FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION
601 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, NW
SUITE 9500
WASHINGTON, DC 20001
February 16, 2011
SECRETARY OF LABOR, MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (MSHA) v. LEFT FORK MINING COMPANY, INC. |
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BEFORE: Jordan, Chairman; Duffy, Young, Cohen, 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. (2006) (“Mine Act”). On December 3, 2010, the Commission received from Left Fork Mining Co., Inc., (“Left Fork”) a motion requesting that the Commission reopen a penalty assessment that had become a final order of the Commission pursuant to section 105(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. § 815(a). On January 13, 2011, the Commission received a response from the Secretary of Labor stating that she opposes the request to reopen the assessment. However, on January 28, 2011, the Commission received a letter from the Secretary seeking to withdraw her opposition.
Under section 105(a) of the Mine Act, an operator who wishes to contest a proposed penalty must notify the Secretary of Labor no later than 30 days after receiving the proposed penalty assessment. If the operator fails to notify the Secretary, the proposed penalty assessment is deemed a final order of the Commission. 30 U.S.C. § 815(a). We have held, however, that in appropriate circumstances, we possess jurisdiction to reopen uncontested assessments that have become final Commission orders under section 105(a). Jim Walter Res., Inc., 15 FMSHRC 782, 786-89 (May 1993).
In her letter filed on January 28, the Secretary states that Left Fork and the Mine Safety and Health Administration have reached agreement on terms for settling the penalty assessments involved in the captioned proceeding. The Secretary requests withdrawal of her opposition to allow reopening for the sole purpose of submitting a settlement agreement for approval.
Having reviewed the facts and circumstances of this case, the operator’s request, and the Secretary’s responses, we hereby reopen this matter and remand it 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.
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Mary Lu Jordan, Chairman
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Michael F. Duffy, Commissioner
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Michael G. Young, Commissioner
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Robert F. Cohen, Jr., Commissioner
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Patrick K. Nakamura, Commissioner
Distribution:
Jim Brummett
Conference Officer
Left Fork Mining Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 405
Arjay, KY 40902
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., 25th Floor
Arlington, VA 22209-3939
Chief Administrative Law Judge Robert J. Lesnick
Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission
601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Suite 9500
Washington, D.C. 20001-2021