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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Secretary of Labor v. Kopper Glo Mining, LLC
Rib-control violation upheld but unwarrantable finding removed
MSHA cited Kopper Glo Mining after an inspector found rib sloughage and unsupported brows in five working headings at the Double Mountain Mine. Judge Margaret A. Miller held that the mine's roof-control plan clearly treated sloughing as a sign of instability and required fencing, steel supports…
Secretary of Labor v. Marfork Coal Company, Inc.
Kettle-bottom roof citation affirmed with $5,080 penalty
A partially fallen kettle bottom in the Horse Creek Eagle Mine roof had one metal strap installed below and off center from the opening. Judge Margaret A. Miller credited the inspector's conclusion that the strap would not catch the remaining dense rock when it fell, so the mine failed to provide…
Big Ridge, Inc.
Eight contested violations affirmed, electrical-exam citation vacated
Big Ridge faced 78 alleged violations across four dockets at its Willow Lake underground coal mine, with proposed penalties totaling $481,148. The parties settled all but nine matters. Judge Margaret A. Miller affirmed eight contested violations involving combustible accumulations, a 20-foot gap in…
Elk Run Coal Company, Inc.
Roof-control S&S finding remanded for reconsideration
Elk Run was cited for failing to follow its approved roof control plan while pillar mining, including starting three rows of blocks before the inby blocks were completed. The administrative law judge affirmed the violation but found it was not significant and substantial, relying in part on the…
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…
The Helen Mining Company
Unwarrantable-failure finding affirmed
The Commission reviewed whether The Helen Mining Company unwarrantably failed to comply with the mandatory roof-control standard at its Homer City Mine. Inspectors found gaps between forepole pads and the mine roof in a shortwall section, and the company was cited under 30 C.F.R. § 75.200. The…
Quinland Coals, Inc.
Unwarrantable-failure finding affirmed and penalty corrected
Quinland Coals operated an underground coal mine where an inspector found a large roof fall, broken support posts, roof cracks, and a crushed seal. The Commission held that the mine violated the mandatory roof and rib control standard and that the violation resulted from the operator's…
Carbon County Coal Company
Ventilation-plan dispute dismissed
Carbon County Coal Company was cited for operating its Carbon No. 1 Mine without an approved ventilation and methane and dust control plan under 30 C.F.R. § 75.316. The dispute concerned whether the mine had to supply auxiliary fans with air greater than their free discharge capacity, rather than…
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.