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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L.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Castle Rock Post Office, Castle Rock, WA
Board upholds reduction for failure to cooperate with rehabilitation (ECAB 23-0145)
A postal employee was referred to vocational rehabilitation after a physician found she could perform suitable sedentary work. The Board found that OWCP had a supported basis for the referral and that she did not establish good cause for failing to cooperate with the approved plan. It affirmed the…
B.S. and Department of the Navy, Naval Air Systems Command, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, Jacksonville, FL
Board orders review of omitted Navy medical reports (ECAB 22-1145)
A Navy employee submitted several medical reports before OWCP decided the claim. OWCP’s decision acknowledged only one report and gave no indication that it considered the others. The Board held that OWCP must address relevant evidence already in the record. It set aside the decision and ordered a…
J.J. and Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Board reverses benefit termination but upholds equipment and review denials (ECAB 22-1125)
An NIH employee challenged termination of wage loss compensation after an accepted injury. The Board found that OWCP had not met its burden to show that her work related disability ended. It reversed the termination. The Board separately upheld denial of a requested neuromuscular stimulator and…
D.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Beverly Hills Post Office, Dallas, TX
Board denies postal carrier’s medical condition claim (ECAB 22-1050)
A postal carrier sought benefits for a medical condition attributed to a workplace incident that OWCP accepted as occurring. The Board found that the submitted medical evidence did not adequately explain a causal link between the incident and the claimed condition. It affirmed the claim denial.
D.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Waialua Post Office, Waialua, HI
Board denies added knee conditions and later disability (ECAB 22-0442)
A postal worker sought to add right knee osteoarthritis and a meniscal tear to an accepted injury claim. She also sought compensation for later time away from work. The Board found the medical evidence insufficient to connect the additional diagnoses or the later disability to the accepted July…
D.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Glenbrook Post Office, Stamford, CT
Board orders COVID exposure date review for continuation of pay (ECAB 21-1425)
A postal employee sought continuation of pay after a claimed workplace COVID illness. OWCP denied the request without applying the guidance that treats the last exposure before diagnosis as the injury date. The Board set aside the decisions and ordered OWCP to apply that date rule before deciding…
Matter of Olty CABRERA-FERNANDEZ, et al.
Conditional parole did not make entrants eligible for Cuban adjustment
The Board reviewed the Department of Homeland Security’s appeal from an Immigration Judge’s grant of adjustment of status to Cuban nationals who entered the United States without inspection or admission. The Board distinguished conditional parole under the immigration detention statute from…
M.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Wilmette Post Office, Wilmette, IL
Board denies carrier’s neck and back condition claim (ECAB 23-0411)
A letter carrier attributed neck, back, and neurological conditions to long hours and repetitive physical work. The Board found that the medical record did not adequately establish a causal relationship between the accepted work factors and the diagnosed conditions. It affirmed OWCP’s denial.
C.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Ogden Park Post Office, Chicago, IL
Board orders impartial review of requested back surgery (ECAB 23-0406)
A postal employee requested lumbar fusion and decompression surgery for accepted back conditions. His treating physician and OWCP physicians disagreed about whether the proposed operation was medically warranted. The Board found an unresolved conflict in medical opinion. It ordered an impartial…
T.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Chicago Metro Surface Hub, Elk Grove, IL
Board denies expansion of accepted postal injury claim (ECAB 23-0339)
A postal employee asked OWCP to add medical conditions to an accepted work injury claim. The Board found that the medical evidence did not adequately establish that the additional conditions resulted from the accepted injury. It affirmed the refusal to expand the claim.
P.R. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Westbury, NY
Board recognizes air traffic controller’s COVID diagnosis (ECAB 22-0946)
An FAA air traffic controller reported workplace COVID exposure. He submitted a positive antibody test and a contemporaneous medical note documenting symptoms and an earlier positive home test. The Board found that this evidence met OWCP’s COVID diagnosis guidance. It reversed the denial on the…
J.S. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Newark, NJ
Board orders COVID last exposure review for pay claim (ECAB 21-1352)
A federal immigration employee sought continuation of pay after a claimed workplace COVID illness. OWCP denied the request without applying its guidance that uses the last exposure before diagnosis as the injury date. The Board ordered OWCP to apply that rule and issue a new decision.
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Eastern Shore Processing & Distribution Facility, Easton, MD
Board denies remaining intermittent disability claim (ECAB 21-1261)
A postal mail handler sought compensation for intermittent work absences after an accepted 2017 forearm and shoulder injury. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish that the accepted injury caused the remaining claimed absences in 2020. It affirmed OWCP’s denials.
A.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cincinnati, OH
Board denies later disability claim after accepted injury (ECAB 21-0931)
A postal worker sought wage loss benefits for a period after an accepted September 2019 injury. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish disability from work beginning in December 2020 caused by that injury. It affirmed OWCP’s denial.
Matter of C-G-T-
Protection claims require a fact-specific government-protection analysis
The Board reviewed a Dominican respondent’s applications for asylum and withholding of removal based on his sexual orientation and HIV-positive status. It affirmed the denial of asylum under the one-year filing bar, but held that the analysis of government protection and future harm required…
T.E. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution, Estill, SC
Board denies correctional officer’s smoke exposure claim (ECAB 23-0484)
A correctional officer reported respiratory and other symptoms after inhaling smoke from inmates at work. OWCP accepted that the exposure occurred. The Board found that the medical evidence did not adequately establish a diagnosed condition caused by that event. It affirmed the claim denial.
A.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Cleveland Postal & Distribution Center, Cleveland, OH
Board orders fuller opinion on postal worker’s shoulder arthritis (ECAB 23-0404)
A postal custodian sought to add left shoulder arthritis to an accepted shoulder injury claim. OWCP’s second opinion physician characterized the arthritis as preexisting but did not adequately explain whether the work injury aggravated it. The Board found the opinion insufficient after OWCP…
L.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Nashville, TN
Board orders COVID last exposure review for continuation of pay (ECAB 23-0247)
A postal worker sought continuation of pay after a claimed workplace COVID illness. OWCP denied the request based on the date she entered on her injury form. The Board found that OWCP needed to determine the last workplace exposure before diagnosis under its COVID guidance. It ordered a new…
S.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Lansing, MI
Board upholds denial of walk-in bathtub request (ECAB 22-1028)
A postal worker requested a walk-in bathtub and shower as medical equipment for an accepted injury. The Board found that the medical record did not establish that the proposed installation was necessary treatment for the accepted condition. It affirmed OWCP’s denial.
V.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Kearny, NJ
Board reverses suitable work benefit termination (ECAB 22-0941)
A postal carrier declined a modified job offer, and OWCP terminated wage loss and schedule award entitlement. The Board found that the physician used to establish her capacity had received a statement of accepted facts omitting cervical and lumbar sprains. That incomplete evaluation did not prove…
M.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Highland Post Office, Albuquerque, NM
Board orders medical review of requested lumbar treatment (ECAB 22-0797)
A postal worker requested additional lumbar procedures for an accepted back condition. OWCP’s second opinion physician said earlier procedures gave no lasting improvement but did not adequately address whether the new treatment was medically necessary and related to the accepted condition. The…
C.D. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Care System, West Haven, CT
Board finds employer error in nurse’s emotional condition claim (ECAB 21-0162)
A VA nurse claimed an emotional condition after being told to work full time despite medical restrictions. New witness evidence supported her account of the employer’s handling of the assignment. The Board held that the witness statements established error or abuse in the employer’s directions…
Secretary of Labor v. Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC
Direction for review was vacated
The Commission had directed review and stayed briefing in this case. After deciding Consol Mining Co. and concluding there that a Judge erred in denying a settlement motion based on Mechanicsville Concrete and American Aggregates of Michigan, the Commission reconsidered the Secretary's petition in…
Robert M. Keiser v. Heritage Coal Company, LLC and Peabody Energy Corporation
Keiser v. Heritage Coal (BRB 22-0395): disability finding remanded
Robert Keiser sought Black Lung benefits after 13 years of coal mine work. The judge denied benefits because the breathing tests did not independently establish total disability and he gave less weight to the doctor who found Keiser disabled. The Board held that nonqualifying tests do not by…
G.H. and U.S. Postal Service, South Suburban Vehicle Maintenance Facility, Bedford Park, IL
Board dismisses appeal filed beyond 180 days (ECAB 23-0970)
A postal employee appealed an OWCP decision more than 180 days after it was issued. The Board found no supported compelling circumstance that would excuse the late filing. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction without reaching the underlying claim.
D.B. and Defense Agencies, Defense Logistics Agency-Distribution Susquehanna, New Cumberland, PA
Board dismisses late defense worker appeal (ECAB 23-0956)
A defense logistics employee appealed an OWCP decision after the 180 day filing period expired. The Board found no supported explanation establishing compelling circumstances for the delay. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
D.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Peyton Post Office, Peyton, CO
Board orders further evaluation before shoulder impairment rating (ECAB 23-0561)
A postal worker sought a schedule award after an accepted shoulder injury. OWCP’s new second opinion physician said additional imaging and diagnosis were needed before he could determine maximum medical improvement or rate impairment. The Board found the record insufficient for a final award…
T.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Cheyenne Post Office, Cheyenne, WV
Board denies increased right arm schedule award (ECAB 23-0357)
A postal employee sought a larger schedule award for right arm impairment. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish a rating greater than the 23 percent previously awarded. It affirmed OWCP’s denial of an increase.
E.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Monterey Park Post Office, Monterey Park, CA
Board denies claimed recurrence of total disability (ECAB 21-1368)
A postal worker sought benefits for two periods of total disability years after an accepted 2002 injury. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish that the accepted injury caused total disability in the claimed periods. It affirmed OWCP’s denial.
L.L. and U.S. Postal Service, New Jersey International Bulk Mail & Distribution Center, Jersey City, NJ
Board denies expansion of bulk mail injury claim (ECAB 21-1319)
A mail handler was struck by a bulk mail container and sought to add further diagnoses to her accepted injury claim. The Board found that the medical evidence did not adequately connect the additional conditions to the accepted event. It affirmed OWCP’s refusal to expand the claim.
P.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Brick Post Office, Brick, NJ
Board orders related knee injury files combined (ECAB 21-0911)
A postal carrier challenged refusal to reconsider a knee condition claim. She had two earlier injury files involving her knees that were absent from the record under review. The Board found that the files needed to be combined for a fair decision. It set aside the refusal and ordered OWCP to review…
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 4 and United States Department of the Navy, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
IFPTE Local 4 and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (FLRA 0-NG-3653): Authority requires bargaining over union-office photographs
IFPTE Local 4 proposed allowing union officers to take and distribute photographs from union-controlled office and meeting spaces at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard without prior agency approval. The Authority assumed without deciding that the proposal affected management's right to determine…
Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc.
In re Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. (EAB CAA Appeal No. 23-07C): gasoline violations settled with emissions-reduction project
Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. operated two fuel manufacturing facilities in Commerce City, Colorado. EPA alleged that Suncor produced 32,101,398 gallons of gasoline with an average benzene concentration above 1.30 volume percent at its East Refinery. EPA also alleged that Suncor produced 1,162,762…
Raymond J. Carty v. Clinchfield Coal Company
Carty v. Clinchfield Coal (BRB 22-0435): Black Lung award affirmed
Raymond Carty sought Black Lung benefits after 25.8 years of qualifying coal mine work. The judge found that lung function studies and medical opinions established total respiratory disability, triggering the 15-year presumption. The Board upheld her decision to credit two qualifying studies…
Dewayne A. Shumate v. Maxum Petroleum Operating Company
Shumate v. Maxum Petroleum (BRB 22-0408): fuel operator liable for Black Lung benefits
Dewayne Shumate was awarded Black Lung benefits based on complicated pneumoconiosis after work that included refueling equipment at a surface coal mine. Maxum Petroleum challenged only its designation as the responsible operator, arguing that Shumate's fuel work was not coal mine employment. The…
Lawrence Gary Bledsoe v. Buffalo Mining Company
Bledsoe v. Buffalo Mining (BRB 22-0272): award remanded for CT scan review
Lawrence Bledsoe sought Black Lung benefits after 23.44 years of underground coal mine work. The Board upheld the judge's finding of total respiratory disability, which invoked the 15-year presumption of disability due to pneumoconiosis. It held, however, that the judge had improperly discounted a…
Thomas A. Carpenter v. GMS Mine & Repair Maintenance Incorporated
Carpenter v. GMS Mine (BRB 22-0100 BLA): disability evidence remanded
Thomas Carpenter sought black lung benefits after 13 years of coal mine work. A judge found that he had legal pneumoconiosis but was not totally disabled by a respiratory impairment, and denied benefits. The Board held that the pre-bronchodilator portion of a breathing test met the regulatory…
C.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Hilton Head, SC
Board dismisses appeal filed beyond 180 days (ECAB 23-1084)
A postal worker appealed OWCP’s July 14, 2022 decision more than 180 days after issuance. The Board found no supported compelling circumstance to excuse the delay. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
K.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cleveland, OH
Board dismisses appeal filed beyond 180 days (ECAB 23-1069)
A postal worker appealed OWCP’s February 10, 2022 decision more than 180 days after issuance. The Board found no supported compelling circumstance to excuse the delay. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
D.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Sparta, WI
Board dismisses appeal filed beyond 180 days (ECAB 23-1032)
A postal worker appealed OWCP’s January 12, 2022 decision more than 180 days after issuance. The Board found no supported compelling circumstance to excuse the delay. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Pembroke Post Office, Pembroke, MA
Board dismisses appeal after requested withdrawal (ECAB 23-0761)
A postal worker asked to withdraw a pending Board appeal. The Board granted the request and dismissed the appeal. It did not review the underlying OWCP decision. The appeal concerned a January 23, 2023 OWCP decision. The worker’s withdrawal letter was received on July 15, 2023; the Board granted it…
C.K. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution Memphis, Memphis, TN
Board dismisses prison employee’s withdrawn appeal (ECAB 23-0621)
A prison employee asked to withdraw a pending Board appeal. The Board granted the request and dismissed the appeal. The underlying claim was not decided in this order. The appeal concerned a December 9, 2022 OWCP decision. Her representative requested withdrawal in a letter received July 18, 2023…
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Warwick Post Office, Warwick, RI
Board orders explanation of facial scar award amount (ECAB 23-0301)
A postal carrier assistant sustained a forehead laceration at work and received a $650 disfigurement award. OWCP found the scar could hinder employment but did not explain why it chose the minimum award. The Board could not assess the amount without that explanation. It set aside the award and…
Texas Underground Utilities, Inc.
Repeat cave-in violation affirmed, two items vacated
OSHA found two Texas Underground Utilities employees working in a trench at a construction site in Houston. The judge affirmed a repeat-serious cave-in-protection violation because the trench reached seven feet in Type B soil and was not properly sloped, benched, or protected by a trench box. A…
M.H. and Department of the Army, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, MD
Board recognizes reported Army sidewalk fall (ECAB 20-1164)
An Army administrative employee reported fracturing her hand after tripping on an uneven sidewalk during an employer event. The Board found her account established that the traumatic incident occurred in the performance of duty. It reversed OWCP’s denial and returned the claim for further…
Kyocera International, Inc.
In re Kyocera International, Inc. (EAB TSCA Appeal No. 23-02C): Consent Agreement ratified
The Environmental Appeals Board ratified a Consent Agreement resolving the proceeding involving Kyocera International, Inc. The Board incorporated the agreement into its Final Order and ordered the respondent to comply with all of its terms, effective immediately. The available official release…
R.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Hazelwood, MO
Board dismisses appeal at worker’s request (ECAB 23-1044)
A postal worker asked the Board to dismiss a pending appeal. The Board granted the request and closed the appeal without reviewing the merits. The appeal concerned a July 10, 2023 OWCP decision. Counsel requested withdrawal in a letter received August 15, 2023, and the Board granted the request.
G.P. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Oakland, CA
Board dismisses withdrawn IRS employee appeal (ECAB 23-0864)
An IRS employee asked to withdraw a pending Board appeal. The Board granted the request and dismissed the appeal without deciding the underlying OWCP claim. The appeal concerned a March 21, 2023 OWCP decision. The worker requested withdrawal in a letter received August 2, 2023, and the Board…
C.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Albany, NY
Board dismisses postal appeal at worker’s request (ECAB 23-0562)
A postal worker appealed OWCP’s January 4, 2023 decision in March. In a letter dated June 23 and received August 7, she requested dismissal of the appeal. The Board granted her request and dismissed the appeal. It did not decide the underlying claim.
D.T. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution, Sandstone, MN
Board denies higher awards for both legs (ECAB 23-0482)
A prison employee sought larger schedule awards for both lower extremities. The Board found that the medical rating evidence did not establish more than the six percent right leg and 11 percent left leg impairment already compensated. It affirmed OWCP’s denial of increases.
A.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Topanga Post Office, Los Angeles, CA
Board denies requested back surgery and disability period (ECAB 23-0470)
A postal rural carrier requested back surgery and wage loss compensation after an accepted 2021 injury. The Board found insufficient support that the proposed surgery was medically necessary for the accepted condition. It also found the medical evidence did not establish work related disability for…
W.C. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, Long Beach, CA
Board upholds denial of cervical fusion surgery (ECAB 23-0204)
A Customs and Border Protection officer requested neck surgery after an accepted work injury. The Board reviewed the medical opinions and found that OWCP did not abuse its discretion in declining the proposed C3-4 operation. It affirmed the treatment denial.
J.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Keyport, NJ
Board upholds injury resolution but remands later disability (ECAB 22-0018)
A postal employee challenged termination of benefits for accepted lumbar strain and temporary aggravation of disc disease. The Board agreed that those accepted conditions had resolved by September 2019. Later medical reports raised an unresolved question about continuing work related disability or…
B.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Los Angeles International Airport/Wagner Branch Post Office, Los Angeles, CA
Board upholds denial of late reconsideration request (ECAB 23-0454)
A postal carrier asked OWCP to reconsider an earlier back injury decision after the filing period expired. The Board found that his request did not demonstrate clear evidence of error in the prior decision. It affirmed the refusal to reopen the claim.
D.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Advance Post Office, Advance, NC
Board upholds refusal to reopen seizure fall claim (ECAB 23-0392)
A postal window employee sought reconsideration of a claim arising from a fall during a seizure at work. The Board found that her request did not meet the requirements for a new review of the claim merits. It affirmed OWCP’s refusal to reopen the case.
D.L. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Orlando VA Medical Center, Orlando, FL
Board reverses medical proof basis for denying continuation of pay (ECAB 23-0022)
A VA housekeeping aide sought continuation of pay after an accepted ankle injury. OWCP denied the request because it found the medical evidence did not show disability for the claimed period. The Board held that this was not one of the regulation’s permitted reasons to deny continuation of pay. It…
T.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Riverside-Rubidoux Post Office, Riverside, CA
Board denies added conditions and shoulder and neck surgeries (ECAB 22-0429)
A postal worker sought to add conditions to a longstanding accepted injury claim and obtain authorization for shoulder and neck operations. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish a causal link between the additional conditions and the accepted injury. It also affirmed OWCP’s…
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Covington Station, Kent, WA
Board orders new review of limb impairment ratings (ECAB 21-1390)
A postal worker sought a schedule award for limb impairment. OWCP’s medical adviser first agreed with impairment ratings, then withdrew that view without adequately explaining the change or addressing all findings. The Board found the opinion insufficient. It ordered another medical adviser to rate…
R.C. and Department of the Navy, Naval Region Southwest, Fire & Emergency, San Diego, CA
Board denies added knee tear and surgery authorization (ECAB 21-1018)
A Navy firefighter sought to add a right knee meniscus tear to an accepted injury claim and obtain authorization for surgeries performed in 2017 and 2018. The Board found the medical evidence did not adequately link the tear to the accepted injury. It also upheld the surgery denials.
S.H. and U.S. Postal Service, West Chester Processing & Distribution Center, White Plains, NY
Board denies knee surgery and later disability recurrence (ECAB 21-0987)
A postal mail processing clerk sought authorization for left knee surgery and wage loss benefits for a claimed recurrence beginning in August 2017. The Board found the evidence insufficient to tie the operation or disability period to her accepted 2009 injury. It affirmed both denials.
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.