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.

13,917 decisions and counting · Latest decision August 26, 2026
13 decisions 30 C.F.R. § 75.902

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ALJ

Lone Mountain Processing, Inc.

One violation affirmed, three citations dismissed, settlement approved

Lone Mountain was cited at its underground coal mine for electrical conditions involving circuit-breaker identification, a ground-check circuit, damaged conduit, and a missing breaker handle. Judge Avram Weisberger dismissed the circuit-breaker citation because the breaker was marked with a number…

April 29, 2005 ·Avram Weisberger ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

C. W. Mining Company

Citations affirmed, modified, and vacated

C. W. Mining faced 18 citations at its Bear Canyon coal mines, including issues involving preshift examinations, electrical grounding, and electrical equipment. Judge Richard W. Manning vacated one citation, affirmed or modified the others, and assessed penalties based on the Mine Act criteria. The…

December 10, 2004 ·Richard W. Manning ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Broken Hill Mining Company

Default judgment affirmed across eight serious mine-safety orders

Broken Hill Mining operated Mine No. 3, and the operator did not appear at a scheduled hearing after receiving notice. The judge treated the operator’s absence as a default, affirmed eight orders involving electrical protection, cable splices, combustible accumulations, roof control, and…

April 10, 1997 ·Paul Merlin ·FMSHRC
Citations affirmed
ALJ

Mid-Continent Resources, Inc.

Ventilation violation upheld and individual proceeding dismissed

Mid-Continent Resources changed the approved ventilation system at its Dutch Creek Mine after the mine stopped producing coal, without first obtaining MSHA approval. The judge found that the mine remained active for ventilation, pumping, and patrol work, and that the changes violated 30 C.F.R. §…

August 31, 1994 ·August F. Cetti ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Cross Mountain Coal Inc.

Mixed citation dispositions and settlements ordered

Cross Mountain Coal was cited at its No. 6 Mine for electrical, respirable-dust, cable-splice, and roof-control conditions. The judge found violations involving ground-monitor circuits, a trailing-cable splice, roof support, and failure to follow the approved roof control plan. The judge modified…

August 31, 1994 ·David F. Barbour ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

M A G Incorporated

Settlements totaling $21,000 approved across 14 dockets

M A G Incorporated contested 54 alleged safety and health violations across 14 dockets at Alloy Deep Mine No. 2. The parties reported that the operator was a small mine with poor financial condition, that no accidents or injuries resulted from the cited conditions, and that all conditions were…

August 5, 1993 ·George A. Koutras ·FMSHRC
Settled
COMM

S & H Mining, Inc.

Ground-check violation affirmed as S&S and unwarrantable

MSHA found that the locking device on a cable coupler supplying electricity to a coal mine power center had been removed and wedges had been used to hold the coupler in place. The Commission held that the resulting violation of 30 C.F.R. § 75.902 was significant and substantial because a ground…

June 22, 1993 ·FMSHRC
Citations affirmed
ALJ

S and H Mining, Incorporated

Electrical orders affirmed with $800 penalties

S and H Mining operated an underground coal mine in Tennessee. Judge William Fauver found that a damaged cable-coupler lock and an improperly shielded high-voltage cable splice created serious electrical hazards and involved unwarrantable failure. He affirmed Orders 3174055 and 3174056 under the…

May 26, 1992 ·William Fauver ·FMSHRC
Citations affirmed
ALJ

LJ'S Coal Corporation

Multiple mine-safety violations adjudicated

LJ'S Coal Corporation faced consolidated proceedings involving roof control, accident reporting, fire suppression, dust-control planning, roadway berms, and underground electrical safety at its No. 3 and No. 4 Mines. Judge Avram Weisberger found several serious and significant-and-substantial…

August 14, 1991 ·Avram Weisberger ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Beaver Creek Coal Company

Settlement approved and $120 penalty assessed

MSHA charged Beaver Creek Coal Company with three safety violations at the Trail Mountain No. 9 Mine. Beaver Creek agreed to withdraw its contest and pay $20 for one citation, and to accept a redesignated section 104(a) significant-and-substantial citation with a $100 penalty for a second matter…

June 15, 1989 ·August F. Cetti ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Consolidation Coal Company

Electrical citations partly dismissed and partly affirmed

Consolidation Coal Company was cited for electrical conditions at its Arkwright No. 1 Mine, including cable fittings, a blower temperature device, a ground-check circuit, circuit-breaker settings, and cable size. Judge Avram Weisberger found that two alleged violations were not proven and dismissed…

June 20, 1988 ·Avram Weisberger ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Southern Ohio Coal Company

Mixed contest and penalty dispositions

Southern Ohio Coal Company challenged multiple MSHA citations and orders involving muddy haulage roads, unsupported roof, exposed electrical equipment, an unguarded fluid coupler, and an unsafe slope near a highwall. Judge William Fauver approved settlements in several matters, affirmed several…

December 31, 1986 ·William Fauver ·FMSHRC
Mixed result
ALJ

Anlo Energy, Inc.

Electrical violations affirmed

MSHA found that Anlo Energy’s Peacock Mine No. 1 had inadequate grounded-phase protection and inoperative ground-monitoring circuits on its main power center. Judge William Fauver found that both conditions violated the cited standards and presented serious electrical hazards, including a risk of…

December 3, 1986 ·William Fauver ·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.