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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Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC
Four mine-safety violations modified and $76,000 assessed
Peabody Midwest Mining contested four violations at its Francisco underground coal mine involving loose roof rock, entries wider than its approved roof control plan allowed, inadequate on-shift examinations, and an inoperative carbon monoxide sensor. Judge Richard W. Manning affirmed each…
F.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Oklahoma City Processing & Distribution Center, Oklahoma City, OK
F.J. (ECAB 14-1400): Arm and elbow claim lacked reasoned medical link
F.J., a postal mail handler, attributed pain in his arms and elbows to pushing, pulling, lifting, and reaching at work. OWCP accepted those work activities but denied his occupational disease claim. The Board found that his physician diagnosed several conditions and attributed them generally to…
D.O. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Hampton, GA
D.O. (ECAB 14-1314): Wage-capacity modification request denied
OWCP reduced D.O.’s compensation after finding that his photography work demonstrated an ability to earn wages as a studio cameraman. He later sought modification of that wage-earning capacity ruling, arguing that his accepted conditions prevented the work. The Board found that his new medical…
S.K. and Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency, Robins Air Force Base, GA
S.K. (ECAB 14-1279): Later lifting injury was not a recurrence of 2009 claim
OWCP accepted S.K.’s 2009 back strain and later accepted a separate occupational claim involving lifting work in 2011. S.K. sought compensation for renewed back disability as a recurrence of the 2009 injury. The Board found that the 2011 lifting was an intervening work injury, not a spontaneous…
L.B. and Department of the Army, Network Enterprise Technology Command, Fort Drum, NY
L.B. (ECAB 14-1029): Parking lot fall claim returned for premises evidence
L.B., an Army information technology specialist, slipped on ice in a parking lot as she arrived for work. OWCP denied her injury claim because the record did not establish that the lot was part of the employer’s premises. The Board found that OWCP needed to obtain information about the lot’s…
A.S., widow of M.S., and Department of the Navy, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Pearl Harbor, HI
A.S. (ECAB 14-0891): Death benefits denial affirmed after impartial review
A.S. sought death benefits, asserting that her husband’s accepted work-related asbestosis contributed to his death. After an earlier remand to resolve conflicting medical opinions, OWCP obtained an impartial pulmonary specialist’s review. The specialist attributed the death to congestive heart…
C.F. and Department of the Navy, Camp Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan
C.F. (ECAB 14-0165): Overpayment decision returned for review of response
OWCP found that C.F. had been overpaid compensation because he worked part time while receiving total disability benefits. After an earlier Board remand, OWCP again found an overpayment and fault, stating that C.F. had not contested its preliminary finding. The Board found that he had sent a letter…
T.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Warren, OH
T.P. (ECAB 13-2078): Benefit forfeiture reversed over unrelated state charge
OWCP forfeited T.P.’s compensation based on an Ohio misdemeanor judgment and found related overpayments. The Board examined the state charge cited in the court documents and found that it concerned false information in a firearm purchase, not fraud in applying for or receiving FECA benefits. The…
L.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Iron Mountain, MI
L.B. (ECAB 13-1582): Emotional condition claim lacked established work factor
L.B., a VA pharmacist, attributed an emotional condition to management actions, workload, and alleged harassment. The Board found that decisions about her position and other administrative matters did not establish compensable work factors on this record. It also found that the statements offered…
C.G. and Department of the Army, Materiel Command, Anniston, AL
C.G. (ECAB 13-1519): Schedule award returned for supported impairment rating
OWCP awarded C.G. compensation for measured impairment of both arms and his right leg after accepted injuries. Its medical adviser relied on a physical therapist’s impairment calculation that two physicians had signed without explaining how the rating was derived. The Board found no reasoned…
A.F. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Fort Worth, TX
A.F. (ECAB 13-1514): Overpayment calculation returned for explanation
OWCP found that A.F., a correctional officer receiving disability compensation, had been overpaid because an incorrect night differential was included in his pay rate. The Board found support for the amount OWCP had actually paid, but no adequate explanation of the lower amount it said he should…
C.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Midisland Processing & Distribution Center, Islandia, NY
C.L. (ECAB 13-1428): Receptionist job supported wage-capacity reduction
C.L., a postal employee with accepted shoulder injuries, challenged OWCP’s use of a receptionist position to calculate her wage-earning capacity. She argued that the job exceeded her physical and vocational abilities. The Board found that employers in the local labor survey could accommodate her…
National Treasury Employees Union (Union) and United States Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Office of Chief Counsel, Washington, D.C. (Agency)
NTEU and IRS Chief Counsel (FLRA 0-NG-3130): Sick-leave counseling provision upheld
An agreement between NTEU and the IRS Office of Chief Counsel required counseling before the agency placed an employee on sick-leave restriction for a first instance of suspected leave abuse. The agency disapproved the provision, arguing that it interfered with management's right to discipline…
United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute, Indiana (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, Council of Prison Locals C-33, Local 720 (Union)
Bureau of Prisons Terre Haute and AFGE Local 720 (FLRA 0-AR-4858): Shift-change award upheld
A Bureau of Prisons complex stopped seeking overtime volunteers for inmate transport work and instead changed employees' scheduled shifts. An arbitrator found that the earlier practice had modified the parties' agreement and that the agency changed it without meeting its contractual bargaining…
J.T. and Department of Justice, U.S. Marshals Service, Oxford, MS
J.T. (ECAB 14-1173): Ankle injury and reconsideration denials affirmed
J.T., a deputy marshal, reported landing awkwardly on his left ankle after jumping a fence while pursuing a fugitive. OWCP accepted the incident but denied the injury claim. The Board found that his physicians did not explain how the event caused or aggravated an ankle condition in light of earlier…
A.A. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Dallas, TX
A.A. (ECAB 14-1155): Denial of renewed knee treatment affirmed
A.A., a Veterans Affairs police officer, sustained an accepted right knee strain in 2002 and later sought medical treatment for a claimed recurrence. OWCP denied the recurrence claim, and the Board affirmed. His doctor had released him from treatment in 2002 on an as needed basis. Later imaging and…
C.T. and Department of Justice, U.S. Marshals Service, Columbia, SC
C.T. (ECAB 14-1116): Rib injury and reconsideration denials affirmed
C.T., a deputy U.S. marshal, reported rib pain after another deputy landed on his chest during training. OWCP accepted that the training incident happened but denied his injury claim. The Board found that his physician described a suspected rib bruise and possible muscle strain without a definite…
R.E. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Victorville, CA
R.E. (ECAB 14-0868): Further expansion of injury claim denied
R.E., a Bureau of Prisons psychologist, fell while checking a telephone connection beneath her desk. OWCP accepted several knee, back, and neck conditions, including a permanent aggravation of cervical spondylosis, but declined to add other claimed conditions. The Board affirmed that decision. It…
J.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Dallas Bulk Mail Center, Coppell, TX
J.R. (ECAB 13-2028): Termination of wage loss benefits reversed
J.R., a postal mail handler, received compensation for accepted back injuries and later lost his job for attendance reasons. OWCP ended his monetary benefits, reasoning that he could have returned to light duty if he had remained employed. The Board reversed because his physician still documented…
C.H. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, North Little Rock, AK
C.H. (ECAB 13-1369): Zero wage loss finding for staff nurse affirmed
C.H., a Veterans Affairs nurse, sustained accepted neck, shoulder, and arm injuries in 1998 and later worked as a staff nurse. OWCP reduced her wage loss compensation to zero after comparing her actual earnings with updated pay for her former position, including premium pay. The Board affirmed…
United States Postal Service
Willful extreme-heat violation affirmed
A Postal Service letter carrier returned from a five-week absence and delivered mail during an excessive heat warning without an acclimatization period. He reported symptoms to his supervisor on two consecutive days, remained on his route, and died from hyperthermia on the second day. The judge…
Matter of Fidencio PINA-GALINDO, Respondent
Matter of Fidencio PINA-GALINDO (BIA ID 3816): multiple convictions barred cancellation of removal
The Board reviewed a Mexican respondent's appeal after an Immigration Judge found him removable and denied his application for cancellation of removal. The Board held that the statutory reference to an offense under section 212(a)(2) includes section 212(a)(2)(B), which covers two or more…
Gupta v. Compunnel Software Group, Inc.
Gupta v. Compunnel (DOL ARB 14-086): Interim appeal closed after remand
Gupta had challenged Compunnel Software Group under the H-1B provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Board previously sent the case back to a Labor Department judge for further findings and a damages recalculation. While Compunnel sought court review of that earlier Board decision…
A.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Denver, CO
A.M. (ECAB 14-1399): Shoulder injury denial affirmed
A.M., a postal carrier technician, reported shoulder pain after lifting a tub of mail. OWCP accepted that the lifting incident happened but denied his injury claim, and the Board affirmed. The Board noted that an OWCP hearing representative had mistakenly said he had not identified the lifting as…
R.K. and Department of the Air Force, Hanscom Air Force Base, MA
R.K. (ECAB 14-1238): Denial of home entrance modification affirmed
R.K., a former Air Force contract negotiator, asked OWCP to pay for modified steps at his home after earlier accepted back injuries. His pain specialist said the steps helped him enter and leave the house, but did not explain how his current mobility limits resulted from the accepted strains…
L.S., widow of G.S., and Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Gainsville, FL
L.S. (ECAB 14-1046): Survivor benefit and subpoena denials affirmed
L.S. sought survivor benefits after her husband, a former DEA agent, died in 2011. She attributed his leukemia and death to chemical exposure during drug laboratory investigations. The Board acknowledged that the agency’s records on his specific exposures had not been fully obtained, but found no…
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Indianapolis, IN
J.S. (ECAB 14-0977): Compensation overpayment and recovery affirmed
J.S., a postal mail handler, received too much compensation after OWCP miscalculated the Sunday premium in his recurrence pay rate. The Board affirmed OWCP’s $43,891.85 overpayment finding and agreed that J.S. was not at fault. It nonetheless upheld the denial of waiver because his reported income…
D.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Riverview, MI
D.J. (ECAB 14-0961): Denial of total disability recurrence affirmed
D.J., a postal clerk, worked a modified schedule after an accepted back injury and stopped working in July 2012. She claimed that she could no longer perform the job because of worsening symptoms and a lack of breaks. The Board found that the employer had not changed her duties beyond her…
G.E. and Department of Health & Human Services, Social Security Administration, Dallas, TX
G.E. (ECAB 14-0843): Parking garage fall claim returned for medical review
G.E., a Social Security teleservice representative, fell in a parking garage five minutes after finishing authorized overtime. OWCP denied her injury claim because the garage was not federal property. The Board found that the agency leased parking for employees, provided it without charge, and used…
D.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bedford, IA
D.W. (ECAB 13-1692): Emotional condition claim returned for medical review
D.W., a postal letter carrier, attributed an emotional condition to her postmaster’s conduct and her workload. The Board found that a confrontation in which he screamed close to her and his threats against her were supported by the record and counted as compensable work factors. It found…
L.A. and Department of Defense, Dependents Schools Education Activity, Baumholder, Germany
L.A. (ECAB 13-1544): Physical and emotional condition claim denied
L.A., a speech and language pathologist at Defense Department schools, attributed physical symptoms and an emotional condition to her work setting and interactions with management. The Board accepted that she used makeshift workstations and testing sites, attended numerous meetings, and received…
American Federation of Government Employees, Council of Prison Locals 33, Local 506 (Union) and United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Complex, Coleman, Florida (Agency)
AFGE Local 506 and Bureau of Prisons Coleman (FLRA 0-NG-3117): Bargaining order remains in place
AFGE proposed rules for inmate watches that triggered alarms at metal detectors in a federal prison. The Authority had ordered the Bureau of Prisons to bargain over the proposal, and a court upheld that ruling but asked the Authority to consider a later change in how the detectors were used. On…
West Bay Exploration Co.
In re West Bay Exploration Co. (EAB UIC Appeal No. 14-66): permit review denied
Peter Bormuth challenged EPA Region 5’s permit allowing West Bay Exploration Company to construct and operate an injection well for brine wastewater from oil and gas operations in Jackson County, Michigan. He argued that the well could threaten underground drinking water supplies and endangered…
Matter of Gustavo Ribeiro FERREIRA, Respondent
Matter of Gustavo Ribeiro FERREIRA (BIA ID 3815): realistic-probability test required for drug removability
The Board reviewed a Brazilian respondent's removability based on a Connecticut conviction for selling illegal drugs. The state statute covered two opiate derivatives that were not included in the federal controlled-substance schedules when the conviction occurred. Applying the categorical…
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
L.S. (ECAB 14-1240): Low back occupational claim denial affirmed
L.S., a postal letter carrier, claimed that bending and other work duties aggravated his low back condition and left him unable to work. His treating physician supported a connection, while an impartial medical specialist concluded that the record did not show a work related low back injury or…
M.O. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Pittsburgh, PA
M.O. (ECAB 14-1133): Part of overpayment fault finding set aside
M.O., a postal employee, returned to full time work while OWCP continued depositing disability compensation. The Board upheld the total overpayment of $3,456.72. It found that he was not at fault for the first incorrect direct deposit of $230.45 because he could not decline it at the moment of…
P.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cherry Hill, NJ
P.F. (ECAB 14-1130): Shoulder injury denial affirmed
P.F., a postal letter carrier, reported shoulder pain after closing her delivery vehicle’s sliding door. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied the claim because the medical evidence did not adequately explain a causal link between the incident and her shoulder condition. The Board…
K.P. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Seattle, WA
K.P. (ECAB 14-1110): Late reconsideration request rejected
K.P., a transportation security officer with accepted back strains, sought reconsideration after OWCP ended her injury benefits. OWCP received her request more than one year after its most recent merit decision. The Board found that the later imaging and physician reports did not show on their face…
H.O. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New York, NY
H.O. (ECAB 13-1856): Injury claim after lifting mail bucket denied
H.O., a postal letter carrier, reported back and leg symptoms after lifting a bucket of mail. OWCP accepted that the lifting occurred at work but denied his injury claim, and the Board affirmed. His physician attributed the later pain to the lift without explaining how it caused or aggravated a…
B.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Detroit, MI
B.W. (ECAB 13-1598): Wage earning capacity decision left in place
B.W., a postal letter carrier with accepted knee conditions, had worked as a modified carrier when OWCP determined in 1997 that she had no wage earning capacity loss. She later sought to change that determination, arguing that the modified position was makeshift and that her condition had worsened…
L.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Trenton Processing & Distribution Center, Trenton, NJ
L.H. (ECAB 13-0923): Emotional and head injury claims denied
L.H., a postal clerk, claimed an emotional condition and head injury after a dispute about moving her ergonomic chair at work and a later collapse. The Board found no evidence that moving the chair exceeded her documented restrictions at the time, or that the supervisor’s other actions involved…
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Island, Virginia (Agency) and Ronald H. Walsh (Petitioner) and American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (Exclusive Representative)
NASA Wallops Island, Walsh, and AFGE (FLRA WA-RP-13-0052): Decertification petition dismissed
An employee at NASA's Wallops Island facility filed a petition to remove AFGE as the bargaining-unit representative. A regional director dismissed the petition because a collective bargaining agreement was in effect and the employee filed before the contract's open period for petitions. The…
Secretary of Labor v. Youngquist Brothers Rock, Inc.
Fall-protection citation upheld and penalty reduced
Youngquist Brothers Rock operated a surface sand, gravel, and limestone mine in Florida. An MSHA inspector saw a truck driver standing six to seven feet above the ground in a truck bed while shoveling material without a safety belt or line. Judge L. Zane Gill held that MSHA had jurisdiction because…
P.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Washington, DC
P.C. (ECAB 14-1274): Additional carpal tunnel award denied
P.C., a postal letter sorting machine operator, had previously received schedule awards for impairment associated with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. She requested another award based on a new physician’s impairment ratings, which were below the ratings in her earlier awards. The Board affirmed…
Q.D. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Philadelphia, PA
Q.D. (ECAB 14-1139): Three percent leg impairment award affirmed
Q.D., a Bureau of Prisons correctional officer, sustained an accepted right knee meniscus tear and received a schedule award for three percent impairment of her right leg. She sought a higher award based on additional ratings for sensory deficits involving her lower back. The Board found that…
B.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Dallas, TX
B.S. (ECAB 14-1062): Knee awards and overpayment recovery affirmed
B.S., a Veterans Affairs nursing assistant, received schedule awards after accepted knee injuries and total knee replacements. The Board affirmed ratings of 21 percent for the right leg and 31 percent for the left, finding the medical adviser correctly applied the impairment guide to the…
C.M. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Holtsville, NY
C.M. (ECAB 14-1010): Reconsideration of neck claim refused
C.M., an Internal Revenue Service accounts manager, attributed neck and arm conditions to desk and computer work. OWCP denied her occupational disease claim and later declined to reopen it. The Board affirmed the reconsideration ruling because several medical reports repeated evidence already…
J.C., claiming as widower of D.C., and Department of Commerce, Decennial Census, Dallas, TX
J.C. (ECAB 14-0866): Survivor benefit denial affirmed
J.C. sought death benefits after his wife, who had accepted work related knee and other conditions, died in 2012. He asserted that her chronic pain led to drug use and her death. The death certificate and autopsy listed drug abuse as the cause of death, but neither explained a connection to her…
R.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Delhi, LA
R.T. (ECAB 14-0831): Forfeiture upheld, recovery method reconsidered
R.T., a postal rural carrier associate receiving disability compensation, did not report income from selling several alligators on a required benefits form. The Board found that the sales had to be disclosed even though she considered the activity a hobby and later told OWCP about it. It upheld…
A.B. and Department of the Navy, Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, MA
A.B. (ECAB 14-0187): Hearing aid request returned after quote error
A.B., a former Navy shipyard employee with accepted work related hearing loss, sought authorization for hearing aids. OWCP denied the request while attributing a statement about age related hearing loss to his physician. The Board found that the physician had not made that statement in any report…
R.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Flemington, NJ
R.B. (ECAB 13-2072): Leg impairment dispute returned for new opinion
R.B., a postal employee with accepted back, nerve, foot, and knee conditions, sought greater schedule awards for his legs. OWCP relied on an impartial specialist’s impairment report to deny an increase. The Board found that the specialist was properly selected after an earlier impartial examiner…
United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Brownsville, Texas (Agency) and National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 160 (Union)
Customs and Border Protection, Brownsville, and NTEU Chapter 160 (FLRA 0-AR-4925): Backpay for missed overtime upheld
A Customs and Border Protection employee volunteered for an overtime shift and had the lowest overtime earnings among eligible employees, but the agency assigned the shift to someone else. The agency offered a later shift as a substitute. An arbitrator held that the labor agreement required backpay…
Matter of Jonet DOMINGUEZ-RODRIGUEZ, Respondent
Matter of Jonet DOMINGUEZ-RODRIGUEZ (BIA ID 3814): marijuana exception required circumstance-specific review
The Board reviewed the Department of Homeland Security's appeal after an Immigration Judge terminated removal proceedings against a Cuban lawful permanent resident convicted of possessing more than one ounce of marijuana. The Board held that the exception for a single offense involving possession…
D.B. and Department of the Air Force, Air Force National Guard, Phoenix, AZ
D.B. (ECAB 14-1269): Hearing loss claim returned for combined review
D.B., a retired Air Force aircraft mechanic supervisor, sought benefits for increased left ear hearing loss and a hearing aid. OWCP denied the claim on the premise that his occupational noise exposure had not been established. The Board found that he had documented work noise exposure and that OWCP…
A.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Washington, DC
A.P. (ECAB 14-1237): Termination of back injury benefits reversed
A.P., a postal mail clerk, received benefits for accepted lumbar sprain and radiculitis after a work injury. OWCP ended her wage loss and medical benefits based on an impartial examiner’s report. The Board found that the examiner’s conclusion that she could do sedentary work did not show that she…
C.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Wilkes Barre, PA
C.B. (ECAB 14-1231): Continuation of pay for later hospitalization denied
C.B., a Veterans Affairs nursing assistant, sustained an accepted chest wall contusion when a patient struck him at work. OWCP paid continuation of pay for an initial period but denied it for later hospitalization and absence from May 17 through 29. The Board found that the later hospitalization…
A.A. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Honaunau, HI
A.A. (ECAB 14-1091): Termination of back injury benefits affirmed
A.A., a National Park Service project worker, received benefits for an accepted lumbar sprain after physical work involving rocks, brush, and logs. OWCP ended those benefits after a second opinion examiner found that the work related strain had resolved and that no treatment was needed. The Board…
W.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Indianapolis, IN
W.P. (ECAB 14-1076): Denial of letter carrier's right leg claim affirmed
W.P., a Postal Service letter carrier, reported right shin and foot pain after walking her delivery route. OWCP accepted that she performed the described work activities but denied her occupational disease claim. The Board found that her physicians diagnosed conditions without adequately explaining…
Dave's Plumbing, Inc.
Four serious ladder violations affirmed
Dave's Plumbing used an extension ladder to reach a roof at a construction site. The ladder extended only a few inches above the landing, was unsecured near an active doorway, and was climbed by an employee carrying an acetylene tank. The judge also found that the employee had not received…
Heave Ho Crane Company
Default set aside and case remanded
An administrative law judge entered a default against Heave Ho Crane Company after the self-represented employer did not submit a position statement and responded to a show-cause order without an affidavit. The employer maintained that it believed the matter had already been settled or withdrawn…
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.