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.
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UtahAmerican Energy, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor
Outburst reporting plan survives summary challenge
UtahAmerican Energy challenged additions to the Lila Canyon Mine's roof control plan for violent or unusually frequent coal and rock outbursts. The provisions required immediate notice to MSHA, a temporary production stop, restricted access while hazards were addressed, and a safety determination…
Harlan Cumberland Coal Co.
Coal-burst citation vacated
Harlan Cumberland Coal Company's underground C-2 Mine experienced a coal burst during retreat mining that injured six miners, two fatally. MSHA cited the company for failing to control coal ribs under the roof-control standard and proposed a $50,000 penalty. Judge August F. Cetti found that Harlan…
Secretary of Labor v. C.W. Mining Company
Roof-control citation affirmed
C.W. Mining operated the Bear Canyon No. 1 underground coal mine in Utah. MSHA cited the company for operating without an approved roof control plan after revoking an older plan that allowed longer roof-bolting intervals and a different pillar-extraction sequence. The Commission held that MSHA…
C.W. Mining Company
Citation for operating without an approved roof-control plan affirmed
C.W. Mining operated the Bear Canyon No. 1 underground coal mine in Utah without an approved roof-control plan after MSHA revoked the mine's prior plan during a dispute over revisions. The judge found that the Secretary proved a violation of the requirement to develop and follow an approved…
Beaver Creek Coal Company
Contest dismissed as moot
Beaver Creek Coal Company disputed a withdrawal order and MSHA's handling of a proposed roof control plan modification at the Trail Mountain No. 9 Mine. MSHA later vacated the withdrawal order and approved the requested modification without the disputed condition. The Commission held that the…
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.