FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW
COMMISSION
OFFICE OF
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES
1331 PENNSYLVANIA
AVE., N.W., SUITE 520N
WASHINGTON, DC
20004-1710
TELEPHONE:
202-434-9933 / FAX: 202-434-9949
August 6, 2015
SECRETARY OF LABOR MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (MSHA), Petitioner, v. TXI OPERATIONS LP,
Respondent. |
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CIVIL PENALTY PROCEEDING Docket No. CENT 2015-22-M A.C. No. 41-02820-360803 Mine: Hunter Cement Plant |
ORDER DENYING SETTLEMENT
Before: Judge Moran
This case is before the Court upon a
petition for assessment of a civil penalty under section 105(d) of the Federal
Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.[1] The CLR has filed a motion to approve
settlement.[2] Of the seven citations in the docket, three
have been vacated and two have been modified with reduced penalties.[3] For the reasons that follow, the motion to
approve settlement is denied.
Citation No. 8854618
The Secretary seeks to lower the
penalty for Citation No. 8854618 from $585.00 to $264.00, a reduction of
55%. This citation alleges a violation
of 30 C.F.R. § 56.14107(a), which requires that “[m]oving
machine parts shall be guarded to protect persons from contacting . . . moving
parts that can cause injury.” The
regulation gives several examples of moving parts that must be guarded. In support of the penalty reduction, the justification,
in its entirety, as presented by the Secretary, states:
The Secretary requests that
Citation No. 8854618 be modified from “Moderate Negligence” to “Low
Negligence.” The Respondent asserts that
the ball mill has been guarded in this manner for years, and that MSHA did not
provide fair notice about additional guarding requirements on the mill. The Respondent further asserts that the mill
is guarded well in most areas, and that injury would be unlikely to occur
because of the existing guarding. Under
these specific circumstances, the negligence herein is more appropriately
described as “Low Negligence.”
Motion
at 3.
The deficiencies in the motion are
obvious. To begin, it recites only
Respondent’s assertions; the Secretary does not weigh in or otherwise comment
at all upon the merits of Respondent’s claims, nor does the Secretary inform if
the negligence reduction sought, from moderate to low, results in the 55%
reduction under the application of the Part 100 formula. More fundamentally, the Secretary does not
offer anything but silence in reaction to the issue of Respondent’s claim that
its negligence should be deemed “low.”
Furthermore,
the text of the citation, for which the issuing inspector asserted that the
conditions found were significant and substantial and reasonably likely to
result in a permanently disabling injury, seems to contradict the statement,
tacitly accepted by the Secretary, as provided in his motion that “the mill is
guarded well in most areas.” It must be
noted that such a claim is itself an unusual basis for mitigation as, for
example, it would be akin to saying that “while one of our trucks had
inoperative brakes, most of our other trucks have good brakes.” Beyond that flaw in reasoning, the citation,
as highlighted below, seems to identify at least three and perhaps four
separate places[4]
on the Finnish Mill that were not adequately guarded:
The Finnish Mill 1 & 2 Trunion Flange
interlock shaft is not guarded to protect miners from contacting the moving
machine parts. This condition is located next to the work platform between the
motor drive and Mill Outlet Housing. The
unguarded bolted moving machine part has an area exposed that is about 8 ft tall and 12 inches wide. There is lube sight glass
at this location within 12 inches of the moving machine part. The Finnish Mill
motor drive shaft that is about a 14 inch diameter
with about 3 inches of the width not guarded. There is also a sight glass next
to this moving machine part. The Mill
itself is not adequately guarded along the work platform. The existing guard does not extend out far
enough to protect miners from contacting the Ball Mill housing that is
about 14 inches from the platform. There
is a 20 inch by 20 inch section of guarding missing at the end of the work
platform next to the Mill Inch Drive exposing the Mill bearing. Miners
access these areas as needed for inspections and maintenance. These conditions exposed the miners
accessing these areas to serious type injuries in the event of an accident. Standard
56.14107a was cited 7 times in two years at mine 4102820 (7 to the operator, 0
to a contractor).
Citation No. 8854618 (emphasis added).
Finally,
the motion does not state whether Respondent’s allegations were discussed with
the issuing inspector, which is important where, as here, the settlement
rationale merely presents Respondent’s contradictory assertions to the findings
of the MSHA inspector. For these
multiple reasons, the Court cannot approve the proposed settlement of this
citation.
Citation No. 8854631
The Secretary also seeks to lower
the penalty of Citation No. 8854631 from $585.00 to $118.00, a reduction of
80%, and modify the likelihood of injury or illness from “reasonably likely” to
“unlikely,” in addition to removing the significant and substantial
designation. In support of the
settlement, the Secretary simply engages in regurgitation of Respondent’s
arguments:
The Respondent asserts that the hazard is minimal; the shaft in question is very small, the opening is very small, and protected from accidental contact. The Respondent asserts that the shaft is smooth, and accidental contact would be unlikely, as would the shaft’s ability to cause injury. Therefore, under these specific circumstances, the gravity herein is more appropriately described as “Unlikely, and Non-Significant and Substantial.”
Motion at 3.
As
explained for Citation No. 8854618, above, the Secretary offers nothing illuminating in reaction to Respondent’s
claims. He does not assert that there
are legitimate factual disputes, much less identify
what they are. In the face of that
silence, the citation
contradicts Respondent’s contentions:
The #2 Load Out
FK Pump key way shaft is not guarded to protect miners working in the area from
contacting the moving machine part. The
key way shaft and tabbed bearing seal are about 41 inches off the ground level,
about 3 inches in diameter and have an area about 4 inches wide of
exposure. This service point for this
pump is about 5 inches from the moving machine part that is greased daily while in operation. The once
provided guard for this pump shaft was not in the area. This condition exposed the miner performing
maintenance to serious type injuries in the event of an accident.
Standard 56.14107a was cited 10
times in two years at mine 4102820 (10 to the operator, 0 to a contractor).
Citation
No. 8854631 (emphasis added).
As
the citation clearly avers, the service point is a mere five inches from the
exposed shaft and is accessed daily. The
citation states that not only was it unguarded, but a
guard had been there and was missing.
Respondent, furthermore, does not provide any facts as to why “accidental contact would be
unlikely,” nor does it give any indication of how the shaft would be protected
from accidental contact.
Thus, the rationale for settlement
of this citation fails due to the same shortcomings identified in Citation No.
8854618. The settlement motion merely
presents Respondent’s claims, without stating the Secretary’s position
regarding them, and the motion does not state whether Respondent’s assertions
were discussed with the issuing inspector.
The putative rationale seems to buy into Respondent’s claims, but only
by inference, and it then jumps to the conclusion that the unlikely and non
S&S designations are the more appropriate descriptions. With these notable, identified deficiencies,
the Court cannot approve the proposed settlement of this citation.
Vacated Citations
In this settlement, the Secretary
has also decided to vacate three of the seven citations. The Secretary has, of course, provided no
reasoning for his decision to vacate these three citations and presently does
not have such an obligation. The Court,
however, can publish the text of the citations that are being vacated.
Vacated
Citation No. 8776481 was issued for a violation of 30 C.F.R. § 56.11002, which
requires handrails and, when necessary, toeboards, to
be provided for elevated walkways. The
citation states:
The provided hand rail along the
right side of the stair way landing leading to the top of the Blending Silos is
not provided with a top rail. There is about a 30 inch wide section without the
top hand rail. The existing hand rail is about 28 inches off the landing level.
The travel way/work platform for the silo inspection doors is not provided with
toe plates[,] creating a 43 inch long by 8 inch wide
opening. There was loose material and 1/2 inch metal pipes
laying next to the opening. From this platform to the
lower travel way is about 80 ft. This area would only be accessed for silo
inspections/clean out activities. This condition exposed the miners that would
be working or traveling in the area to fatal injuries in the event of an
accident.
Standard 56.11002 was cited 1
time in two years at mine 4102820 (1 to the operator, 0 to a contractor).
The
citation was abated eight days later, with the inspector stating that “[t]he
provided hand rail along the right side of the stair way landing leading to the
top of the Blending Silos is now provided with a top rail. The openings around
the work platform at the lower landing have been closed. This citation is
hereby terminated.” Citation No. 8776481-02. The inspector designated this violation as
low negligence and unlikely to cause injury, but concluded that, if an injury
did occur, it would be fatal.
Vacated
Citation No. 8776496 was issued for a violation of 30 C.F.R. § 56.11001, which
requires that a “[s]afe means of access shall be
provided and maintained to all working places.”
The citation provides:
Safe means of access is not being
maintained around the lower work platforms and travel ways at the Limestone
Storage Bins at the K2 side of the mine. There are numerous openings (Cardox Ports) in the sides of the storage bin allowing
material to fall to the lower working levels. The material observed falling
from about 25 ft above ranged up to about 1-2 inches
in diameter. There are numerous 6 inch wide “I” beams along the storage bin
tower that have an accumulation of unconsolidated material piled on/resting on
the “I” beams upwards of 60 ft over the travel way
below [where] rocks were also observed. The rocks that had fallen from the
elevated area range up to about 3 inches in diameter. Miners travel and work in
these areas daily for inspections and/or maintenance. These conditions exposed
the miners working or traveling in the area to serious type injuries in the
event of an accident.
Standard 56.11001 was cited 3
times in two years at mine 4102820 (3 to the operator, 0 to a contractor).
The time
to abate the citation was extended once: “The mine operator has been granted an
extension on the termination due date and time to allow the material to be
cleaned from the “I” beams. The area is barricaded
while the work is still under progress. This citation is hereby extended to
06/28/2014 @ 0700 hours[.]” Citation No. 8776496-01. The citation was terminated, with the
inspector stating that “[t]he mine operator has cleared the loose material from
the overhead I beams and has closed the openings in the side wall of the
storage bin allowing for Safe means of access around the lower work platforms
and travel ways terminating this citation.”
Citation No. 8776496-02.
As
noted, the area was barricaded, and the citation, which was issued on June 24,
2014, was then extended until four days later, a fact indicative of the breadth
of the problem. Ultimately, it was terminated
two weeks later, on July 7, 2014. The
inspector found a lost workday or restricted duty injury was reasonably likely to
occur and that the violation was significant and substantial and the result of
moderate negligence.
Vacated
Citation No. 8854627 was issued for a violation of 30 C.F.R. § 56.4603(b),
which states, in part: “To prevent accidental release of gases from hoses and
torches attached to oxygen and acetylene cylinders . . . cylinder valves shall
be closed when . . . [t]he torch and hoses are left unattended.” The citation provides:
The oxygen and acetylene torch
left unattended at the Clinker Bin Drag Chain head pulley work platform was not
bleed [sic] off prior to the miners leaving the area for lunch. There were no
other persons observed in the immediate area at the time of the inspection.
There was grease and oils in the area from the maintenance work being
performed. In the event of an accident should the hoses or valves at the torch
head become damaged and the oxygen come into contact with the oils or grease,
Miners in the immediate area would be exposed to serious injuries relating from
a fire or explosion due to the uncontrolled release of flammable gases.
The
citation was terminated later the same day, with the inspector stating that
“[t]he oxygen and acetylene lines have been bleed
[sic] off.” Citation
No. 8854627.
The
inspector evaluated the probability of the alleged violation to cause an injury
as unlikely, with the expected injury to be lost workdays or restricted duty,
and he deemed that the violation was caused by moderate negligence.
The
Secretary provides no reasoning for his decision to vacate the three citations
above, although the Court acknowledges that, under current practice, the
Secretary has the authority to vacate citations without oversight, per RBK Constr., Inc., 15 FMSHRC 2099 (Oct.
1993). As no reasoning has been
provided, the Court, the issuing inspectors, and the affected miners can only
guess at the Secretary’s motivation for vacating these three citations. However, the ability to vacate citations
without explanation does not prevent the Court from disclosing to the public
the texts of the citations, as it has done so here.
Conclusion
Because the Secretary has not
provided sufficient information for the Court to approve the settlement, the
Secretary’s motion to approve settlement is DENIED. The Court directs
the Secretary to either provide additional information to support the settlement
and aver that he has consulted with the issuing inspector regarding
Respondent’s contentions, or to prepare for a hearing on Citation Nos. 8854618
and 8854631. The Secretary is to inform
the Court within 14 days of this Order of his intention to either submit an
amended motion to approve settlement or proceed with a hearing on these
matters.
/s/ William B. Moran
William B. Moran
Administrative
Law Judge
Distribution:
Ms. Karen Johnston, Jackson Kelly
PLLC, 1099 18th Street Suite 2150, Denver, CO 80202
Maria C. Rich, MSHA, 1100 Commerce St. Rm. 462,
Dallas, TX 75242
[1] The Conference and Litigation
Representative (CLR) is accepted to represent the Secretary in accordance with
the notice of limited appearance she has filed with the penalty petition. Cyprus Emerald Res. Corp., 16 FMSHRC
2359 (Nov. 1994).
[2]
In
paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Motion for Decision and Proposed Order Approving
Settlement, the Secretary continues to stake out his position that he need not
explain the basis for settlement, a position which is immaterial and
impertinent to the issues legitimately before the Commission. Those paragraphs incorrectly cite and
interpret the case law and misrepresent the statute, regulations, and
Congressional intent regarding settlements under the Mine Act.
[3] Two of the citations, Nos. 8776488 and 8854623, were settled at the proposed amounts, with no
changes.
[4] If the Court
misinterprets this, the Secretary should explain if this is one unguarded
spot. If it is in fact three or four
areas, the Secretary is directed to acknowledge that state of affairs.