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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C.R. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Lanham, MD
C.R. (ECAB 09-1875): Workplace fall claim denied for lack of medical causation
C.R., an IRS computer specialist, reported falling at work and dislocating her right shoulder. OWCP accepted that the fall occurred but denied her injury claim because the medical evidence did not connect a diagnosed condition to the fall. The Board found that the emergency physician’s discharge…
L.M. and Department of Agriculture, Food Safety & Inspection Service, Natchitoches, LA
L.M. (ECAB 09-1810): Earlier wage loss for hand dermatitis denied
L.M., a food safety inspector, developed hand dermatitis from wearing latex gloves at work. OWCP accepted the condition and paid wage loss for part of her absence, but denied compensation for February 3 through 26, 2008. Her doctor excused her from work and described the dermatitis, along with…
A.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Mobile, AL
A.B. (ECAB 09-1772): Emotional condition claim denied after job reassignment
A.B., a postal employee, sought compensation for depression after she was returned from a support clerk position to a custodial position. She said the reassignment was an improper demotion and referred to a grievance and an EEO claim. The Board treated the reassignment as a personnel matter and…
J.A. and Department of the Navy, Military Sealift Command, Virginia Beach, VA
J.A. (ECAB 09-1728): Compensation pay rate affirmed without premium pay
J.A., a civilian mariner with an accepted back condition, asked OWCP to include weekend, holiday and night premium pay in the rate used to calculate his disability compensation. After an earlier Board remand, his employer explained that the agreement J.A. relied on applied only to personnel on…
S.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
S.H. (ECAB 09-1703): No increase in arm and thumb schedule awards
S.H., a postal employee, sought larger schedule awards for her left arm and right thumb. After an earlier Board remand, OWCP obtained an examination from an impartial orthopedic specialist to resolve conflicting impairment ratings. The specialist measured her wrist and thumb movement and applied…
E.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Flushing, NY
E.C. (ECAB 09-1439): Workplace incident accepted, injury claim still denied
E.C., a postal clerk, reported striking her head on a cash drawer and moving loaded mail carts at work. OWCP denied her injury claim, finding both that the events were unproved and that the medical evidence did not establish an injury caused by them. The Board found her account of the workplace…
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
J.S. (ECAB 09-1338): Leg impairment award returned for impartial examination
J.S., a postal letter carrier, received a schedule award for four percent impairment of each leg after an accepted back injury. His doctor reported much higher impairment ratings, including motor and sensory deficits, while OWCP’s medical adviser found only sensory impairment. The Board found a…
J.W. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Bangor, ME
J.W. (ECAB 09-1329): Emotional condition claim denial affirmed
J.W., a TSA screening supervisor, claimed an emotional condition arising from alleged retaliation, harassment and personnel actions at work. He described a performance plan, a proposed transfer and management’s responses to workplace concerns he raised. The Board treated the personnel and…
G.C. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Atlantic City, NJ
G.C. (ECAB 09-1024): Sixteen percent right arm award retained
G.C., an FAA dock worker, sought a larger schedule award for impairment of his right shoulder after rotator cuff surgery. His doctors gave higher ratings than OWCP’s medical adviser, so OWCP sent him to an impartial orthopedic specialist. G.C. challenged the specialist’s selection and the basis for…
United States Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, National Distribution Center, Bloomington, Illinois (Agency) and National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 43 (Union)
IRS Bloomington and NTEU Chapter 43 (FLRA 0-AR-4351): bargaining remedy upheld
The IRS changed how temporary intermittent employees at its Bloomington distribution center were released early from work and recalled. An arbitrator found an established practice based on volunteers and inverse seniority, and ruled that the IRS committed an unfair labor practice by refusing to…
J.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Collierville, TN
J.B. (ECAB 10-0074): Back disease claim and reconsideration denial affirmed
J.B., a postal letter carrier, claimed a back condition from her work. She chiefly cited a single incident in 2004, which had been handled under a separate traumatic injury claim. For this occupational disease claim, the Board found that she had not described the work duties and period of exposure…
K.L. and Department of the Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Comptroller Department, Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, SC
K.L. (ECAB 09-1865): Hearing loss award reversed as untimely
K.L., a retired Marine Corps air station employee, filed a hearing loss claim in 2008. OWCP accepted work-related hearing loss and granted a schedule award for 15 percent loss in each ear. The Board raised the filing deadline on appeal and found that K.L. knew of the condition’s connection to work…
K.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Northland Station, Columbus, OH
K.C. (ECAB 09-1860): Left knee claim returned for impartial examination
K.C., a postal mail carrier, claimed that years of walking, lifting and other work activity aggravated arthritis in his left knee. His treating orthopedic surgeon linked the knee condition to those duties, while OWCP’s orthopedic examiner found that daily work did not cause or aggravate it. The…
M.W. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, San Antonio, TX
M.W. (ECAB 09-1845): Reduced compensation based on jailer wages affirmed
M.W., an immigration enforcement agent, received disability compensation after an accepted right knee and hip injury. OWCP reduced his benefits after finding that he could work as a jailer at an estimated $670 a week. The Board found that the job’s listed lifting demands fit his doctor’s…
C.S. and Department of the Army, Military Personnel Office, Fort Leonard Wood, MO
C.S. (ECAB 09-1667): Reconsideration denial affirmed without merit review
C.S., an Army human resources assistant, claimed a neck condition related to workstation ergonomics and her workload. OWCP denied the claim for lack of a reasoned medical opinion connecting the condition to work. She later sought reconsideration and submitted additional treatment reports. The Board…
T.B. and Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Federal Air Marshal Service, West Orange, NJ
T.B. (ECAB 09-1516): Three percent left arm impairment award affirmed
T.B., a federal air marshal, sought a larger schedule award for his left shoulder condition. After earlier Board remands, OWCP’s medical adviser explained why the examination reports did not support a rating based on shoulder movement, strength or a clavicle procedure. He found that the documented…
V.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Carol Stream, IL
V.P. (ECAB 09-1349): Consequential hernia claim denial affirmed
V.P., a postal mail processing clerk, received physical therapy and work conditioning after surgery for an accepted left shoulder injury. She claimed that the exercises worsened a preexisting abdominal hernia. Her treating doctors supported a connection, while OWCP’s examiner disagreed, so OWCP…
K.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Columbus, OH
K.E. (ECAB 09-1217): Reconsideration denial affirmed without merit review
K.E., a postal clerk, had previously lost compensation for accepted hand and wrist conditions after the Board upheld OWCP’s termination. She asked OWCP to reconsider and submitted a new doctor’s report about continuing arm pain. The Board found that the doctor agreed she did not currently meet the…
Denny Maize Construction
Eight serious construction items affirmed
Denny Maize Construction did not appear at the hearing, and OSHA's inspection evidence was undisputed. Workers lacked hard hats and eye protection, used circular saws with blade guards wedged open, and used damaged or improperly spliced extension cords. OSHA also documented an undersized scaffold…
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 3506 (Union) and Social Security Administration, Dallas, Texas (Agency)
AFGE Local 3506 and Social Security Administration (FLRA 0-AR-4309): nonselection grievance remanded
The Social Security Administration left two Paralegal Specialist positions unfilled after posting a vacancy in Dallas. A union steward who had applied alleged that the nonselection reflected improper treatment tied to union and whistleblowing activity and a perceived disability. An arbitrator…
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Island Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 2755 (Labor Organization/Petitioner)
NASA Wallops Island and AFGE Local 2755 (FLRA WA-RP-08-0037): unit exclusion upheld
AFGE asked to add professional administrative positions at NASA's Wallops Island facility to its bargaining unit. A regional director found those positions excluded under an earlier election agreement and found no evidence of changed duties or newly created categories that would justify…
W.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Stratford, CT
W.M. (ECAB 09-1993): Reconsideration denial affirmed without merit review
W.M., a postal letter carrier, reported lower back pain while carrying a mail satchel at work. OWCP accepted that the event happened but denied his injury claim because the medical evidence did not establish that it caused a back condition. He sought reconsideration with an accident form, his job…
M.D. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Fort Wayne, IN
M.D. (ECAB 09-1896): Wage loss claim returned to clarify available light duty
M.D., a VA employee with accepted carpal tunnel syndrome, sought wage loss compensation for time away from work after surgery. OWCP denied compensation for February 8 through March 7, 2006, finding the medical evidence did not show total disability. The Board noted evidence that she could perform…
C.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Spokane, WA
C.H. (ECAB 09-1819): Occupational disease claim denial affirmed
C.H., a postal distribution clerk, attributed osteoarthritis and other symptoms to repetitive lifting, twisting and squatting at work. OWCP accepted that she performed the identified duties but denied the claim for lack of medical proof connecting them to a diagnosed condition. The Board found that…
A.H. and Department of the Navy, Naval Facility, Cherry Point, NC
A.H. (ECAB 09-1763): Occupational back claim barred as untimely
A.H., a retired Navy employee, filed in 2008 for ongoing back problems he associated with several incidents at work. Although his form named a 1977 injury for which he had previously filed a timely claim, the Board treated this filing as an occupational disease claim based on the cumulative effects…
G.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Baltimore, MD
G.T. (ECAB 09-1762): Five percent awards for each arm affirmed
G.T., a postal employee with accepted bilateral wrist and hand conditions, received schedule awards for five percent impairment of each arm. She argued that her left side should have a higher rating than her right. Her treating orthopedic surgeon found the same five percent rating for each side…
L.R. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Temple, TX
L.R. (ECAB 09-1388): Benefit termination and hearing denial affirmed
L.R., a VA nurse, received compensation after an accepted injury involving her spine and several other conditions. OWCP ended her wage loss benefits after an orthopedic examiner concluded that the accepted conditions had resolved. The Board found his detailed examination more persuasive than the…
J.S. and Department of the Army, Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, AL
J.S. (ECAB 09-1297): Forklift incident established; injury claim returned
J.S., an Army depot forklift operator, reported shoulder pain and swelling after moving baskets and turning the forklift wheel at work. OWCP denied her claim because it found the work incident unproved. The Board found her account consistent and supported by statements from supervisors and…
C.M. and Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, Dallas, TX
C.M. (ECAB 09-0873): Consequential injury claim denied
C.M., a Census Bureau field representative, injured her right elbow when a door struck her arm during a survey. OWCP accepted an elbow sprain and epicondylitis and authorized surgery. She later claimed that right radial tunnel syndrome and finger edema resulted from the injury or surgery. Her…
J.B. and Department of the Air Force, Eilson Air Force Base, AK
J.B. (ECAB 09-1757): Denial of additional cervical surgery affirmed
J.B., an Air Force transportation assistant, injured his spine and spinal cord when he fell down stairs at work. After an earlier cervical fusion, his surgeon requested authorization for another cervical operation. OWCP's medical adviser disagreed about the need for surgery, so OWCP obtained an…
J.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
J.H. (ECAB 09-1733): Hernia claim and hearing denial affirmed
J.H., a postal letter carrier, reported groin pain and a hernia after lifting a tub of mail at work. OWCP accepted that he lifted the tub but denied the injury claim for lack of sufficient medical evidence connecting a diagnosed condition to that incident. The Board found that some physicians…
E.R. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Phoenix, AZ
E.R. (ECAB 09-1655): Reconsideration denial set aside
E.R., a transportation security screener, sustained an accepted lower back strain while lifting a heavy bag. He later sought to add depression and anxiety as consequences of the injury. After OWCP denied that claim, he submitted a new physician's report linking his emotional condition to the injury…
H.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Kearny, NJ
H.M. (ECAB 09-1398): Five percent impairment of each arm affirmed
H.M., a postal mail handler, developed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and underwent release surgery on both wrists. She sought a schedule award greater than the five percent impairment OWCP assigned to each arm. The Board found that her own doctor's higher rating used grip and pinch strength…
L.E. and Department of the Navy, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA
L.E. (ECAB 09-1306): Workplace noise claim denied
L.E., a retired Navy shipyard rigger, claimed that years of workplace noise damaged his hearing. OWCP accepted his noise exposure but denied the claim because the medical evidence did not establish work-related hearing loss. The Board found that a hearing instrument dispenser's opinion and test…
D.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Mid, FL
D.C. (ECAB 09-1274): Workload recognized as a compensable factor
D.C., a postal manager, claimed that workplace pressures and treatment by her supervisor caused an emotional condition. OWCP denied the claim after finding no compensable employment factor. The Board found that her regular and specially assigned duties included extensive reports, meetings and long…
B.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Lehigh Valley, PA
B.H. (ECAB 09-1230): Work incident established, injury denial upheld
B.H., a postal clerk, reported back pain after moving a cart and heavy tubs of mail during an overnight shift. OWCP denied her claim because her accounts gave different dates for the incident. The Board found that her work schedule and explanations resolved that discrepancy and established that the…
A.A. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, Tucson, AZ
A.A. (ECAB 09-1121): Leg impairment awards returned for medical clarification
A.A., a customs agriculture specialist, sustained accepted lumbar conditions while inspecting fruit containers. OWCP awarded schedule benefits for three percent permanent impairment of each leg, while her treating neurologist proposed higher ratings. An impartial orthopedic surgeon found no leg…
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2585, Council of Prison Locals C-33 (Union) and United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution, Bennettsville, South Carolina (Agency)
AFGE Local 2585 and Bennettsville prison (FLRA 0-AR-4576): union exceptions denied
AFGE Local 2585 challenged an arbitration award involving the federal prison in Bennettsville, South Carolina. The Authority's short decision gives no facts about the underlying grievance or the award's remedy. It says the union did not establish arbitrator bias or that the arbitrator exceeded his…
Secretary of Labor v. Alex Energy, Inc.
Hearing kept despite settlement in principle
Three Alex Energy penalty proceedings were scheduled for an April 7, 2010 hearing. The parties reported a settlement in principle for one docket after months of negotiations, but no settlement-approval motion had been filed in any case. Judge Jerold Feldman kept the hearing on schedule and stated…
Matter of Antonio PEREZ RAMIREZ
Probation-revocation sentence counted toward aggravated felony
The Board reviewed a Mexican lawful permanent resident's appeal from a removal order based on a California misdemeanor conviction for willfully inflicting corporal injury on a spouse. After the respondent violated probation, the state court imposed 365 days in jail, and the Board held that this…
L.C. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Portland, OR
L.C. (ECAB 09-1816): Pay rate decisions set aside again
L.C., a medical center nurse, disputed the pay rate used to calculate compensation after a work-related thumb injury. In an earlier appeal, the Board had set aside OWCP's pay rate decision and ordered further development. OWCP then reissued the same pay rate without following that direction and…
M.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Wellefleet, MA
M.D. (ECAB 09-1773): Cold exposure claim and reconsideration denied
M.D., a postal rural carrier, reported that her feet and toes became numb and white while she rode in a work vehicle. She claimed that cold exposure triggered Raynaud's syndrome. OWCP denied the injury claim because her doctor's form did not explain how the work incident caused the condition. The…
P.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Saginaw Post Office, Saginaw, MI
P.G. (ECAB 09-1746): Single-incident hand injury claim denied
P.G., a postal mail processor, experienced left hand numbness when he lifted a tray of mail. OWCP accepted the incident but denied his traumatic injury claim for lack of a reasoned medical explanation connecting that single event to cubital tunnel syndrome. On reconsideration, his doctors described…
D.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Southeastern Processing & Distribution Center, Southeastern, PA
D.D. (ECAB 09-1743): Six percent shoulder award affirmed
D.D., a postal mail processor, injured her left shoulder through repetitive duties and later had two operations. Her doctor calculated six percent impairment from lost shoulder motion and added three percent for pain. OWCP awarded the six percent motion rating but declined the separate pain rating…
S.K. and Department of the Army, Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone, Arsenal, AL
S.K. (ECAB 09-1715): Two percent left leg award affirmed
S.K., an Army program specialist, sustained an accepted left knee meniscus tear while performing her work duties and later underwent knee surgery. Her surgeon proposed a seven percent leg impairment rating without identifying the impairment guide tables or explaining the calculation. OWCP's medical…
K.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Seattle Bulk Mail Center, Federal Way, WA
K.B. (ECAB 09-1672): Biceps injury schedule award denied
K.B., a postal mail handler, tore his left biceps tendon while removing a placard from a mail pallet. OWCP accepted the injury and he underwent surgery, but it denied his later schedule award claim. His surgeon proposed seven percent permanent arm impairment without showing how he applied the…
R.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
R.H. (ECAB 09-1270): Disability and added condition claims remanded
R.H., a postal mail handler, had accepted bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and median neuropathy. He claimed a recurrence of disability and asked OWCP to add brachial plexopathy and ulnar neuropathies as consequences of the accepted injury. His treating doctor and an OWCP examiner disagreed, so…
T.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Dominick V. Daniels Processing & Distribution Center, Kearny, NJ
T.P. (ECAB 09-1151): No increase above 24 percent right leg award
T.P., a postal mechanic, injured his back and developed sciatica after falling from a ladder. He received schedule awards totaling 24 percent permanent impairment of his right leg and sought a higher rating. The Board found that the impartial specialist's later, explained application of the…
R.E. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, Douglas, AR
R.E. (ECAB 09-1108): On-duty illness claim denied
R.E., a border patrol officer, became dizzy and began vomiting while on duty. She claimed that she might have been exposed to tuberculosis carriers or vehicle fumes at work. OWCP paid initial medical expenses but denied her claim after formal review. The Board found no established specific…
United Power Trades Organization (Union) and United States Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, Portland, Oregon (Agency)
United Power Trades and Army Corps Portland (FLRA 0-AR-4601): union exceptions denied
The United Power Trades Organization challenged an arbitration award involving the Army Corps of Engineers' Portland District. The Authority's short decision does not describe the underlying grievance or remedy. It found no basis to overturn the award under the standards for a fair hearing or a…
United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (Agency) and National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Union)
FAA and NATCA (FLRA 0-AR-4102): attorney-fee award upheld
An arbitrator set aside a fourteen-day suspension of an FAA employee but initially denied the union's request for attorney fees. After a conference call and briefs, he issued a second award granting fees for work by a union staff representative and an attorney who supervised her. The FAA argued…
H.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Nashville, TN
H.S. (ECAB 09-1839): Back injury schedule award denied
H.S., a postal employee, injured his lower back while bending to retrieve a tray, and OWCP accepted several lumbar conditions. He later requested a schedule award. The Board explained that a back impairment itself does not qualify for a schedule award under the listed body members and functions…
J.P. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA
J.P. (ECAB 09-1572): Partial disability claim denied
J.P., an IRS tax technician, sustained an accepted right shoulder and upper arm sprain from computer work. She sought compensation for reduced hours after returning to a light-duty assignment. Her doctors limited her to five hours per day, but the Board found that their notes did not adequately…
W.M. and Department of the Navy, Colts Neck, NJ
W.M. (ECAB 09-1561): Right leg award returned for rating clarification
W.M., a Navy motor vehicle operator, injured his lower back when his truck seat bounced while he drove. OWCP accepted aggravation of existing spinal conditions and awarded schedule benefits for eight percent right leg impairment. His doctor and OWCP's medical adviser calculated much higher ratings…
W.H. and Department of the Army, Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, AL
W.H. (ECAB 09-1389): Recurrence of medical condition denied
W.H., an Army depot firefighter, injured his upper back and neck while lifting a heavy block. OWCP accepted a cervical subluxation, but the treating chiropractor released him from treatment for that injury in November 2007. W.H. later sought treatment for renewed neck, back and shoulder symptoms…
C.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New York, NY
C.M. (ECAB 09-1258): Mail cart incident accepted, injury claim denied
C.M., a postal mail handler, reported pain and numbness in her left arm and hand after pulling a heavy mail cart. OWCP questioned whether the incident occurred and denied the claim. The Board found her account sufficient to establish the July 25, 2007 work incident despite delayed reporting and no…
M.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Albuquerque, NM
M.G. (ECAB 09-1207): Emotional condition claim denied
M.G., a postal window clerk, claimed anxiety after a verbal argument with coworkers about closing duties. She also challenged management's later decision to return her to regular work hours. The Board found that the argument occurred, but the evidence did not establish harassment or abuse that…
R.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Bulk Mail Center, Seattle, WA
R.V. (ECAB 09-1131): Coworker harassment claim returned for review
R.V., a postal mail handler, claimed depression and anxiety from repeated verbal conflicts with coworkers. OWCP rejected his emotional condition claim after finding his allegations unconfirmed, then declined to reopen it. The Board found that OWCP had not made adequate factual findings about…
S.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Wilmington, DE
S.R. (ECAB 09-0990): Medical benefits termination affirmed
S.R., a postal letter carrier, injured her left knee while delivering mail; OWCP later accepted reflex sympathetic dystrophy and a separate chronic pain disorder with psychological factors. OWCP ended medical benefits for the knee and reflex sympathetic dystrophy conditions after additional…
D.N. and Department of the Navy, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA
D.N. (ECAB 09-0886): No additional arm or leg schedule award
D.N., a Navy employee, sustained accepted neck, back and shoulder contusions in a work-related vehicle accident. She had already received awards for five percent left arm impairment and four percent impairment of each leg, and sought higher ratings. On remand, a second opinion surgeon rated her…
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.