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.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Cascade Heights Station, Atlanta, GA
S.I. (ECAB 13-1969): Resolved strain and recurrence denial upheld
S.I., a postal letter carrier, had accepted neck and shoulder strains after a fall at work. OWCP found that the accepted strains had resolved and denied a later claimed recurrence. The Board agreed that the record showed resolution of the accepted conditions and did not establish a recurrence in…
A.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Jacksonville, FL
A.B. (ECAB 13-1965): Knee and back occupational disease claim denied
A.B., a postal mail handler, attributed knee and low back conditions to lifting, twisting, and walking on concrete at work. OWCP accepted that she performed the described duties. The Board found that the medical reports did not adequately explain how those duties caused the diagnosed conditions. It…
D.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
D.T. (ECAB 13-1376): Off-premises truck injury claim denied
D.T., a postal employee, was injured after taking an employer truck off the premises to a repair shop. OWCP found that he lacked permission to make that trip. The Board found the evidence did not establish that the accident occurred in the performance of duty. It affirmed OWCP’s February 19, 2013…
National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 231 (Union) and United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Scobey, Montana (Agency)
Scobey customs office and NTEU Chapter 231 (FLRA 0-AR-4842): Lost overtime backpay stands
A customs officer in Scobey lost an overtime opportunity that agency policy entitled him to receive. An arbitrator ordered a future assignment but denied backpay; the Authority earlier modified that award to provide the lost pay. After a court remand, the Authority reconsidered the agency's…
A.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Columbus, OH
A.F. (ECAB 13-2038): Dual-benefit overpayment and fault upheld
A.F., a postal mail processor, received benefits from both OWCP and the Office of Personnel Management for February through early April 2013. The Board found that the overlapping payments created a $6,846.71 overpayment. It also upheld OWCP’s finding that A.F. was at fault, which barred waiver. It…
C.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Columbia, SC
C.V. (ECAB 13-2004): Emotional condition claim denied
C.V., a postal distribution manager, attributed stress to actions by his supervisor. OWCP denied the emotional condition claim. The Board found that the record did not establish a compensable employment factor, such as error or abuse in the personnel actions described. It therefore did not reach…
T.W. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Houston, TX
T.W. (ECAB 13-1967): Hearing loss schedule award denied
T.W., an FBI special agent, had accepted work-related hearing loss after firearms training exposure. He sought a schedule award. The Board found that the audiometric results did not show ratable hearing impairment under the applicable standards. It affirmed OWCP’s August 14, 2013 denial of a…
S.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Gaithersburg, MD
S.E. (ECAB 13-1931): Dual-benefit reconsideration refused
S.E., a postal employee, asked OWCP to reconsider a decision concerning overlapping FECA and veterans benefits. The Board found that she repeated an argument OWCP had already considered and did not submit material requiring a new merits review. It affirmed OWCP’s June 4, 2013 decision.
D.B. and Department of the Interior, Office of the Inspector General, Sacramento, CA
D.B. (ECAB 13-1907): Hearing award sent back for tinnitus review
D.B. had received a schedule award for 29 percent binaural hearing loss and sought a higher award after further noise exposure. The Board found that the hearing-test calculation was supported, but OWCP had not obtained enough medical evidence to decide whether tinnitus affected his daily…
R.A. and U.S. Postal Service, North Metro Post Office, Duluth, GA
R.A. (ECAB 13-1650): Back disability recurrence denied
R.A., a postal mail processor with an accepted lumbar strain, claimed a recurrence of disability after his limited-duty job was withdrawn. OWCP obtained an impartial medical examination to resolve conflicting opinions about continuing injury-related disability. The Board found that the impartial…
P.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Long Beach Processing & Distribution Center, Long Beach, CA
P.S. (ECAB 13-1445): Customer care earnings used for wage capacity
P.S., a postal mail processing clerk with an accepted shoulder injury, returned to work as a customer care representative within medical restrictions. OWCP used her actual earnings in that job to measure wage-earning capacity. The Board found that those earnings fairly and reasonably represented…
M.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Sunnyvale, CA
M.F. (ECAB 13-1356): Emotional condition claim denied
M.F., a postal letter carrier, claimed an emotional condition arising from alleged coworker harassment and other workplace events. OWCP denied the claim. The Board found that the record did not establish a compensable employment factor under FECA. It affirmed OWCP’s December 31, 2012 decision…
United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, Marine Operations Center (Agency) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 80 (Union)
NOAA Marine Operations Center and IBEW Local 80 (FLRA 0-AR-4918): Vessel-quarters consultation award stands
NOAA changed a vessel-quarters policy that could affect electronics technicians represented by IBEW Local 80. It emailed proposed changes to the union but received no response and implemented them. An arbitrator found that the parties' agreement required consultation and that the agency should have…
Matter of M-E-V-G-, Respondent
Matter of M-E-V-G- (BIA ID 3795): the particular social group test requires social distinction
The Board reconsidered a Honduran respondent's asylum and withholding-of-removal claims on remand from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The respondent said that members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang persecuted him and his family and threatened him because he refused to join…
Matter of W-G-R-, Respondent
Matter of W-G-R- (BIA ID 3794): particular social group requires social distinction and a persecution nexus
The Board reviewed a Salvadoran respondent's appeal from the denial of asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture. The respondent said that members of the Mara 18 gang attacked him after he left the gang, including shooting him in the leg, and that he feared…
G.M. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, San Diego, CA
G.M. (ECAB 13-2143): Training-related illness claim denied
G.M., an immigration enforcement agent, reported neurological symptoms during firearms qualification training. OWCP accepted that he was at the range, but denied his injury claim. The Board found no physician opinion establishing that his work activities caused a diagnosed condition. It affirmed…
M.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
M.N. (ECAB 13-2142): Continued back disability claim denied
M.N., a postal clerk expediter, sought compensation for disability after OWCP ended benefits for an accepted lumbar sprain. The earlier termination was no longer under review. The Board found that the subsequent medical evidence did not establish disability after January 15, 2012 caused by the…
J.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Burlington, VT
J.B. (ECAB 13-2057): Hand injury claim and hearing request denied
J.B., a postal mail clerk, reported that a door closed on his left hand at work. OWCP denied the injury claim and later denied his request for an oral hearing. The Board found that the medical record did not adequately establish a hand injury caused by the incident. It also upheld the hearing…
M.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Miami, FL
M.B. (ECAB 13-2006): Back disability recurrence denied
M.B., a postal automation clerk, sought compensation for renewed disability after an accepted lumbar sprain. OWCP denied the recurrence claim. The Board found that the medical reports did not adequately connect the later back condition and disability to the accepted injury. It affirmed OWCP’s May…
S.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, White Plains, NY
S.C. (ECAB 13-1921): Shoulder condition claim denied
S.C., a postal rural carrier, reported a fall while delivering packages in November 2009 and later sought benefits for a right shoulder condition. OWCP accepted the fall but denied the shoulder claim. The Board found that the medical opinion did not adequately explain how the later condition…
F.W. and Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA
F.W. (ECAB 13-1898): Higher right leg award denied
F.W., a Defense Logistics Agency distribution worker, received a schedule award for three percent impairment of her right leg after an accepted back condition. She sought a higher rating. The Board found that a whole-person spinal rating could not establish a FECA schedule award and that the record…
D.E. and General Services Administration, Public Building Services, Los Angeles, CA
D.E. (ECAB 13-1878): Consequential left knee claim denied
D.E. sought to have a left knee condition recognized as a consequence of an accepted back injury or a later fall. OWCP obtained an impartial medical examination to resolve conflicting opinions. The Board found that the impartial opinion did not establish the claimed causal connection. It affirmed…
F.N. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, New Jersey Health Care System, Lyons, NJ
F.N. (ECAB 13-1601): Reconsideration deadline extended through Monday
F.N. asked OWCP to reconsider a December 15, 2011 occupational disease denial. OWCP rejected the request as late because it received it more than a year after the denial. The Board held that the deadline extended to the next business day, when the request was received. It set aside both 2013…
L.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Hauppauge, NY
L.M. (ECAB 13-1402): Knee sprain recognized; aggravation question remanded
L.M., a postal letter carrier, felt left knee pain when stepping onto a curb while working. OWCP denied her injury claim. The Board found that the evidence established a work-related left knee sprain. It modified OWCP’s May 7, 2013 decision and remanded for further review of whether the incident…
Applied Aquatic Management, Inc.
Airboat-collision citation vacated
Applied Aquatic Management used airboats to perform aquatic plant management work in Florida. Two company airboats collided in a blind trail after one operator entered a dead end and turned back, seriously injuring one employee and causing the death of another. OSHA alleged that the company had not…
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1897 (Union) and United States Department of the Air Force, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (Agency)
Eglin Air Force Base and AFGE Local 1897 (FLRA 0-AR-4904): Child-care suspension upheld
A day-care worker at Eglin Air Force Base was suspended for five days after a toddler left the playground while she was talking with parents outside her view of the children. An arbitrator found that the worker had failed to supervise the children under the base's instruction and that the…
Brody Mining, LLC v. Secretary of Labor, MSHA
Brody Mining, LLC v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEVA 2014-82-R, et al.): Interlocutory review granted on pattern rule
The Chief Administrative Law Judge certified questions concerning MSHA's 2013 pattern-of-violations rule for immediate Commission review. The Commission agreed that the issues involved controlling questions of law and that immediate review could materially advance the cases. It granted review of…
F.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Dearborn, MI
F.J. (ECAB 13-2080): Back claim reconsideration refused
F.J., a postal letter carrier with accepted lumbar conditions, asked OWCP to reconsider a compensation decision. The Board found that the request did not present a new legal argument or relevant new evidence requiring merits review. It affirmed OWCP’s July 18, 2013 refusal to reopen the claim.
D.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Willowick, OH
D.R. (ECAB 13-2012): Occupational disease reconsideration refused
D.R., a postal mail carrier, asked OWCP to reconsider its denial of an occupational disease claim involving his back and pelvis. The Board’s review was limited to whether the request warranted a new merits review. It found no qualifying new legal argument or relevant medical evidence and affirmed…
C.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Vista, CA
C.J. (ECAB 13-1959): Higher arm schedule awards denied
C.J., a postal letter carrier, sought schedule awards above the 22 percent right arm and 31 percent left arm ratings already granted. The Board found no medical evidence establishing greater impairment of either arm and affirmed OWCP’s June 18, 2013 decision. Its conclusion calls the 31 percent…
E.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
E.C. (ECAB 13-1937): Late reconsideration request denied
E.C. asked OWCP to reconsider an earlier compensation decision involving his limited-duty position. OWCP received the request more than one year after the last merit decision. The Board found it untimely and the submission insufficient to show clear error. It affirmed OWCP’s July 8, 2013 decision.
M.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New York, NY
M.M. (ECAB 13-1932): Social Security overpayment recovery upheld
M.M., a postal distribution clerk, received FECA compensation while also receiving Social Security retirement benefits. The Board upheld OWCP’s $12,274.11 overpayment finding and its denial of waiver. It also upheld recovery by deducting $300 every 28 days from continuing compensation and the…
J.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
J.J. (ECAB 13-1656): Termination of injury benefits reversed
J.J., a postal clerk, received benefits for accepted back and hip strains after a workplace fall. OWCP ended his medical and wage-loss benefits. The Board found an unresolved conflict in medical opinions about whether the accepted conditions had resolved. It held that OWCP had not met its burden…
M.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cherry Hill, NJ
M.B. (ECAB 13-1330): Benefit termination upheld
M.B., a postal employee, received benefits for accepted lumbar and carpal tunnel conditions. OWCP terminated wage-loss and medical benefits after obtaining an impartial medical opinion. The Board found that the opinion supported the finding that work-related residuals had ended and affirmed OWCP’s…
F.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Glenside, PA
F.B. (ECAB 13-500): Overpayment finding partly upheld; right leg award remanded
F.B., a former postal letter carrier, challenged schedule-award and overpayment decisions involving separate injury claims. The Board upheld the finding that he had no more than nine percent left leg impairment and that a $9,620.29 overpayment occurred. It found that he was not at fault for that…
J.K. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Newark, NJ
J.K. (ECAB 13-25): Impairment examiner selection requires a new referral
J.K. sought a higher schedule award for an accepted right knee injury. OWCP relied on an impartial examiner, but the Board found that the record did not establish proper selection under the strict rotation procedure. It ordered OWCP to refer J.K. to another impartial examiner and issue a new…
United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Prisons Camp, Bryan, Texas (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, Council of Prison Locals, Local 3978 (Union)
Bryan prison camp and AFGE Local 3978 (FLRA 0-AR-4872): Inmate count overtime retained
Correctional officers at a Bryan, Texas, prison camp sought overtime for work around shift changes. An arbitrator awarded fifteen minutes per shift for officers who jointly conducted and verified the midnight inmate count, plus five minutes for other officers' pre-shift equipment exchanges. The…
D.A. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations & Customs Enforcement, Los Angeles, CA
D.A. (ECAB 13-2062): Food-related injury claim denied
D.A., an immigration enforcement employee, claimed illness after eating food at work in June 2011. The Board had previously found the medical evidence insufficient to establish a diagnosed condition caused by the incident. OWCP denied modification on reconsideration. On appeal, the Board found that…
R.B. and Department of the Navy, Camp Pendleton, CA
R.B. (ECAB 13-2040): Additional arm schedule awards denied
R.B., a Navy employee, had received schedule awards for 10 percent impairment of each arm and sought additional awards. OWCP denied the request, and the Board affirmed its July 5, 2013 decision. The PDF’s conclusion says he has more than 10 percent impairment, which conflicts with its analysis and…
E.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Jamaica, NY
E.W. (ECAB 13-2007): Left shoulder injury claim denied
E.W., a postal city carrier, claimed a left shoulder and arm injury from lifting packages at work. OWCP denied the claim. The Board found the medical evidence insufficient to establish a diagnosed injury caused by the claimed work incident. It affirmed OWCP’s June 28, 2013 decision.
J.M. and Department of the Navy, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA
J.M. (ECAB 13-1956): Hearing loss claim returned for medical clarification
J.M., a Navy shipyard data control clerk, claimed hearing loss from federal employment. OWCP denied the claim after receiving inconsistent medical opinions from the same physician about whether work noise contributed. The Board found that OWCP had not resolved the discrepancy after undertaking…
S.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Atlanta, GA
S.M. (ECAB 13-1923): Bilateral shoulder injury claim denied
S.M., a postal mail handler, reported bilateral shoulder pain after lifting at work. OWCP accepted that the April 2013 incident occurred but denied the injury claim. The Board found that the medical evidence did not adequately connect a diagnosed shoulder condition to that incident. It affirmed…
J.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Piscataway, NJ
J.T. (ECAB 13-1859): Knee benefit termination upheld
J.T., a postal employee, challenged termination of wage-loss and medical benefits for an accepted left knee injury. The Board found that OWCP had shown the injury no longer caused compensable residuals or disability as of May 8, 2012. It also found that J.T. did not establish continuing disability…
Y.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Palatine, IL
Y.L. (ECAB 13-1857): Higher right leg schedule award denied
Y.L., a postal mail handler, injured her right foot when magazines fell on it at work. OWCP awarded two percent permanent impairment of her right leg. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish a higher ratable impairment. It affirmed OWCP’s May 29, 2013 decision.
Y.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Austin, TX
Y.T. (ECAB 13-1659): Late reconsideration request denied
Y.T., a postal manual clerk, asked OWCP to reconsider a decision involving accepted shoulder and neck conditions. OWCP received the request more than one year after its last merit decision. The Board found it untimely and insufficient to show clear error in the earlier decision. It affirmed OWCP’s…
Western World, Inc.
Theme-park firearms safety citation affirmed
Western World operated Wild West City, a New Jersey theme park where employees used firearms in staged gunfights. An employee was seriously injured when he was shot during a performance after live ammunition had been brought to the worksite. Although the company prohibited live ammunition, it…
Charter Communications, Inc.
In re Charter Communications, Inc. (EAB MM 14-01C): Consent Agreement ratified
Charter Communications, Inc. resolved related EPA enforcement matters under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act through a Consent Agreement. The Environmental Appeals Board incorporated the agreement into its Final Order and ratified it under…
V.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Edison, NJ
V.P. (ECAB 13-1844): Higher left arm schedule award denied
V.P., a postal equipment mechanic, sought a schedule award above the 20 percent left arm impairment already granted for accepted finger injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome. OWCP obtained an impartial medical opinion to resolve conflicting ratings. The Board found that the evidence did not support a…
B.R. and Department of the Air Force, Tinker Air Force Base, OK
B.R. (ECAB 13-1808): Continued knee disability claim denied
B.R. sought compensation for disability after OWCP ended wage-loss benefits for an accepted right knee injury. The Board found that the later medical reports did not establish continuing disability caused by that injury after April 4, 2006. It affirmed OWCP’s January 29 and June 19, 2013 decisions.
D.A. and Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Jeffersonville, IN
D.A. (ECAB 13-1778): Schedule award denied for lack of impairment rating
D.A., a Census Bureau printer operator, sought a schedule award for accepted hand and nerve conditions. OWCP requested a physician’s impairment rating under the applicable medical guide, but none was submitted. The Board found the treatment notes insufficient to establish ratable permanent…
W.L. and Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Vancouver, WA
W.L. (ECAB 13-1727): Dust and mold illness claim denied
W.L., a Bonneville Power Administration land surveyor, attributed pneumonia to dust and mold in a work building. OWCP denied the occupational disease claim and later refused reconsideration. The Board found insufficient proof that the claimed illness was caused by work exposure and no basis…
J.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Baltimore, MD
J.M. (ECAB 13-1677): Higher bilateral arm awards denied
J.M., a postal worker with accepted wrist tendinitis, had received schedule awards for 27 percent impairment of each arm. She sought higher ratings. The Board found that the newer measurements did not establish greater impairment under the applicable rating guide. It affirmed OWCP’s March 1 and…
S.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Des Moines, IA
S.S. (ECAB 13-1183): Back benefit termination and surgery denial upheld
S.S., a postal employee, challenged termination of wage-loss and medical benefits from an accepted back injury and denial of authorization for back surgery. The Board found that OWCP had shown the accepted injury no longer caused residuals after November 5, 2012. It also upheld the refusal to…
S.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Lakeland, FL
S.P. (ECAB 13-646): Late reconsideration denial reversed for clear error
S.P., a postal distribution clerk, challenged a reduction in compensation based on a cashier job. The Board agreed that her reconsideration request was late, but found clear error because OWCP had failed to consider medical reports received before an earlier decision on the job’s suitability. It…
R.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Dallas, TX
R.G. (ECAB 13-10): Information clerk wage capacity upheld
R.G., a postal letter carrier with accepted neck, back, and shoulder conditions, challenged a reduction in compensation based on an information clerk position. The Board found that medical and vocational evidence supported her ability to perform that available job. It held that OWCP met its burden…
D.W. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Washington, DC
D.W. (ECAB 13-1951): Emotional claim reconsideration refused
D.W., a federal management analyst, asked OWCP to reconsider its denial of an emotional condition claim. The Board found that her submission did not establish an error in applying law or offer new relevant evidence about a compensable work factor. It affirmed OWCP’s July 25, 2013 refusal to reopen…
R.M. and Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH
R.M. (ECAB 13-1924): Work activity did not establish claimed injury
R.M., an Air Force pipefitter helper, reported testicular pain while removing bolts from a heat exchanger. OWCP accepted that the work activity occurred. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish an injury caused by that activity. It treated OWCP’s July 15, 2013 ruling as a merits…
G.S. and Department of the Air Force, Air Force Logistics Command, McClellan Air Force Base, CA
G.S. (ECAB 13-1841): Higher bilateral leg award denied
G.S., an Air Force maintenance foreman, received schedule awards for three percent impairment of the right leg and one percent of the left leg after an accepted back condition. He sought greater impairment ratings. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish more than four percent…
J.M. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Greenbelt, MD
J.M. (ECAB 13-1812): Increased hearing award request requires merits review
J.M., a National Park Service employee with an earlier hearing loss award, sought an increased award based on claimed later noise exposure and a new medical examination. OWCP treated the submission as a late reconsideration request and denied it for lack of clear error. The Board found that it was…
T.O. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Edison, NJ
T.O. (ECAB 13-1739): Back surgery authorization denied
T.O., a postal mail carrier with accepted back and other conditions, requested authorization for lumbar surgery. OWCP denied the request. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish that the proposed procedures were necessary for accepted work-related conditions. It held that OWCP…
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.