FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION
1331 PENNSYLVANIA AVE., N.W., SUITE 520N
WASHINGTON, DC 20004-1710
SECRETARY OF LABOR, MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (MSHA),
v.
WHITE OAK RESOURCES, LLC, |
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Docket No. LAKE 2015-532 A.C. No. 11-03203-374211
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BEFORE: Jordan, Chairman; Young, Cohen, Nakamura, and Althen, 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. (2012) (“Mine Act”). On June 3, 2015, the Commission received from White Oak Resources, LLC (“White Oak”) a motion seeking to reopen a penalty assessment that had appeared to become a final order of the Commission pursuant to section 105(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. § 815(a).
On March 6, 2015, White Oak received a proposed penalty assessment from the Secretary. On April 6, 2015, the proposed assessment was deemed a final order of the Commission, when it appeared that the operator had not filed a Notice of Contest within 30 days.
White Oak asserts that it timely contested the penalty assessment at issue. The Secretary does not oppose the request to reopen, and admits that it received a timely contest of the penalty assessment at issue on March 12, 2015.
Having reviewed White Oak’s request and the Secretary’s response, we conclude that the proposed penalty assessment did not become a final order of the Commission because the operator timely contested the proposed assessment. Section 105(a) states that if an operator “fails to notify the Secretary that he intends to contest the ... proposed assessment of penalty, ... the citation and the proposed assessment of penalty shall be deemed a final order of the Commission.” 30 U.S.C. § 815(a). Here, White Oak notified the Secretary of the contest. This obviates any need to invoke Rule 60(b). Accordingly, the operator’s motion to reopen is moot, and this case is remanded to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings pursuant to the Mine Act and the Commission’s Procedural Rules, 29 C.F.R. Part 2700.
/s/ Mary Lu Jordan
Mary Lu Jordan, Chairman
/s/ Michael G. Young
Michael G. Young, Commissioner
/s/ Robert F. Cohen, Jr.
Robert F. Cohen Jr., Commissioner
/s/ Patrick K. Nakamura
Patrick K. Nakamura, Commissioner
/s/ William I. Althen
William I. Althen, Commissioner
Distribution:
Billy R. Shelton, Esq.
Jones, Walters, Turner & Shelton, PLLC
2452 Sir Barton Way, Suite 101
Lexington, KY 40509
W. Christian Schumann, Esq.
Office of the Solicitor
U.S. Department of Labor
201 12th St. South, Suite 401
Arlington, VA 22202-5450
Chief Administrative Law Judge Robert J. Lesnick
Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission
1331 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Suite 520N
Washington, DC 20004-1710
Melanie Garris
Office of Civil Penalty Compliance
Mine Safety and Health Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
201 12th St. South, Suite 401
Arlington, VA 22202-5450