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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Star Mine Operations, LLC v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Star Mine Operations, LLC and Secretary of Labor v. Rory Williams
Star Mine Operations, LLC v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEST 2014-994 M, et al.): Fatal-accident cases settled for $310,000
The consolidated cases covered 172 citations and orders issued after two accidents at Star Mine's underground silver mine. Two miners died from carbon monoxide poisoning after entering an unventilated area following a large explosives detonation, and two other miners were injured in a later planned…
Big Ridge, Inc., Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC, Independence Coal Company, Inc., Inman Energy Corporation, Process Energy, Spartan Mining Company, Road Fork Development Company, Knox Creek Coal Corporation
Big Ridge, Inc., et al. (FMSHRC WEVA 2011-398-R, et al.): MSHA may obtain payroll and medical records for Part 50 audits
Eight mine operators refused to produce payroll, time-sheet, and accident-related medical records requested during MSHA audits of Part 50 reporting, leading to section 50.41 citations and failure-to-abate orders. The Commission held that sections 103(a) and 103(h) of the Mine Act and 30 C.F.R. §…
Target Industries, Inc., Phillip K. Peterson, and Gregory L. Golden
Split vote leaves fan violations affirmed
Target Industries operated an underground bituminous coal mine with two surface bleeder fans serving its ventilation system. After fan stoppages and failures in daily examinations, MSHA cited Target under the main mine fan regulations and cited Phillip Peterson and Gregory Golden individually under…
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.