Federal agency decisions, searchable in plain English.
Workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) and mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), 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 on behalf of Nicholas Rubio v. Castle Mountain Venture
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Nicholas Rubio v. Castle Mountain Venture (FMSHRC WEST 2024-0283): Blanket settlement seal vacated
The Secretary and Castle Mountain settled a miner discrimination complaint, and the operator asked to seal the entire settlement based on an unspecified business interest and a separate confidentiality agreement with the miner. The Administrative Law Judge granted that request over the Secretary's…
Secretary of Labor v. Rulon Harper Construction, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Rulon Harper Construction, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0249): Unsupported settlement reductions rejected
The Secretary and Rulon proposed settlements covering ten citations and orders, with large reductions in gravity, negligence, significant-and-substantial designations, and penalties. The proposed total penalties would have fallen from $22,944 to $3,936 in one docket and from $22,134 to $7,227 in…
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2022-0248): Ground-control and fire-boss citations upheld
MSHA issued 23 citations at Morton Salt's Weeks Island underground salt mine, a Class II-A domal salt mine with hazards from loose salt scales and unpredictable methane releases. The parties settled 17 citations for $38,320, including one vacatur and several reductions in gravity, negligence, and…
Secretary of Labor v. Genesis Alkali, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Genesis Alkali, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0189): Unsupported settlements remained denied
A judge rejected proposed settlements covering 34 citations because major modifications and vacaturs lacked enough factual support. One proposal would have reduced a ventilation citation from S&S and fatal gravity to non-S&S and lost-workdays gravity, with a penalty cut from $12,007 to $729…
Secretary of Labor v. Bluestone Oil Corporation
Secretary of Labor v. Bluestone Oil Corporation (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0176): Unsupported S&S removals rejected
Bluestone Oil’s proposed settlement covered twenty-four citations and would have reduced total penalties from $51,023 to $30,500. It also would have removed the significant-and-substantial designations from two citations without providing a factual justification. The Administrative Law Judge denied…
Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0403): Unsupported S&S removal rejected
Greenbrier and the Secretary proposed settling six citations, including removal of the significant-and-substantial designation from a citation alleging an inoperable emergency stop switch on a feeder breaker. That change would also have reduced the proposed penalty from $1,593 to $302. The…
Secretary of Labor v. County Line Stone Co., Inc., Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company, LLC, and Ramaco Resources, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. County Line Stone Co., Inc., Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company, LLC, and Ramaco Resources, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0260): Settlement vacaturs remained reviewable
These three consolidated cases involved settlements that proposed vacating contested citations while resolving other citations in the same agreements. The Secretary claimed unreviewable discretion to vacate the citations and declined to assure the ALJ that the proposed vacaturs were independent of…
Secretary of Labor v. Knight Hawk Coal, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Knight Hawk Coal, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2021-0160): Unsupported S&S removal rejected
Knight Hawk and the Secretary proposed settling three citations by removing the significant-and-substantial designation from two and reducing total penalties from $7,960 to $4,590. The ALJ accepted the explanation for one removal but found inadequate support for removing S&S from a roof-control…
Secretary of Labor v. Crimson Oak Grove Resources, LLC and Secretary of Labor v. River City Stone-DIV/Mathy Construction Co. and Secretary of Labor v. Holcim (US) Inc. and Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Crimson Oak Grove Resources, LLC and consolidated cases (FMSHRC LAKE 2021-0145): Settlement citation vacaturs required Commission review
These five cases involved proposed settlements or dismissals in which the Secretary would vacate citations while operators accepted or withdrew contests to other citations and waived potential attorney-fee claims. The ALJ required either assurance that the vacaturs were independent of the other…
Secretary of Labor v. CONSOL Mining Company, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. CONSOL Mining Company, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2023-0141): Judge could not strike settlement arguments
A Judge denied a settlement motion without reviewing the agreement and struck the Secretary's argument and supporting Commission cases. The Commission held that presenting those authorities did not violate its procedural rules and that striking them could prevent the Secretary from preserving…
Secretary of Labor v. Perry County Resources, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Perry County Resources, LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2022-0024): Unrelated abatement order was not required for settlement
Perry County Resources and the Secretary proposed settling four citations involving roof support, escapeways, a lifeline, and equipment guarding. A Judge denied approval because the Secretary would not provide a separate failure-to-abate order associated with a citation Perry accepted as written…
Secretary of Labor v. Nufac Mining Company, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Nufac Mining Company (FMSHRC WEVA 2023-0149): Five-citation settlement approved with installment plan
The parties settled five citations issued to Nufac Mining's No. 57 Mine. Three penalties were reduced by roughly half, while two remained unchanged, lowering the table total from $19,574 to $11,684. The judge noted substantial older unpaid penalties and prior noncompliance with an installment plan…
Secretary of Labor v. Consol Mining Company, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Consol Mining Company (FMSHRC WEVA 2023-0141): Continuance granted and settlement question certified
Consol Mining asked to continue a scheduled hearing because of witness and discovery issues and pending disputes over a proposed partial settlement. The judge granted the continuance and deferred the Secretary's request to separate the unsettled citations from those proposed for settlement. He…
Secretary of Labor v. Consol Mining Company, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Consol Mining Company, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2023-0141): Partial settlement denied and authorities stricken
The Secretary sought approval of a partial settlement that removed S&S designations and cited Mechanicsville Concrete and American Aggregates of Michigan as supporting authority. Judge Young concluded that those decisions did not support the proposition for which they were repeatedly cited and that…
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0555): Settlement initially denied over missing withdrawal orders
The proposed settlement covered citations involving a CAT loader with nine defects and a CAT truck with nineteen defects, both under a standard requiring safety defects to be corrected before equipment use. Inspectors repeatedly extended abatement deadlines, and section 104(b) withdrawal orders…
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0516): Fourteen-citation settlement approved
The settlement resolved fourteen citations at Appalachian Resource's Grapevine South Surface Mine and reduced penalties from $18,550 to $11,000. Three associated section 104(b) withdrawal orders were vacated, three citations were changed from low to no negligence, and one citation was changed from…
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0554): Haul-truck railing settlement approved
MSHA cited two hazards on the same haul truck at Appalachian Resource West Virginia’s Tug Fork Preparation Plant. One citation involved a loose railing at the top of an eight-to-nine-foot ladder, and the other involved the equipment operator’s failure to wear a seat belt. The settlement changed the…
Secretary of Labor v. Iron Cumberland, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Iron Cumberland, LLC (FMSHRC PENN 2022-0084): Combustible-accumulation settlement approved
The settlement covered two specially assessed section 104(d)(2) orders for extensive combustible-material accumulations along the Cumberland Mine’s 6 Mains West No. 1 belt. The first order identified ten locations, including material contacting moving rollers and one smoking accumulation; the…
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0428): Blasting, training, and equipment settlement approved
This settlement resolved sixteen citations that had been moved from the related WEVA 2022-0301 docket. One equipment citation remained at $4,624 after ten defects were found on a haul truck and eight remained uncorrected thirteen days later, prompting a section 104(b) order. Three other citations…
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0301): Equipment and ground-control settlement approved
The settlement resolved seventeen citations at Appalachian Resource West Virginia’s Grapevine South Surface Mine after sixteen other citations were moved to a separate docket. Seven equipment citations had led to section 104(b) failure-to-abate orders involving defects such as oil leaks, damaged…
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0428): Failure-to-abate order disclosure certified
This reallocated docket included a haul-truck citation under 30 C.F.R. § 77.1606(c) for ten safety defects. The inspector granted additional time for repairs, but the record then showed that a section 104(b) failure-to-abate order had been issued. The Secretary sought settlement approval at the…
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Appalachian Resource West Virginia, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0301): Failure-to-abate disclosure question certified
The Secretary sought approval of a settlement covering numerous mobile-equipment citations but refused the Judge’s repeated requests for seven associated section 104(b) failure-to-abate orders. Counsel for Appalachian Resource West Virginia confirmed the orders and supplied information that the…
Secretary of Labor v. Bluestone Oil Corporation
Secretary of Labor v. Bluestone Oil Corporation (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0176): S&S removal authority accepted for review
A judge denied a proposed settlement because the Secretary did not provide factual support for removing the significant and substantial designations from two citations. The judge certified the denial for interlocutory review. The Commission granted review to decide whether the Secretary has…
Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0403): S&S removal authority accepted for review
A judge denied a proposed settlement because the Secretary did not provide enough information to support removing a significant and substantial designation. The judge certified the denial for interlocutory review. The Commission granted review to decide whether the Secretary has unreviewable…
Secretary of Labor v. Rulon Harper Construction, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Rulon Harper Construction, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0250): Berm and parking-brake settlement reductions rejected
Rulon Harper Construction operated a sand-and-gravel pit near Salt Lake City where MSHA issued eight citations, including four for missing or deficient berms and one for a parking brake that would not hold a truck on a grade. The parties proposed reducing the combined penalties from $22,134 to…
Secretary of Labor v. Rulon Harper Construction, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Rulon Harper Construction, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0249): Proposed 83 percent penalty reduction rejected for thin factual support
Rulon Harper Construction operated a sand-and-gravel pit near Salt Lake City where MSHA cited an unchocked truck on a grade and an inadequate workplace examination that missed 20 violative conditions. The parties proposed reducing the combined penalties from $22,944 to $3,936, removing both…
Secretary of Labor v. Genesis Alkali, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Genesis Alkali, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0267): Thirteen-cent-on-the-dollar settlement rejected
Genesis Alkali operated a large Wyoming trona mine where two dockets covered 25 citations involving unsecured raised loads, missing berms, obstructed passageways, and other alleged hazards. The parties proposed reducing the combined penalties from $120,909 to $15,424, vacating several citations…
Secretary of Labor v. Genesis Alkali, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Genesis Alkali, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0189): Hydrogen-sulfide ventilation settlement rejected
Genesis Alkali operated a Wyoming trona mine where nine citations carried proposed penalties totaling $34,483. The parties sought to reduce that total to $9,494, including cutting a ventilation citation from $12,007 to $729 and removing its significant-and-substantial designation. The citation…
Secretary of Labor v. Covol Fuels No. 3 LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Covol Fuels No. 3 LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2022-0040): Massive roof-fall penalty reduction rejected
MSHA cited Covol Fuels after a roof collapse in the primary escapeway measured about 20 feet wide, 35 feet long, and 9 feet thick. The citation treated the event as having occurred, with fatal gravity and an S&S designation, and proposed a $3,546 penalty. The parties sought to change likelihood to…
Secretary of Labor v. County Line Stone Co., Inc., et al.
Secretary of Labor v. County Line Stone Co., Inc., et al. (FMSHRC YORK 2022-0003): Settlement vacatur issue accepted for interlocutory review
The Secretary sought approval of settlements involving County Line Stone, Consol Pennsylvania Coal, and Ramaco Resources, with each proposal calling for at least one citation to be vacated. The judge asked the Secretary to confirm that each vacatur was independent of the compromise of other…
Secretary of Labor v. County Line Stone Co., Inc., et al.
Secretary of Labor v. County Line Stone Co., Inc., et al. (FMSHRC YORK 2022-0003): Premature settlement-review petition denied
The Secretary sought interlocutory review in three cases after the judge questioned settlement proposals that included vacating citations. The judge had asked whether each vacatur was independent of the compromise of other citations, and the Secretary instead sought certification of the legal issue…
Secretary of Labor v. Perry County Resources
Secretary of Labor v. Perry County Resources (FMSHRC KENT 2022-0024): Secretary ordered to disclose missing abatement order
Perry County Resources and the Secretary proposed resolving four citations with a total penalty reduction from $1,470 to $1,204. The record showed that MSHA had issued a section 104(b) failure-to-abate order connected to an admitted roof-support citation, but the order and related documents were…
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2022-0010 M): Contest filing triggered Commission jurisdiction
Cactus Canyon Quarries appealed an order that gave the Secretary more time to file a penalty petition and argued that the Commission lacked jurisdiction before that petition was filed. Judge Richard W. Manning rejected that position and held that Commission jurisdiction attached when Cactus Canyon…
Secretary of Labor v. Knight Hawk Coal, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Knight Hawk Coal, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2021-0160): S&S removal authority accepted for review
A judge denied a proposed settlement because the Secretary did not provide enough information to support removing a significant and substantial designation. The judge certified the denial for interlocutory review. The Commission granted review to decide whether the Secretary has unreviewable…
Secretary of Labor v. Knight Hawk Coal, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Knight Hawk Coal, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2021-0160): S&S settlement question certified for review
Knight Hawk Coal and the Secretary proposed settling three citations by removing the significant and substantial designation from two and reducing total penalties from $7,960 to $4,590. Judge Michael G. Young accepted the explanation for one S&S removal but found insufficient factual support for…
Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2021-0294): Citation-vacatur question certified for review
Greenbrier Minerals and the Secretary proposed settling six citations by vacating two, leaving four unchanged, and reducing total penalties from $1,960 to $1,213. The Secretary relied only on asserted prosecutorial discretion as the explanation for the vacaturs. Judge Michael G. Young held that…
Secretary of Labor v. Hopedale Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Hopedale Mining, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2019-0149): Four-citation ventilation settlement approved
MSHA cited four significant-and-substantial failures to follow Hopedale Mining's ventilation plan, including inadequate airflow, a misplaced curtain, plugged water sprays, and insufficient roof-bolter vacuum. The parties proposed reducing the total penalties from $18,093 to $3,339 after lowering…
Secretary of Labor v. American Aggregates of Michigan, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. American Aggregates of Michigan, Inc. (FMSHRC LAKE 2018-0340): New-miner training settlement approved
MSHA issued a withdrawal order after a driller's helper had not completed every topic required during the first four hours of new-miner training. The parties agreed to keep the violation but remove the significant-and-substantial designation, reduce negligence and gravity, and lower the proposed…
What these documents are
- Commission decisions: Rulings by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission itself, the highest level of agency review. These are citable as Commission precedent, though a decision may have been appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals after issuance.
- ALJ decisions: Rulings by OSHRC Administrative Law Judges after a hearing. When no Commissioner directs review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j): it binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent in other cases.
- 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 OSHRC public release, and the full text on the page is that release. The plain-English summaries are written by Ezel.