Federal Agency Decisions

Workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), and environmental appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board, each with a plain-English summary, the standards it cites, and whether it counts as precedent. More agencies are coming.

14,272 decisions and counting · Latest decision August 26, 2026
6 decisions 30 C.F.R. § 75.1405

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ALJ

Jim Walter Resources, Inc.

Thirty-three citations resolved for $20,343

Eight civil-penalty dockets covered 33 alleged safety violations at Jim Walter Resources' No. 4, No. 5, and No. 7 underground coal mines. Judge Jerold Feldman adjudicated six citations and one order involving haulage coupling, electrical protection, rib support, track obstructions, a leaking seal…

January 28, 2008 ·Jerold Feldman ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Basin Resources, Inc.

Mixed citation results with $25,601 penalty

Basin Resources contested penalties for safety violations at the Golden Eagle Mine, including ventilation, guarding, escapeway, roof-control, and coal-dust conditions. Judge Richard W. Manning vacated one citation, affirmed most of the remaining findings, modified one unwarrantable-failure order to…

September 11, 1997 ·Richard W. Manning ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Consolidation Coal Company

Decoupler citation modified and settlement approved

Consolidation Coal operated the Dilworth Mine and Blacksville No. 2 Mine. At Blacksville No. 2, ten mine cars had inoperable uncoupling devices, which could force miners to go between cars and expose them to crushing injuries. Judge Jerold Feldman found the violation significant and substantial…

August 13, 1993 ·Jerold Feldman ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Consolidation Coal Company

Mixed settlements and findings resolve coal mine violations

Consolidation Coal agreed to settlements in several penalty proceedings, and Judge Avram Weisberger approved them after considering the Mine Act penalty criteria. In a separate group of cases, the judge found that damaged or inoperative coal-car uncoupling devices created a significant and…

August 21, 1992 ·Avram Weisberger ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Consolidation Coal Company

Settlements approved across consolidated penalty cases

Consolidation Coal Company and the Secretary of Labor presented settlements covering one contest proceeding and eleven civil penalty proceedings involving several coal mines. Judge David Barbour approved the settlements after finding them in the public interest. The order reduced or vacated several…

April 28, 1992 ·David Barbour ·FMSHRC
Settled
ALJ

Consolidation Coal Company

Automatic-coupler citation affirmed with $300 penalty

Consolidation Coal Company was cited at the Loveridge No. 22 Mine after damaged and inoperative cutoff levers on two supply cars created a risk that miners would go between cars to uncouple them. The company did not dispute the violation but argued that it was not significant and substantial and…

August 21, 1991 ·Gary Melick ·FMSHRC
Citations affirmed

What these documents are

  • The agencies: Workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), and environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB). Each decision page names its agency.
  • Commission and Board decisions: Rulings by the agency's highest review level (the Commission at OSHRC and FMSHRC, 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.