FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

1331 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW, SUITE 520N

                WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004-1710                           

 March 27, 2013

BEFORE: Jordan, Chairman; Young and Nakamura, Commissioners

ORDER

BY THE COMMISSION:

            This matter arises under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, 30 U.S.C. § 801 et seq. On February 21, 2013, Administrative Law Judge Thomas P. McCarthy issued an Order Rejecting Amended Settlement Motion and Order for Certification of Interlocutory Review. Unpublished Order at 8 (Feb. 21, 2013). The proposed settlement at issue involved Citation No. 8190957. Id. at 1.

            On March 4, 2013, the Commission issued an order pursuant to Commission Procedural Rule 76(a), 29 C.F.R. § 2700.76(a), directing interlocutory review on the question of whether the Secretary of Labor can remove a “significant and substantial” designation from a citation without leave of the Commission in settlement of a proposed assessment of civil penalty that has been contested. The Commission further ordered briefing by the parties.

            On March 11, 2013, Dickenson-Russell Coal Company, LLC (“Dickenson-Russell”) filed with the Commission a Notice of Withdrawal of Contest. In the notice, Dickenson-Russell states that it has paid the civil penalty associated with Citation No. 8190957, and that it withdraws its notice of contest of the citation. 

            Commission Rule 76(a) provides that interlocutory review is a matter of sound discretion of the Commission, and that the Commission may grant interlocutory review upon a determination that the Judge’s interlocutory ruling involves a controlling question of law and immediate review will materially advance the final disposition of the proceeding. 29 C.F.R. § 2700.76(a). 

            Upon consideration of the matter, we have determined that, given the operator’s payment of penalty and its filing of a notice of withdrawal of its contest, the criteria for interlocutory review are no longer satisfied. We hereby vacate our order directing interlocutory review and remand the case to Judge McCarthy for further proceedings under the Mine Act, including a determination of whether this proceeding is moot.  

                                                                                    /s/ Mary Lu Jordan

                                                                                    Mary Lu Jordan, Chairman

                                                                                    /s/Michael G. Young

                                                                                    Michael G. Young, Commissioner

                                                                                    /s/ Patrick K. Nakamura                                                                                

                                                                                    Patrick K. Nakamura, Commissioner

Distribution:

Cameron S. Bell, Esq.

Penn, Stuart & Eskridge

P.O. Box 2288

Abingdon, VA 24212

A. Scott Hecker, Esq.

Office of the Solicitor

U.S. Department of Labor

1100 Wilson Blvd., 22^nd Floor West

Arlington, VA 22209-2247

Douglas N. White, Esq.

Office of the Solicitor

U.S. Department of Labor

1100 Wilson Blvd., 22^nd Floor West

Arlington, VA 22209-2247

Robert S. Wilson, Esq.

Office of the Solicitor

U.S. Department of Labor

1100 Wilson Blvd., 22^nd Floor West

Arlington, VA 22209-2247

W. Christian Schumann, Esq.

Office of the Solicitor

U.S. Department of Labor

1100 Wilson Blvd., Room 2220

Arlington, VA 22209-2296

Melanie Garris

Office of Civil Penalty Compliance

MSHA

U.S. Dept. of Labor

1100 Wilson Blvd., 25^th Floor

Arlington, VA 22209-3939

Administrative Law Judge Thomas P. McCarthy

Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission

Office of Administrative Law Judges

1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W., Suite 520N

Washington, D.C. 20004