but denied her injury claim because the medical records did not firmly diagnose a condition caused by it. The Board agreed that the imaging findings and emergency room description of a minor head…
A.G. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Las Vegas, NV
A.G. and Customs and Border Protection, Las Vegas (ECAB 14-1748): Additional knee award denied
A.G., a customs officer, previously received two schedule awards totaling 51 percent impairment of his right leg and later had a total knee replacement. He sought another award based on a claimed increase in impairment and disputed an earlier six percent award that OWCP had applied to an…
J.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Trenton, NJ
J.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Trenton (ECAB 14-1740): Work incident established, injury claim remanded
J.T., a postal mail handler, reported back pain while pulling loaded casters during a shift. OWCP denied her claim because she filed it four days later and sought care the next day. The Board found her account and course of action consistent with the incident occurring as alleged. It set aside the…
E.D. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Houston, TX
E.D. and Veterans Health Administration, Houston (ECAB 14-1665): Chair fall claim remanded
E.D., a Veterans Health Administration receptionist, reported falling from a wheeled chair at work and striking his head. OWCP accepted the fall but rejected the head strike, relying in part on a later reenactment. The Board found his prompt medical examination and the contemporaneous findings…
L.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Nashville, TN
L.B. and Veterans Health Administration, Nashville (ECAB 14-1607): Emotional condition claim denial affirmed
L.B., a Veterans Health Administration supply worker, attributed an emotional condition to overwork, discrimination, retaliation, and personnel actions. Following an earlier remand for more factual development, OWCP denied the claim again. The Board found the claimed increase in workload was not…
D.O. and U.S. Postal Service, Maple Valley Post Office, Akron, OH
D.O. and U.S. Postal Service, Akron (ECAB 14-1528): Foot impairment award remanded
D.O., a postal carrier with accepted left foot and ankle conditions, received a schedule award for four percent permanent impairment of her left leg. Her physician rated the impairment at 16 percent, while OWCP’s medical adviser rated it at four percent using the same impairment guide table. The…
E.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Livonia, MI
E.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Livonia (ECAB 14-1501): Leg impairment award denied
E.T., a postal carrier, sought a schedule award for leg impairment arising from an accepted lumbar sprain. OWCP denied the request after its medical adviser found no objective leg deficit and concluded that the submitted ratings used the wrong evaluation method. The Board agreed that one physician…
Secretary of Labor v. Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental
Suspended-load violation affirmed but unwarrantable failure vacated
Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental was assembling a large mobile crane at the Tilden Mine when wind caused a suspended 93,000-pound boom to swing toward the crane cab. At a supervisor's direction, a worker crossed under the boom to pull a tag line and prevent a collision. The Commission held that the…
Matter of Rosa Isela VELASQUEZ-CRUZ, Respondent
Matter of Rosa Isela VELASQUEZ-CRUZ (BIA ID 3822): a criminal-entry conviction interrupts continuous presence
The Board reviewed a Mexican respondent's application for cancellation of removal after she had twice been convicted of illegal entry and then departed and reentered the United States. The Board held that a departure following an illegal-entry conviction interrupts the 10-year period of continuous…
Smith v. Lake City Enterprises, Inc.
Smith v. Lake City Enterprises (DOL ARB 14-063): Motion to reopen denied during court review
After the Board's final ruling in Harry Smith's trucking whistleblower case, Smith petitioned the Sixth Circuit for review. He asked the Board to reopen the administrative record for new evidence about a respondent's possible control over his employment. The court paused briefing but did not return…
L.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New York, NY
L.G. and U.S. Postal Service, New York (ECAB 14-1786): Knee schedule award denied
L.G., a postal letter carrier, had accepted knee contusions from a workplace fall and sought a permanent impairment award. Her surgeon estimated a 20 percent loss in each knee under New York state guidelines. OWCP denied the claim because the estimate did not use the federal impairment guide…
L.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Louisville, KY
L.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Louisville (ECAB 14-1765): Compensation overpayment affirmed
L.F., a temporary postal carrier, received disability compensation after a work-related vehicle accident. OWCP used an incorrect pay rate for several months, paying $18,894.75 more than the amount supported by her prior earnings. The Board upheld the overpayment calculation. OWCP’s hearing…
E.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Edison, NJ
E.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Edison (ECAB 14-1614): Disability recurrence denial affirmed
E.P., a postal mail handler, had accepted face and hip contusions after falling from a work platform. He returned to limited duty but stopped when the employer said his restrictions could not be accommodated. The Board held that he had not established that the claimed period of disability arose…
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Little Rock, AR
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Little Rock (ECAB 14-1601): Reconsideration refusal affirmed
J.S., a postal mail handler, sought to reopen a denied emotional condition claim involving withdrawal of modified duties and alleged workplace harassment. Her reconsideration request repeated earlier arguments and included grievance and leave records the Board found cumulative of material OWCP had…
M.H. and Department of the Air Force, Tinker Air Force Base, OK
M.H. and Tinker Air Force Base (ECAB 14-1570): Hearing loss claim remanded
M.H., a retired Air Force civilian employee, claimed hearing loss from years of workplace noise. OWCP’s second opinion physician called one audiogram unreliable yet also said the described noise exposure was sufficient to cause hearing loss, without explaining the apparent conflict. The Board found…
B.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Los Angeles, CA
B.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Los Angeles (ECAB 14-1556): Work history development ordered
B.D., a former postal letter carrier working as a customer care agent, attributed neck, back, and hip symptoms to years of carrying mail. OWCP denied the claim because the record lacked detail about the alleged work factors. The Board found that OWCP had not asked the employer for B.D.’s work…
E.C. and Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service, Orlando, FL
E.C. and Federal Air Marshal Service, Orlando (ECAB 14-1343): Knee arthritis claim denial affirmed
E.C., a federal air marshal, attributed arthritis in both knees to walking through airports, carrying luggage, and required training. OWCP accepted that he performed those duties but found the medical evidence did not adequately connect them to the knee condition. The Board held that his physician…
J.J. and Department of the Army, Tobyhanna Army Depot, Tobyhanna, PA
J.J. and Tobyhanna Army Depot (ECAB 14-1152): Hearing loss claim rescission reversed
J.J., a retired Army depot employee, had an accepted claim for bilateral hearing loss. OWCP later rescinded acceptance, finding that he had filed too long after his last hazardous noise exposure. The Board found evidence of continuing workplace noise until his 2011 retirement, and J.J. filed his…
J.J. and Department of the Army, Fort Leavenworth, KS
J.J. and Fort Leavenworth (ECAB 14-1143): Arm impairment awards increased
J.J., an Army occupational safety specialist, received awards for one percent impairment of each arm and three percent of the right leg. OWCP’s second opinion physician had identified separate one percent ratings for hand pain and wrist tendinitis in each arm, but its medical adviser counted only…
T.A. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Biloxi, MS
T.A. and Veterans Administration Medical Center, Biloxi (ECAB 14-0766): Schedule award denial affirmed
T.A., a medical center laundry worker with an accepted back injury, filed for a schedule award in 2006 and later underwent hip replacements. OWCP’s second opinion surgeon found no lower extremity radiculopathy attributable to the accepted injury and did not link the hip osteoarthritis to it. The…
M.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Edmonds, WA
M.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Edmonds (ECAB 14-0492): Schedule award denial remanded
M.K., a postal city carrier, sought a schedule award after an accepted shoulder tear and surgery. His surgeon submitted an impairment report before OWCP denied the request, but OWCP said the report did not appear in its file until after the decision. The Board found that the report had been…
Polylite Roof Decks, Inc.
Late-contest case remanded for settlement review
An administrative law judge had dismissed Polylite Roof Decks' notice of contest as more than nine months late, leaving a three-item serious citation and $8,400 proposed penalty final. While the matter was before the Commission, the parties filed a stipulated settlement. The Commission treated that…
United States Department of the Army, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research Division, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1858 (Union)
Army Redstone Arsenal and AFGE Local 1858 (FLRA 0-AR-5009): Promotion remedy remanded
An Army employee challenged a promotion selection process at Redstone Arsenal. An arbitrator found that the agency used an undersized interview panel and gave interviews improper weight under the labor agreement. The arbitrator ordered the employee promoted with backpay. The Authority held that the…
B.R. and Department of the Air Force, Robins Air Force Base, GA
B.R. and Robins Air Force Base (ECAB 14-1650): Late reconsideration refusal affirmed
B.R., an Air Force electronics mechanic, sought to reopen a denied occupational carpal tunnel claim. His reconsideration request came more than a year after the last merit decision. The Board held that his argument about the questions OWCP posed to a second opinion physician did not show clear…
J.S. and Department of the Army, The Surgeon General Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
J.S. and Walter Reed Army Medical Center (ECAB 14-1636): Second hearing refusal affirmed
J.S., a secretary at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, sought a schedule award after an accepted back injury. OWCP denied the award, and she received a telephone hearing on that decision in 2013. She requested another hearing on the same decision in 2014. The Board held that she had no right to a…
A.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Oakland, CA
A.G. and Oakland Post Office (ECAB 14-1347): Wage capacity request returned for a new decision
A.G., a postal clerk with accepted carpal tunnel syndrome, sought to change a 2001 finding that her modified job reflected her wage earning capacity. She submitted medical evidence that she said showed worsening of her accepted condition. OWCP treated her request as late reconsideration of a prior…
D.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Wheaton, MD
D.T. and Wheaton Post Office (ECAB 14-1239): Termination of knee injury benefits affirmed
D.T., a postal carrier, received benefits for accepted knee and right leg injuries after stepping into a groove on her route. OWCP ended those benefits after a second opinion physician found that the accepted conditions had resolved. The Board held that his opinion met OWCP’s burden because the…
T.E. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Houston, TX
T.E. and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ECAB 14-976): Emotional condition claim denied
T.E., an immigration enforcement agent, claimed that administrative duties caused depression and anxiety. OWCP asked him to identify the specific work events or conditions and provide supporting medical evidence. The record in this appeal contained neither a response to that request nor the…
S.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Dallas, TX
S.C. and Dallas Post Office (ECAB 14-0769): Overpayment calculation returned for review
S.C., a former postal carrier who later worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs, received disability compensation after returning to work and at a disputed pay rate. OWCP found an overpayment of $6,715.67 and declined to waive it. The Board found that OWCP had counted holiday pay but had not…
M.S. and Department of the Navy, Marine Corps, Albany, NY
M.S. and Marine Corps (ECAB 14-0568): Drum incident established, injury claim still denied
M.S., a Marine Corps painting worker, reported hurting his right shoulder while moving a waste drum. An OWCP hearing representative denied his claim after finding that he had not established the incident. The Board found that his coworker’s account and other evidence did establish the February 25…
Signature Mining Services, LLC v. Secretary of Labor
Reimbursed legal costs did not support EAJA award
Signature Mining Services prevailed against an overbroad MSHA imminent-danger order and sought $80,004.37 in fees and expenses under the Equal Access to Justice Act. Its mine-owner contracting partner had promised to reimburse defense costs and had paid all costs from the underlying contest plus…
C.N. and National Aeronautics & Space Administration, Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
C.N. and Glenn Research Center (ECAB 14-1805): Cervical injury claim denied
C.N., a NASA budget analyst, stepped into an uncovered pipe during a worksite car show and injured her left leg. She later sought compensation for a cervical condition that she attributed to the incident. The Board accepted that the incident occurred during her work duties but held that her medical…
D.W. and Department of the Air Force, Holloman Air Force Base, NM
D.W. and Holloman Air Force Base (ECAB 14-1773): Nine percent hearing award affirmed
D.W., a retired Air Force firefighter, received a schedule award for nine percent hearing impairment of his left ear after years of work related noise exposure. He sought a larger award and challenged the examination date used to start the award period. The Board found that OWCP had correctly…
D.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Kansas City, MO
D.P. and Kansas City Post Office (ECAB 14-1704): Reconsideration refusal affirmed
D.P., a postal rural carrier with an accepted shoulder injury, had her wage loss compensation reduced based on her capacity to work as a receptionist. She sought reconsideration, arguing that OWCP had used an obsolete occupational directory to select that job and that she lacked the necessary…
T.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Jacksonville, FL
T.B. and Jacksonville Post Office (ECAB 14-1640): Additional knee award denied
T.B., a postal carrier, sought a larger schedule award after a total right knee replacement. He had already received an award for 25 percent impairment of his right lower extremity. His surgeon rated the impairment at 50 percent using an older edition of the impairment guides. The Board held that…
D.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Miami, FL
D.W. and Miami Post Office (ECAB 14-1580): Carpal tunnel award and written record review refusal affirmed
D.W., a postal clerk with accepted carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists, sought more compensation for permanent arm impairment. OWCP awarded one additional percentage point for each upper extremity, bringing each total to six percent. The Board found that its medical adviser had correctly applied…
G.M. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Herlong, CA
G.M. and Bureau of Prisons (ECAB 14-1431): Claimed disability after back sprain denied
G.M., a prison unit secretary, sustained an accepted lumbar sprain while carrying inmate property. She sought compensation for intermittent absences beginning in December 2011 and full disability beginning in May 2012. The Board held that her treating physicians did not establish that the accepted…
M.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
M.G. and Philadelphia Post Office (ECAB 14-1361): Wage loss claim returned for medical clarification
M.G., a letter carrier with an accepted back sprain, worked two hours a day after her employer reduced available limited duty work. She sought wage loss compensation for the other six hours a day from March 5 through May 21, 2010. An impartial medical examiner said she could work full time but did…
Pocahontas Coal Company, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Pocahontas Coal Company, Inc.
Pocahontas Coal Company, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEVA 2014-395-R, et al.): Recusal denied after prehearing plan request
Five withdrawal orders against Pocahontas Coal involved alleged violations of roof-control or ventilation plans at the Affinity Mine. Before hearing, Judge Margaret A. Miller asked the Secretary to provide the relevant plan provisions and invited Pocahontas to identify any disagreement, while…
Secretary of Labor v. Portable, Inc.
Escort wait did not impede inspection
An MSHA inspector waited about 30 minutes at Portable's six-employee sand and gravel operation while mine personnel tried to arrange a safety escort. MSHA cited Portable for impeding the inspection and alternatively argued that calls seeking an escort gave advance notice, proposing a $1,000…
Kelly v. Alabama Public Service Commission
Case closed after appeal filing defect
Gregory Kelly filed a Labor Department complaint in 2014 about the Alabama Public Service Commission's termination of his employment in 2009. A judge dismissed the claims considered under environmental whistleblower laws and the National Transit Systems Security Act as late, finding no basis to…
M.C. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Penitentiary Canaan, Waymart, PA
M.C. and U.S. Penitentiary Canaan (ECAB 14-1792): Ankle schedule award denied
M.C., a correctional officer, had an accepted right ankle sprain and strain from work. He later sought a schedule award based on continued ankle problems and surgeries. The Board held that an unsigned impairment report could not establish a permanent impairment rating. Other medical reports…
J.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Greensboro, NC
J.A. and Greensboro Post Office (ECAB 14-1719): Back injury denial affirmed
J.A., a postal custodian, reported lower back pain after bending to wrap empty letter trays. OWCP accepted that the work incident occurred but denied his injury claim. The Board held that the medical reports did not adequately explain how the incident caused or aggravated his diagnosed back…
I.M. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, Savannah, GA
I.M. and Customs & Border Protection (ECAB 14-1711): Reconsideration refusal affirmed
I.M., a customs officer, reported a back injury after lifting boxes at work. OWCP denied his claim after finding that the medical evidence did not establish a causal link between the incident and his diagnosed conditions. In a later reconsideration request, he argued that the conditions were work…
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Bulk Mail Center, Richmond, CA
L.S. and Richmond Bulk Mail Center (ECAB 14-1690): Dual benefits overpayment affirmed
L.S., a postal mail handler, received federal injury compensation and retirement benefits for the same period after retiring. She later elected retirement benefits retroactive to April 1, 2013, creating an overlap through May 31, 2014. The Board upheld OWCP’s $37,103.74 overpayment finding because…
M.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Milwaukee, WI
M.W. and Milwaukee Post Office (ECAB 14-1664): Spine condition claim denied
M.W., a postal distribution operations manager, attributed cervical and thoracic spine conditions to bending, reaching, and lifting mail at work. His surgeon said those tasks could have accelerated existing degeneration and contributed to his need for surgery. The Board held that this opinion was…
R.C. and Department of the Navy, Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, AZ
R.C. and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (ECAB 14-1383): Overpayment fault finding set aside
R.C. received federal injury compensation and Social Security benefits with a portion attributable to federal retirement service. The Board agreed that the overlapping payments created a $1,079.47 overpayment. It rejected OWCP’s finding that R.C. was at fault because the record did not show that he…
Florida LeMark Corporation
General-duty citation affirmed for ungrouted garage columns
Four people died and others were injured when part of a precast concrete parking garage under construction collapsed. OSHA cited Florida LeMark, the subcontractor responsible for grouting column bases, for leaving two load-bearing columns ungrouted while construction continued. The judge found that…
Secretary of Labor v. Excel Mining, LLC
Ventilation violations affirmed with reduced negligence and penalties
Excel Mining admitted two ventilation-plan violations during retreat mining at its gassy Van Lear Mine. One working face received 3,456 cubic feet of air per minute instead of the required 4,800 while visible dust surrounded the continuous-miner operator, and another area received 10,703 instead of…
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.