FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION
601 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, NW
SUITE 9500
WASHINGTON, DC 20001
May 16, 2011
SECRETARY OF LABOR, MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (MSHA) v. HOCKER CONSTRUCTION, LLP |
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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 November 17, 2010, the Commission received a request to reopen a penalty assessment issued to Hocker Construction, LLP (“Hocker”) that became a final order of the Commission pursuant to section 105(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. § 815(a).
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) (“JWR”). In evaluating requests to reopen final section 105(a) orders, the Commission has found guidance in Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure under which, for example, a party could be entitled to relief from a final order of the Commission on the basis of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect. See 29 C.F.R. § 2700.1(b) (“the Commission and its Judges shall be guided so far as practicable by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure”); JWR, 15 FMSHRC at 787. We have also observed that default is a harsh remedy and that, if the defaulting party can make a showing of good cause for a failure to timely respond, the case may be reopened and appropriate proceedings on the merits permitted. See Coal Prep. Servs., Inc., 17 FMSHRC 1529, 1530 (Sept. 1995).
On February 3, 2010, the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”) issued Proposed Assessment No. 000210165 to Hocker. The operator states that it did not send a contest of the proposed penalty assessment on time because it thought that the underlying citations had been terminated.
The Secretary opposes Hocker’s request to reopen the proposed assessment. She submits that ignorance of the rules and the law is insufficient to justify reopening a case and that Hocker’s misunderstanding of the term “termination” is not adequate grounds upon which the requested relief can be granted. The Secretary further states that MSHA’s records indicate that Hocker received the proposed assessment by Federal Express on February 9, 2010. She also notes that although a delinquency notice was sent to the operator on April 29, 2010, Hocker did not file its request to reopen until it was contacted by a collection agency for the United States Treasury, and approximately five and one-half months after issuance of the delinquency letter.
Having reviewed Hocker’s request to reopen and the Secretary’s response thereto, we
agree that the operator has failed to provide a sufficient basis for the Commission to reopen the
penalty assessment. In addition, Hocker has failed to explain why it delayed more than five
months after receiving the delinquency notice sent by MSHA to file its request to reopen.
Accordingly, we hereby deny without prejudice Hocker’s request to reopen. FKZ Coal Inc., 29
FMSHRC 177, 178 (Apr. 2007); Petra Materials, 31 FMSHRC 47, 49 (Jan. 2009). The words
“without prejudice” mean that Hocker may submit another request to reopen Assessment No.
000210165.
Any amended or renewed request by the operator to reopen this assessment must be
filed within 30 days of this order. Any such request filed after that time will be denied with
prejudice.
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Mary Lu Jordan, Chairman
____________________________________
Michael F. Duffy, Commissioner
____________________________________
Michael G. Young, Commissioner
____________________________________
Robert F. Cohen, Jr., Commissioner
____________________________________
Patrick K. Nakamura, Commissioner
Distribution:
Roy Hocker, Owner
Hocker Construction, LLP
4167 County Rd. 321
P.O. Box 627
Ignacio, CO 81137
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