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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D.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Louisville Post Office, Louisville, KY
D.T. and Louisville Post Office (ECAB 23-1094): Knee condition not linked to loading incident
A postal motor vehicle operator said his foot slipped on a floor plate while he loaded mail, injuring his right knee. OWCP eventually accepted that the incident occurred. The Board found that his orthopedic reports did not adequately distinguish a preexisting knee condition from any effect of the…
A.G. and Department of the Army, Hohenfels Army Airfield, Hohenfels, Germany
A.G. and Hohenfels Army Airfield (ECAB 23-1070): Appeal withdrawn
An Army airfield employee appealed an OWCP decision issued March 31, 2023. The employee later asked the Board to withdraw that appeal. The Board granted the request and dismissed the case without deciding the OWCP decision's merits.
G.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Banning Post Office, Banning, CA
G.E. and Banning Post Office (ECAB 23-0995): Augmented benefit overpayment upheld
A postal city carrier received wage-loss compensation at an augmented rate based on her nephew, for whom she was legal guardian. In an earlier decision, the Board had held that he was not a qualifying dependent under FECA. The Board found the augmented payments created a $2,663.82 overpayment from…
M.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Bedford Park Post Office, Bedford Park, IL
M.S. and Bedford Park Post Office (ECAB 23-0731): Ankle fall established, medical claim remanded
A postal rural carrier said she fell while descending steps at a loading dock and fractured her ankle. Her supervisor reported a prompt call about the fall, and she sought emergency treatment that day and had surgery the next day. The Board found this evidence established the workplace incident…
R.L. and Department of the Navy, Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, HI
R.L. and U.S. Pacific Fleet (ECAB 22-1263): Continuing disability after 2013 not established
A Navy machinist had accepted head, neck, and psychological conditions after a workplace assault in 1983. OWCP ended his wage-loss and medical benefits in 2013. He later sought to establish continuing disability or residuals from the accepted injury. The Board found that the later medical reports…
K.J. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Santa Monica Airport, Santa Monica, CA
K.J. and Santa Monica Airport (ECAB 22-0611): Medical reports did not connect condition to accepted events
An FAA air traffic controller claimed PTSD, anxiety, and depression related to events at work. OWCP accepted as compensable factors the improper ending of her training and employment but denied the claim for lack of medical causation. The Board found that her doctors attributed her conditions to…
Secretary of Labor v. Panther Creek Mining, LLC
Undetailed routing error barred reopening
Panther Creek missed the contest deadline for 49 citations carrying $75,601 in proposed penalties. It said only that an administrative error delayed routing the assessment to its corporate safety director, without identifying dates or describing the failure. The Commission majority also noted an…
R.L. and Department of Agriculture, Klamath National Forest, Eureka, CA
R.L. and Klamath National Forest (ECAB 23-1008): Benefits suspension for missed examination upheld
A former Forest Service survey technician received benefits for accepted back conditions. OWCP scheduled a second-opinion examination to assess his ongoing condition. He said his back prevented the travel, and OWCP explored another location and transportation arrangements. The Board found he did…
R.J. and Department of the Army, Sharpe Army Depot, Lathrop, CA
R.J. and Sharpe Army Depot (ECAB 23-0969): Benefits suspended for missing report form
An Army depot worker received wage-loss benefits for accepted neck and shoulder conditions. OWCP mailed a required EN1032 reporting form to her last known address and warned that benefits would be suspended if she did not return it within 30 days. The Board found the mailing was presumed received…
W.B. and Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, SD
W.B. and EROS Data Center (ECAB 23-0935): Medication coverage denial upheld
A retired Geological Survey financial manager had an accepted claim for depression and a urological condition. He sought coverage for metoprolol, which doctors prescribed for anxiety and also associated with blood pressure or heart conditions. The Board found that the reports did not explain why…
M.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Tampa Post Office, Tampa, FL
M.R. and Tampa Post Office (ECAB 23-0875): Carpal tunnel claim not reopened
A retired postal worker claimed that years of mail handling caused bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. After earlier denials, she sought another merits review and submitted additional reports and a stress test. The Board found that the medical reports repeated earlier views and the test did not…
J.M. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
J.M. and Cincinnati VA Medical Center (ECAB 23-0735): Stress claim needs employer evidence
A VA health aide claimed depression and worsening Crohn's disease related to treatment at work after a disciplinary action. OWCP denied the claim, finding no established compensable work factor. The Board found the employer's response to OWCP's questions too limited to evaluate the claimant's…
J.C. and Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Crookston, MN
J.C. and Natural Resources Conservation Service (ECAB 23-0429): OWCP must consider overlooked reports
An Agriculture Department engineering technician reported neck, shoulder, and back symptoms after falling while surveying land. OWCP accepted the incident but denied the injury claim, then declined to reopen it. The Board found that OWCP had not addressed two medical reports received before its…
E.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Spokane Processing & Distribution Center, Spokane, WA
E.W. and Spokane Processing Center (ECAB 23-1126): Appeal dismissed for lack of adverse decision
A postal employee appealed an OWCP action concerning wage-loss benefits and the conditions covered by his claim. That action had withdrawn an earlier reduction of compensation and expanded the claim to include cervical radiculopathy. The Board found it was not a final adverse decision it could…
J.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bedford Park, IL
J.V. and Bedford Park Post Office (ECAB 23-1092): Missed hearing treated as abandoned
A postal letter carrier requested a telephone hearing after OWCP denied her injury claim. OWCP mailed notice of the hearing to her address of record. She did not join the scheduled call or ask for a new hearing within 10 days. The Board upheld OWCP's decision treating the hearing request as…
J.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
J.D. and Philadelphia Post Office (ECAB 23-0993): Knee condition not medically linked to work incident
A postal postmaster said she felt a pop in her left knee while bending during mail distribution. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred. The Board found the medical reports did not adequately explain how it caused or aggravated her diagnosed knee condition. MRI and x-ray reports alone did not…
D.F. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Kansas City VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO
D.F. and Kansas City VA Medical Center (ECAB 23-0981): Wage-loss recurrence not proved
A VA health technician had an accepted claim for aggravation of arthritis in both knees after a patient-related fall. Years later, OWCP accepted a recurrence for medical treatment. She also sought wage-loss compensation for a period from 2019 to 2021. The Board found the medical evidence did not…
H.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, St. Louis, MO
H.J. and St. Louis Post Office (ECAB 23-0911): Foot claim not reopened on retirement record
A former postal plant manager claimed that years of standing and walking caused foot conditions. After OWCP denied the claim, he requested reconsideration and submitted a personnel form showing his retirement date. The Board found that record did not address whether his work caused the diagnosed…
J.J. and U.S. Postal Service, International Service Center New York NY, Jamaica, NY
J.J. and New York International Service Center (ECAB 23-0973): Benefit termination reversed
A postal mail handler received benefits for an accepted left foot and ankle injury. OWCP ended her benefits after a second-opinion physician said the accepted conditions had resolved. Her treating podiatrist reported continuing pain, weakness, and work disability. The Board found the two medical…
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Portland Post Office, Portland, ME
J.S. and Portland Post Office (ECAB 23-0930): Shoulder tear not linked to mail tub lift
A postal city carrier reported a pop in his right arm and shoulder while lifting a tub of mail. Physicians diagnosed a rotator cuff and biceps tear. The Board found their reports did not provide enough medical reasoning to show that the accepted lifting incident caused or aggravated the diagnosed…
J.K. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Gateway National Recreation Area, Brooklyn, NY
J.K. and Gateway National Recreation Area (ECAB 23-0829): Retirement offset debt reversed
A National Park Service pipefitter received FECA wage-loss compensation and Social Security retirement benefits. OWCP assessed an overpayment using calculations for employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System, or FERS. The worker's records and personnel agency response instead showed…
S.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Denver, CO
S.W. and Denver Post Office (ECAB 23-0804): No greater permanent impairment shown
A postal worker with accepted arm, knee, ankle, and other conditions sought a larger schedule award. The Board reviewed the district medical adviser's impairment ratings for her right arm and both legs. It found no probative medical evidence supporting ratings above the percentages for which she…
V.W. and Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Albuquerque, NM
V.W. and U.S. Forest Service (ECAB 23-0760): One reconsideration denial upheld, another remanded
A Forest Service forestry technician reported hand numbness after a work vehicle rolled over. OWCP accepted the accident but denied the injury claim on medical causation. The Board found that an August 2022 reconsideration request did not warrant reopening. A later request was filed outside the…
B.B. and Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA
B.B. and Defense Logistics Agency (ECAB 23-0583): Recurrence claim not reopened
A Defense Logistics Agency worker had an accepted lower back injury and later sought wage-loss compensation for another period of disability. After OWCP denied that recurrence claim, she requested reconsideration. The Board found she had resubmitted medical records OWCP had already reviewed and…
S.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Fort Worth, TX
S.F. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-0569): Reconsideration denial sent back for explanation
A postal custodian sought benefits for a left elbow condition. OWCP denied her injury claim, then rejected a later reconsideration request as untimely and insufficient to show clear evidence of error. The Board found that OWCP had not addressed the medical evidence she submitted or explained why it…
B.M. and Department of Health & Human Services, Indian Health Service, Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
B.M. and Phoenix Indian Medical Center (ECAB 22-1283): Settled appeal withdrawn
An Indian Health Service employee appealed an OWCP decision. The employee's counsel later asked to withdraw the appeal because the matter had been settled with OWCP. The Board granted the request and dismissed the appeal without reaching its merits. The order does not describe the settlement terms.
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt, Inc.
Review granted on authority over pattern notice
An ALJ certified an interlocutory question arising from Morton Salt's challenge to a pattern-of-violations notice. The Commission accepted review to decide whether it had authority to examine the Secretary's decision to issue that notice. It suspended the scheduled January hearing while the…
L.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Newburg Post Office
L.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-1040): meniscus aggravation not established
A postal worker injured his left knee at work, and OWCP accepted a knee contusion. He sought to add substantial aggravation of a preexisting lateral meniscus tear to the accepted claim. The Board found that his treating physicians either did not diagnose that condition or did not explain how the…
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Milwaukee Post Office
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-1031): reported mail delivery incident established
A postal carrier reported shoulder pain after reaching while carrying a mail bag at work. OWCP rejected his injury claim because it found the reported incident unproven. The Board found that his account, his later conduct, and the medical history were sufficiently consistent to establish that the…
J.T., widow of J.T., and Department of Defense, Defense Depot
J.T., widow of J.T., and Department of Defense (ECAB 23-0863): late reconsideration needs reasoned review
A widow sought survivor’s benefits after her husband died; she claimed his accepted work injuries contributed to his death. OWCP denied the claim, then rejected her later reconsideration request as untimely and without clear evidence of error. The Board agreed that the request came more than one…
J.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Incoming Mail Center, Chelsea
J.G. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-0833): benefit overpayment confirmed, amount sent back
A former postal worker received FECA wage loss compensation while also receiving Social Security retirement benefits attributable in part to her federal service. The Board agreed that the concurrent payments created an overpayment and that she was not at fault. It could not confirm OWCP’s stated…
R.M. and U.S. Postal Service, GMF Finance Post Office
R.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-0788): finger impairment rating requires more measurements
A postal clerk sought an increased schedule award for a left middle finger injury. Her physician estimated a greater impairment using finger movement measurements, while OWCP’s medical adviser found six percent impairment using a diagnosis based method. The adviser said the movement measurements…
W.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Main Post Office, Houston
W.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-0671): related injury files must be combined
A postal clerk sought wage loss compensation linked to an accepted knee and shoulder injury. OWCP denied the claim after noting that another claim file had paid some of the same period for a left ankle and leg injury. The Board found that the two files concerned the same region of the body and that…
R.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Pittsburgh Post Office
R.W. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-0527): back injury claim and reconsideration denial upheld
A postal carrier claimed that setting down a package and continuing to work caused or worsened a lower back sprain. OWCP accepted the reported work factors but denied the claim because the medical evidence did not establish that they caused the diagnosed condition. The Board agreed that the…
B.H. and U.S. Postal Service, San Antonio Post Office
B.H. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-0497): recurrence claim and late hearing request denied
A postal mail handler sought compensation after reporting renewed back pain and time away from work following an accepted workplace injury. The Board found that his medical evidence did not adequately explain how the accepted injury caused disability during the claimed period. It also upheld OWCP’s…
C.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Boggs Road Post Office
C.C. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-1006): left hand claim denial affirmed
A Postal Service custodial worker said her left hand was caught on a door handle at work. OWCP accepted that the incident happened but denied her injury claim for lack of a medical diagnosis. The submitted reports described pain and were signed by nurse practitioners or an occupational therapist…
N.L. and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Central Coast Field Office
N.L. and Department of the Interior (ECAB 23-0976): reconsideration denial affirmed
A Bureau of Land Management employee was in a motor vehicle collision while working and later sought benefits for a neck condition. OWCP accepted that the collision occurred and recognized a diagnosis, but denied the claim for lack of medical evidence connecting the condition to the incident. His…
E.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Dominick V. Daniels Processing & Distribution Center
E.N. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-0869): timely hearing request requires remand
A Postal Service mail handler sought to add several conditions to her accepted injury claim. After an earlier Board remand, OWCP issued a reconsideration decision instead of the directed new decision and did not list hearing rights. Her counsel requested a hearing within 30 days of that decision…
C.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New Kensington, PA
C.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-0795): wage loss reduction reversed
A Postal Service letter carrier received wage loss compensation for an accepted right knee injury. OWCP reduced his benefits after finding that he could work four hours a day as a customer service representative. His physician limited walking and standing to less than one hour a day. The selected…
J.H. and Social Security Administration, Office of Hearings and Appeals
J.H. and Social Security Administration (ECAB 23-0701): termination of injury benefits reversed
An SSA employee received wage loss and medical benefits for an accepted right elbow injury. OWCP terminated those benefits after a second opinion physician said she could work without restrictions. The Board found that physician’s opinion inconsistent: he also reported symptoms of residual…
T.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Green River Post Office
T.L. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-0424): fault split across two overpaid deposits
A postal carrier continued receiving full disability payments after returning to full-time modified work. The Board upheld OWCP’s calculation of a $3,008.33 overpayment. It found her without fault for the first direct deposit after her return because the record did not show she knew it was wrong…
J.A. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Brooklyn VA Medical Center
J.A. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 23-0321): related trauma claims must be combined
A VA nursing assistant sought compensation for anxiety and PTSD after reassignment to a unit where a patient had assaulted her years earlier. OWCP had accepted PTSD in an earlier claim file but denied the newer claim and later refused merit reconsideration. The Board found that the current and…
RJCL Corporation, d/b/a RNV Construction
Mixed ruling on scaffold and electrical citations
OSHA inspected RNV Construction at a residence and a commercial building in Saipan and issued scaffold and electrical citations carrying $44,754 in proposed penalties. The judge found that RNV Construction employed the residence workers and rejected its challenges to both inspections. Most items…
T.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Lake Worth Post Office
T.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-1127): one-day-late appeal dismissed
A Postal Service employee, through counsel, appealed a March 2, 2023 OWCP nonmerit decision on August 30, 2023. The 180-day deadline had expired the day before. The Board found no documented compelling circumstances for the delay and dismissed the appeal without reaching the compensation dispute. A…
B.P. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
Board affirms denial of COVID-19 wage loss claim (ECAB 23-0909)
A VA pharmacist contracted COVID-19 and later sought leave buy back for 232 hours from March 16 through April 23, 2020. OWCP accepted the claim for COVID-19 and pneumonia due to SARS-associated coronavirus but denied compensation for the claimed period. The Board found that the doctor's note did…
M.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center
Board affirms one percent right arm schedule award (ECAB 23-0832)
A VA nurse injured her right shoulder and neck when a coworker opened a door into her. OWCP accepted several conditions, including a partial right rotator cuff tear, and awarded compensation for one percent permanent impairment of her right arm. She appealed, seeking a higher schedule award. The…
A.B. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, United States Penitentiary Atlanta
Board affirms denial of dust exposure injury claim (ECAB 23-0827)
A federal prison facility employee reported coughing and breathing problems after sanding paint and concrete inside cells. OWCP accepted that the workplace incident occurred but denied the injury claim because the medical evidence did not establish a diagnosed condition from a qualified physician…
L.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Manchester VA Medical Center
Board affirms denial of wage loss after accepted back and neck injury (ECAB 23-0778)
A VA nurse injured her back and neck while helping a coworker who had fallen and was having a seizure. OWCP accepted several spinal conditions but denied her wage loss claim beginning August 8, 2021. The Board found that her physicians did not adequately explain, using objective findings, why those…
P.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Smithsonian Institution Mail Facility
Board accepts reported lifting incident and returns injury claim to OWCP (ECAB 23-0683)
A postal mail clerk said she experienced back, hip, and left Achilles symptoms after lifting heavy packages and tubs at work. OWCP denied her injury claim because it found that she had not established the reported April 2020 incident. The Board found her account consistent and observed that the…
D.S. and Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Board orders timely reconsideration review of shoulder claim (ECAB 23-0396)
An Army Corps of Engineers employee sought further medical treatment for a right shoulder condition after an accepted shoulder injury. OWCP denied his recurrence claim, then treated his later reconsideration request as untimely and applied the stricter clear error standard. The Board found that a…
Harvey D. Dobbins v. Director, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs
Board sends miner’s black lung claim back for employment calculation (BRB 22-0506)
Harvey Dobbins appealed the denial of his black lung benefits claim. The Board found that the administrative law judge had overlooked relevant employment evidence and had incorrectly rejected evidence of a totally disabling respiratory impairment. It held that total disability was established and…
K.M. and Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain & Animal Health Research
K.M. and Department of Agriculture (ECAB 23-1029): hand condition claim denial affirmed
An agricultural research technician attributed hand and forearm conditions to work that included repeatedly opening specimen jars. OWCP accepted her account of the work factors but denied the claim for lack of medical proof of causation. The Board found that one physician’s opinion was speculative…
L.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Section 2 Carrier Annex, Brentwood Post Office
L.H. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 23-1019): abandoned hearing ruling affirmed
A Postal Service carrier requested a hearing after OWCP denied wage loss compensation. OWCP mailed a notice of the telephone hearing to the address it had on record, but she did not attend or ask for another hearing within 10 days. She said she had moved, yet the Board found no written address…
R.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Chantilly Post Office
Board returns postal worker's recurrence claim for job and medical evidence (ECAB 23-0483)
A postal worker with accepted shoulder and back injuries had performed a modified webcam observer job. After the Postal Service withdrew that position, he claimed renewed disability, saying the new assignment required a longer drive and later tasks beyond his medical restrictions. The Board found…
L.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Bayside Post Office
Board orders OWCP to obtain video before deciding postal carrier's injury claim (ECAB 23-0471)
A postal carrier said his foot caught in a hole and he fell, injuring his shoulder, hip, and foot. The Postal Service disputed his account and described a video recording, but did not provide the recording to OWCP. OWCP denied the injury claim. The Board found that a fair decision required OWCP to…
L.E. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
Board affirms denial of TSA employee's stress-related claim (ECAB 22-1302)
A TSA program analyst alleged that management conduct and workplace hostility contributed to hypertension, a stroke, and stress. OWCP denied her occupational disease claim. The Board found that she had not established a compensable employment factor: the record did not substantiate error or abuse…
K.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing and Distribution Center, Baltimore
Board affirms denial of continuing shoulder injury benefits (ECAB 22-0399)
A postal mail clerk injured her left shoulder in a workplace fall and later had two authorized shoulder surgeries. OWCP ended her wage loss and medical benefits in July 2015 after finding that the accepted injury no longer caused disability or residuals. In this later appeal, the Board found that…
Secretary of Labor obo Samuel Coleman v. Warrior Met Coal Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor obo Samuel Coleman v. Warrior Met Coal Mining (FMSHRC SE 2024-0060): Economic temporary reinstatement approved
The judge had ordered Warrior Met Coal Mining to temporarily reinstate Samuel Coleman on December 12, 2023. Nine days later, the parties jointly asked to replace actual reinstatement with an economic temporary-reinstatement agreement retroactive to the original order date. The judge found that the…
Donna Bullion v. RDM Enterprises, Incorporated
Bullion v. RDM Enterprises (BRB 22-0548 BLA and 22-0547 BLA): Denial of miner and survivor benefits affirmed
Donna Bullion appealed without counsel after an administrative law judge denied her late husband's black lung claim and her separate survivor's claim. Although he had at least 15 years of qualifying coal mine employment, the judge found that the evidence did not establish a totally disabling…
Donna Bullion, on behalf of and widow of Clarence Bullion v. RDM Enterprises, Incorporated
Board upholds denial of miner and widow’s black lung claims (BRB 22-0547 and 22-0548)
Donna Bullion pursued her late husband’s black lung benefits claim and her own survivor claim. The Board upheld the administrative law judge’s finding that the evidence did not establish a totally disabling respiratory condition before his death, so the miner claim remained denied. It also upheld…
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.