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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W.B. and Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Jacksonville, FL
W.B. (ECAB 09-1285): Additional wage loss after surgery denied
W.B., a DOL employee with accepted upper extremity conditions, underwent a right median nerve release and received six weeks of wage loss compensation. He sought payments for continued disability after October 4, 2006. The Board found that his treating surgeon had reported residual thumb pain but…
R.B. and Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, Temple, TX
R.B. (ECAB 09-1241): New medical evidence requires merits review
R.B., a Department of Agriculture employee with accepted back injuries, challenged OWCP's reduction of wage loss compensation based on his ability to work as a contract clerk. After making that decision, OWCP received two reports from the impartial medical specialist and sought clarification about…
R.A. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Islip, NY
R.A. (ECAB 09-1169): Further shoulder therapy denied
R.A., a TSA security screener, had an accepted left shoulder injury, underwent surgery, and received several months of authorized physical therapy. His treating surgeon requested more therapy, while an OWCP referral physician found none was needed. An impartial orthopedic surgeon examined R.A. and…
K.M. and U.S. Postal Service, New Jersey International & Bulk Mail Center, Jersey City, NJ
K.M. (ECAB 09-1148): Compensation termination upheld
K.M., a postal mail clerk, received compensation for accepted arm, hand, and nerve conditions. Her treating physician said she remained disabled, while an OWCP referral physician found no continuing work related condition. An impartial orthopedic surgeon examined her, reviewed the medical record…
P.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Lompoc, CA
P.M. (ECAB 09-0816): Suitable work termination reversed
P.M., a postal letter carrier, received compensation for accepted arm and shoulder conditions. The Postal Service offered a modified job based on restrictions from an OWCP referral physician, but her treating surgeon imposed tighter limits on lifting, reaching, pushing, pulling, and driving. OWCP…
M.P. and Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Baltimore, MD
M.P. (ECAB 09-0545): Emotional condition claim returned for review
M.P., an OSHA compliance officer, said a worker's conduct during a safety inspection aggravated her existing anxiety disorder. OWCP recognized an incident at the job site but denied the claim after finding that the medical evidence did not establish causation. The Board found that M.P. was carrying…
Secretary of Labor v. XMV, Inc.
Supported second reopening request granted
The Commission had denied XMV's first reopening request because it did not adequately explain the missed assessment deadline. XMV returned with affidavits and documents showing that the company and its counsel had misunderstood who would file the contest while the safety director was occupied with…
Matter of Gabriel GAMERO Perez
Missing voluntary-departure advisals require a new period
The Board reviewed a respondent's appeal from the denial of cancellation of removal and the grant of voluntary departure conditioned on posting a bond. The Board agreed that the respondent had not shown the exceptional and extremely unusual hardship required for cancellation of removal. It also…
Secretary of Labor v. Allgeier Martin & Associates, Inc.
Omitted order penalty reopened
MSHA assessed Allgeier Martin for a citation and an order. The contest form submitted by mine operator Carthage Crushed Limestone marked only the citation penalty as contested. The request to reopen indicated that Allgeier intended to contest both penalties. Carthage sought reopening immediately…
A.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cohasset, MA
A.L. (ECAB 09-1529): Dual benefit overpayment requires recalculation
A.L., a retired postal carrier, elected federal disability retirement benefits but continued to receive OWCP wage loss compensation. The Board found that the overlapping payments created an overpayment and that his signed election form made him responsible for accepting the improper compensation…
A.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Memphis, TN
A.M. (ECAB 09-1394): Carpal tunnel claim stays closed
A.M., a former postal window clerk, claimed repetitive duties caused bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. OWCP denied the claim for lack of medical evidence connecting the condition to her work. She later sought reconsideration with statements describing her duties and referring to an earlier nerve…
R.H. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Bastrop, TX
R.H. (ECAB 09-1200): Late reconsideration request denied
R.H., a Bureau of Prisons accounting technician, had an emotional condition claim denied because OWCP found no compensable work factor. He requested reconsideration more than seven years after the last merits decision, arguing that his mental condition excused the delay. The Board found no medical…
K.P. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Ontario International Airport, Ontario, CA
K.P. (ECAB 09-1136): Back surgery authorization denied
K.P., a TSA supervisor with accepted lumbar conditions, underwent a lumbar fusion after her treating surgeon recommended it. OWCP denied authorization, and the Board reviewed that denial. An impartial orthopedic surgeon concluded that the preoperative imaging did not show a condition at the…
R.M. and Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Portland, OR
R.M. (ECAB 09-1092): Wage loss termination reversed
R.M., an Army Corps of Engineers dredge cook, had an accepted back injury and an existing determination of partial wage earning capacity. OWCP later ended all wage loss compensation based on a neurosurgeon's opinion that the work injury had no remaining effects. The Board found that the doctor did…
A.R. and Department of the Navy, Marine Corps, Twenty Nine Palms, CA
A.R. (ECAB 09-1060): Firefighter's occupational disease claim denied
A.R., a Marine Corps firefighter, claimed that heavy equipment and other duties caused shoulder and spinal conditions. The Board accepted that his job involved heavy lifting and a breathing apparatus but found no sufficiently reasoned medical opinion connecting those duties to a diagnosed…
L.P. and General Services Administration, Maintenance Department, Fort Worth, TX
L.P. (ECAB 09-1018): Compensation termination upheld
L.P., a General Services Administration maintenance mechanic, received compensation for a 1986 work related back injury. OWCP terminated benefits after his treating osteopath concluded that the accepted injury no longer caused residuals or disability. The Board found that opinion supported by…
D.C. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, Jamaica, NY
D.C. (ECAB 09-0996): Termination claim stays closed
D.C., a Customs and Border Protection import specialist, received compensation for accepted leg and ankle conditions until OWCP terminated benefits in 2007. She requested reconsideration, arguing that her claim should include other conditions and that the termination was wrong. The Board found that…
D.A. and Department of Health & Human Services, Social Security Administration, Center for Human Resources, Philadelphia, PA
D.A. (ECAB 09-0936): Shoulder surgery denial set aside
D.A., a Social Security Administration telephone representative, sought authorization for left shoulder surgery. Her treating surgeon and an OWCP referral surgeon disagreed about whether the condition was work related. OWCP denied authorization based on a physician it treated as an impartial…
Secretary of Labor v. Long Branch Energy
Five-day-late contest reopened
Long Branch Energy's president said he completed a form contesting four penalties on the deadline but mistakenly did not mail it before a holiday weekend. He said he realized the error five days later and immediately mailed the form. After MSHA advised that the penalties had become final, the…
United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Hampton, Virginia (Agency) and National Association of Government Employees, Service Employees International Union (Petitioner/Union)
VA Hampton and NAGE (FLRA WA-RP-08-0074): Unit review request dismissed as late
A regional director found that four administrative officers at the Hampton VA Medical Center belonged in a bargaining unit because they were not confidential employees. The decision mistakenly told the VA that its review application was due November 13, 2009, although the statutory 60-day period…
Secretary of Labor v. Seymour Stone
Timely local-office contest reopened
Seymour Stone sought to contest penalties for six citations and one order. It apparently sent the contest to a local MSHA district office within the 30-day deadline instead of the Civil Penalty Compliance Office in Arlington, Virginia. The Secretary did not oppose reopening but noted the filing…
Secretary of Labor v. Rogers Group, Inc.
Two-docket explanation needed more detail
Rogers Group missed the deadline to contest an assessment covering eight citations and one order. It explained only that it had not realized citations from the same inspection came in two dockets. The Secretary did not oppose reopening. The Commission found that the statement did not sufficiently…
Secretary of Labor v. Pinky's Aggregates, Inc.
Misplaced-assessment claim needed detail
Pinky's Aggregates said it missed the deadline to contest a proposed assessment because the document was misplaced. It emphasized that the assessment involved serious citations but gave no details about how the loss occurred or who had handled the form. The Secretary did not oppose reopening but…
Robert Green v. Ceres Marine Terminals, Incorporated
Green v. Ceres Marine Terminals (BRB 09-0294 and 09-0294A): hearing aid cost reduced to $2,500
Robert Green sought benefits for hearing loss after 23 years of longshore work. The administrative law judge averaged two credible hearing tests and found a 1.875 percent impairment, awarded hearing aids, and added 20 percent to their $2,500 cost using a state fee schedule. The Board upheld the…
D.M. and Department of Labor, Mine Safety & Health Administration, Coal District 4, Mount Hope, WV
D.M. (ECAB 09-1425): Truck jolt injury claim denied
D.M., a mine safety electrical inspector, claimed that driving over potholes on the way to a mine injured his neck in March 2008. He filed the claim about eight months later. The Board found that early reports of visual problems and later reports of headaches, neck pain, and arm numbness did not…
K.Y. and U.S. Postal Service, Cottonwood Post Office, Salt Lake City, UT
K.Y. (ECAB 09-1259): Late reconsideration request denied
K.Y., a postal letter carrier, claimed that mail processing duties caused sciatica and degenerative disc disease. OWCP denied the claim for insufficient medical causation evidence. Her later reconsideration request came more than a year after the last merits decision. The Board found that records…
I.C. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, Border Patrol Tucson Sector, Tucson, NM
I.C. (ECAB 09-1257): Seven percent left leg award upheld
I.C., a Border Patrol trainee, injured his left knee during defensive tactics training and underwent surgery. His surgeon rated a 17 percent leg impairment, while an OWCP medical adviser rated seven percent. The Board found that the surgeon did not explain his calculation under the impairment guide…
C.T. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Broadview Heights Veterans Medical Center, Brecksville, OH
C.T. (ECAB 09-1120): Medical benefits termination upheld
C.T., a VA practical nurse, had accepted neck and right shoulder strains after turning a patient. OWCP terminated her medical benefits based on an impartial orthopedic surgeon's opinion that the strains had resolved and that her later cervical condition was unrelated to the work injury. The Board…
G.S. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, MAIN POST OFFICE, Bluefield, WV
G.S. (ECAB 09-1074): Recurrence of disability denial upheld
G.S., a postal mail handler, injured his left shoulder while pushing a mail container in March 2007. OWCP accepted the shoulder injury and later accepted related tendinitis and bursitis. His physician released him to full duty in July, but he stopped working after four days and claimed a recurrence…
O.C. and DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE, AIR LOGISTICS CENTER, ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GA
O.C. (ECAB 09-1016): Existing arm impairment awards upheld
O.C., an Air Force painter, developed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and a right middle trigger finger from repetitive work and later had an accepted left forearm condition. OWCP granted schedule awards for five percent permanent impairment of each arm. A surgeon proposed higher ratings but did…
R.E. and DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, Philadelphia, PA
R.E. (ECAB 09-0952): Overpayment for unreported radio work upheld
R.E., a transportation security screener, received disability compensation after an accepted knee injury. He also worked part time as a radio announcer but did not report that work on compensation forms. The Board held that he had to report the job even though it differed from his federal duties…
United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (Agency) and National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Union)
FAA and NATCA (FLRA 0-AR-4301): School eligibility award stands after late arguments
The FAA restricted which employees in Puerto Rico and Guam it would certify for a Defense Department school program for their children. An arbitrator found the restrictions inconsistent with the Defense Department's eligibility instruction and ordered the FAA to withdraw its bulletin, certify…
K.J. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Smyrna, GA
K.J. (ECAB 09-1072): Termination of back injury benefits upheld
K.J., a postal mail processor, had an accepted lumbar strain after pulling containers at work. OWCP ended his wage loss and medical benefits after an impartial orthopedic surgeon found that the strain had resolved and that he could return to regular work. The Board gave that surgeon's reasoned…
L.P. and DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Arlington, VA
L.P. (ECAB 09-1437): Injury claim denied without medical evidence
L.P., an equipment operator at Arlington National Cemetery, reported shoulder and neck pain after pushing a movable tent. His claim gave conflicting dates for the alleged incident and mentioned medical treatment before the stated injury date. OWCP asked him to clarify the facts and provide a…
L.E. and SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF DISABILITY ADJUDICATION & REVIEW, Birmingham, AL
L.E. (ECAB 09-1431): Lip impairment and facial disfigurement awards denied
L.E., a Social Security Administration legal assistant, fell during a fire drill and had accepted knee and facial abrasions. She sought a schedule award for a scar over her lip and facial disfigurement. The Board held that the lip is not a body part covered by the schedule award provisions. A…
A.W. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Houston, TX
A.W. (ECAB 09-1345): Right leg schedule award denial upheld
A.W., a postal letter carrier, injured his right ankle when he stepped on a rock at work. He sought a schedule award for permanent right leg impairment. His attending physician estimated impairment from restricted ankle motion, but his measurements differed sharply from a functional evaluation and…
A.K. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Philadelphia, PA
A.K. (ECAB 09-1328): Ten percent left leg impairment award upheld
A.K., a postal mail handler, had an accepted work related aggravation of left knee osteoarthritis. OWCP awarded compensation for 10 percent permanent impairment of his left leg based on reduced knee motion. His physician sought an additional three percent for pain, but did not explain why the pain…
L.M. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Trenton, NJ
L.M. (ECAB 09-1206): Back injury claim returned for medical development
L.M., a postal letter carrier, reported twisting his back while lifting his mailbag from his truck and putting it on his back. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied the claim for lack of sufficient medical proof of injury. His physician's reports described back findings and linked…
T.D. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS PROCESSING & DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Shrewsbury, MA
T.D. (ECAB 09-1029): Medical benefits restored, reconsideration denial upheld
T.D., a postal worker, had two separate workers' compensation claims before the Board. In a left shoulder claim, OWCP denied her request to change doctors based on a medical opinion that no further treatment was needed. The Board found that this effectively ended her medical benefits without the…
T.D. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS PROCESSING & DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Shrewsbury, MA
T.D. (ECAB 09-1028): Medical benefits termination reversed, reconsideration denial upheld
T.D., a postal worker, had two separate workers' compensation claims before the Board. In a left shoulder claim, OWCP denied her request to change doctors based on a medical opinion that no further treatment was needed. The Board found that this effectively ended her medical benefits without the…
W.B. and DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND, Virginia Beach, VA
W.B. (ECAB 09-0934): Reduced wage loss compensation upheld
W.B., a Navy civil service mariner, had an accepted right arm injury from a forklift accident and received total disability compensation. His treating hand surgeon later released him to modified work and approved an unarmed security guard job as physically suitable. A vocational counselor found the…
M.B. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Brooklyn, NY
M.B. (ECAB 09-0902): Compensation termination for refusing suitable work upheld
M.B., a postal letter carrier, received disability compensation after a fall injured her right arm, shoulder, and knee. OWCP offered her a full time modified mail handler job within the limits set by an impartial orthopedic surgeon, but she did not accept it. The Board gave the impartial surgeon's…
P.P. and DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, PUBLIC WORKS, FORT SAM HOUSTON, TX
P.P. (ECAB 09-1363): Additional hearing loss award denied
P.P., a retired Army mechanic, previously received an award for hearing loss caused by noise during his federal employment. He later claimed an additional award after his hearing worsened. A physician linked the increase to industrial noise exposure from 2002 to 2006, when P.P. worked at the same…
J.P. and DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, Del Valle, TX
J.P. (ECAB 09-1357): Hip injury claim denied without medical proof
J.P., an Army National Guard aircraft mechanic, reported hip pain after stepping from an aircraft onto a stand. The Board accepted that the work incident occurred as described. OWCP had asked her to submit a physician's report identifying an injury and explaining its connection to the incident. She…
S.S. and DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY, Dover, DE
S.S. (ECAB 09-1299): Back disease claim sent for impartial examination
S.S. worked at a Defense Commissary Agency meat department and claimed that years of repetitive lifting, bending, and grinding meat caused or worsened his low back conditions. OWCP had denied the claim after relying on a second opinion physician who found no work connection. On reconsideration…
L.S. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, RADIO CITY STATION, New York, NY
L.S. (ECAB 09-1172): Shoulder injury claim denial upheld
L.S., a postal city carrier, claimed a neck injury while lifting mail at work; later medical reports described shoulder conditions. OWCP accepted that the December 2006 incident occurred but denied the injury claim. After an earlier Board appeal required a merit review, a treating neurologist…
G.L. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Houston, TX
G.L. (ECAB 09-1135): Leg impairment claim returned for review
G.L., a postal letter carrier, had accepted back and other injuries after a fall at work and sought a schedule award. OWCP denied the claim, finding no compensable permanent impairment. The Board agreed that impairment of the spine or whole person cannot itself receive a schedule award. It found…
W.R. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Chicago, IL
W.R. (ECAB 09-1107): One week of wage loss denied
W.R., a postal mail handler on limited duty after an accepted back injury, claimed total disability for one week in September 2007. His physician took him off work after examining him for toe numbness and a fungal infection, but did not explain that the accepted back condition prevented him from…
R.K. and TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, JOHNSONVILLE FOSSIL PLANT, Chattanooga, TN
R.K. (ECAB 09-0998): Occupational cancer claim denial upheld
R.K., a retired Tennessee Valley Authority pipefitter and welder, claimed that chemical and asbestos exposures at work caused cancer of the ampulla of Vater. His medical records established the cancer diagnosis but did not provide a reasoned opinion connecting it to his particular federal…
D.B. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Tampa, FL
D.B. (ECAB 09-0969): Acute stress disorder benefit termination upheld
D.B., a postal worker, had an accepted acute stress disorder connected to a workplace removal notice and received compensation. OWCP ended benefits after a second opinion psychiatrist concluded that the accepted disorder had resolved and no longer required treatment or caused work disability. The…
E.B. and DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Lakehurst, NJ
E.B. (ECAB 09-0409): Emotional condition claim returned for medical review
E.B., a Navy electronics technician, claimed an emotional condition from his supervisor's conduct. OWCP denied the claim after finding no compensable work factor. The Board credited sworn testimony that the supervisor threatened to withhold overtime and promotion because of E.B.'s role in a…
Burford’s Tree, Inc.
Inoperable-seatbelt violation reinstated
A Burford's Tree tractor operator was killed after the tractor rolled over and he was thrown from its cab into the path of the attached mower. The tractor's seatbelt had been inoperable for about six months. Although the foreman submitted weekly reports claiming daily inspections, he admitted that…
Matter of Sheldon H. KRONEGOLD, Attorney
Reciprocal discipline followed state disbarment
The Board reviewed an attorney's appeal from reciprocal discipline proceedings after New York suspended him and later disbarred him. The Board held that a final state suspension or disbarment creates a rebuttable presumption that reciprocal discipline should follow, and that rebuttal requires clear…
D.S. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Bellmawr, NJ
D.S. (ECAB 09-1445): Parking lot injury claim returned for medical review
D.S., a postal distribution clerk, closed a coworker's car trunk on her finger while retrieving a water bottle during an authorized break in the employer's parking lot. OWCP accepted that the incident happened but denied the claim because it found she was outside the performance of duty. The Board…
R.B. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Cincinnati, OH
R.B. (ECAB 09-1335): Finger condition recurrence denial upheld
R.B., a postal custodian, had an accepted 1997 injury that amputated the tip of his right ring finger. Years later he sought treatment for swelling and an infection at the fingertip and claimed a recurrence of his medical condition. He did not stop work or claim wage loss for that episode. The…
V.G. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, San Jose, CA
V.G. (ECAB 09-1224): Increased arm impairment claim returned for review
V.G., a postal mail handler, had accepted carpal tunnel syndrome in both arms and received schedule awards for 10 percent permanent impairment of each arm. She later submitted a detailed surgeon's report rating each arm at 35 percent. OWCP rejected it because it did not measure her impairment as of…
C.M., Administratrix of the Estate of P.M., and DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, Philadelphia, PA
Estate of P.M. (ECAB 09-1045): Assisted living entrance fee reimbursement denied
P.M., an IRS clerk, needed assisted living after an accepted workplace injury and related conditions. OWCP approved reimbursement of monthly assisted living charges, but her estate also sought reimbursement of a $119,385 entrance fee. The Board found that the estate had not supplied required proof…
A.M. and DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE, FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Fairchild, WA
A.M. (ECAB 09-0980): Leg impairment award denial upheld
A.M., an Air Force firefighter, had an accepted aggravation of a preexisting back condition and sought a schedule award. A physician rated impairment of the spine and whole person, which are not directly covered by the schedule award provisions. Another specialist found no reliable objective…
L.R. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, PALMETTO PARK STATION, Boca Raton, FL
L.R. (ECAB 09-0872): Neck and arm claim returned for medical development
L.R., a postal distribution clerk, claimed that repetitive heavy lifting at work aggravated neck and right arm conditions following an earlier vehicle accident. OWCP accepted the described work duties but denied the claim for insufficient medical proof of causation. Two physicians described her…
D.L. and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, Spearman, TX
D.L. (ECAB 09-0573): Schedule award pay rate upheld
D.L., a postal data technician, received schedule awards for permanent impairment of both arms after an accepted neck injury. She challenged the weekly pay rate used to calculate the awards and sought the rate from a later claimed recurrence. The Board found that she had worked only modified duty…
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.