**FEDERAL MINESAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION**

Office of Administrative Law Judges

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

Washington, D.C. 20004

 

 

| CACTUS CANYON  QUARRIES, INC. | :     CONTEST PROCEEDING     |  
                                    Contestant,

:

 
 

                                    v.

:     Docket No. CENT 2023-0068-RM

:     E-Document No. 3122645; 08/11/2022

 
 

SECRETARY OF LABOR,

   MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH

   ADMINISTRATION (MSHA),

                              Respondent.

:     

:     

:     Fairland Plant & Qys

:   Mine ID 41-00009

:   

 
 

 

**ORDER OF DISMISSAL**

 

            This case involves a mine operator in Texasseeking an order from the Commission that would force MSHA to act on itsapplications for mine identification numbers (“Mine IDs”). The Secretary ofLabor argues that the Commission lacks jurisdiction. After my consideration ofthe entire record, I agree with the Secretary that I have no jurisdiction overthis matter.

 

Procedural Background 

 

This matteris before me after Cactus Canyon Quarries,Inc. (“CCQI”) through counsel filed a document on November 15, 2022, with thecaption “Civil Proceeding to Perform Ministerial Act of Assigning Mine ID” andtitled “Contest Proceeding, 30 U.S.C. § 815(d), 29 C.F.R.§ 2700.20.” In its filing CCQI argues that MSHA failed to assign Mine IDsfor several of CCQI’s intermittent surface mines, and thus CCQI petitions the Commissionto require MSHA “to perform the ministerial act of assigning a mine ID to the10 captioned min[e]s as required by 30 U.S.C. § 803 and MSHA Form 7000-51.” (Doc.at 1–2.) CCQI attached four exhibits which contain correspondence with MSHA andcopies of forms it submitted to MSHA requesting Mine IDs. (Doc., Exs. 1–4.)

 

The Commission’s docket office processedthe document as a contest proceeding under section 105 of the Federal Mine Safetyand Health Act of 1977 (“Mine Act”), 30 U.S.C. § 815, and assigned thematter a docket number on January 5, 2023. Thereafter, the Secretary of Labor filedhis Motion to Dismiss on January 12, 2023, claiming the Commission shoulddismiss this case for lack of jurisdiction. (Mot. at 1.) Specifically, the Secretaryargues that “[n]othing in the Mine Act gives the Commission . . . authority tocompel MSHA to issue Mine IDs,” and that the Commission is not a court of generaljurisdiction. (Mot. at 2.) Thereafter, on January 13, 2023, ChiefAdministrative Law Judge Glynn F. Voisin assigned me this docket. 

 

On January 18, 2023, the Operatorfiled a document titled “Supplement to Contest Proceeding, 30 U.S.C. § 815(d),29 C.F.R. § 2700.20, Notice of Inaccurate and Misleading Caption,” which wasnot a direct response to the Secretary’s motion but an attempt by CCQI toprovide additional information and grounds regarding its initial filing byattaching five additional exhibits including emails and other correspondence. (Suppl.Doc., Exs. 5–9.) Nevertheless, I waited ten days for the operator to file aformal response to the Secretary’s motion per Commission Procedural Rule 10, 29C.F.R. § 2700.10, butreceived nothing further. 

 

Jurisdiction Under the Mine Act

 

Although CCQI titles both its initialfiling and its supplemental filing a “Contest Proceeding,” neither filing is acontest of any citation or order issued by MSHA under section 104 of the MineAct, 30 U.S.C. § 814. Indeed, Commission Procedural Rule 20 is titled “Noticeof contest of a citation or order issued under section 104 of the Act” and specificallylists what mine operators may contest before the Commission. Under CommissionProcedural Rule 20(a)(1)—

 

(1) An operator may contest: 

(i) A citation or an order issuedunder section 104 of the Act, 30 U.S.C. 814; 

(ii) A modification of a citation oran order issued under section 104 of the Act; and 

(iii) The reasonableness of the lengthof time fixed for abatement in a citation or modification thereof issued undersection 104 of the Act. 

 

29 C.F.R. § 2700.20(a)(1).The Commission’s rule tracks with section 105(d) of the Mine Act noting, inrelevant part, those matters that may come before the Commission:

 

If, within 30 days of receipt thereof,an operator of a coal or other mine notifies the Secretary that he intends tocontest the issuance or modification of an order issued under section 814 ofthis title, or citation or a notification of proposed assessment of a penaltyissued under subsection (a) or (b) of this section, or the reasonableness ofthe length of abatement time fixed in a citation or modification thereof issuedunder section 814 of this title, . . . the Secretary shall immediately advisethe Commission of such notification, and the Commission shall afford anopportunity for a hearing . . . .

 

30 U.S.C. § 805(d). Thoughnot applicable in this case, section 105(c) gives Commission Judgesjurisdiction over claims of discrimination and interference, and section 107(e)gives operators an opportunity for a hearing to contest imminent danger orders.30 U.S.C. §§ 815(c), 817(e). 

 

Analysis

 

            Both CCQI’s initial and supplemental filings listten electronic document numbers generated by MSHA whenever a mine operatorelectronically submits Form 7000-51 to request a Mine ID. In the caption of itsfilings, CCQI lists the document numbers of the ten named mines for which itseeks (or previously sought) Mine IDs. Only one of the ten listed minesreceived a Mine ID. (Suppl. Doc. at 4.) In neither filing does CCQI contest acitation or order issued by MSHA under section 104. Neither does CCQI contest amodification or the time for abatement of a citation or order issued undersection 104. Section 104, 30 U.S.C. § 814, refers to citations or ordersissued by an authorized representative (“AR”) of the Secretary (MSHA inspector)to mine operators for violations of mandatory health or safety standards. CCQI’sclaims regarding the approval of Mine IDs do not entail the issuance of acitation or order for violations of mandatory health or safety standards, andthus do not come under this section of the Mine Act. Indeed, CCQI cites to nocase law to support its contention. Therefore, I determine CCQI has not broughta valid notice of contest under Commission Procedural Rule 20, 29 C.F.R.§ 2700.20, or section 105(d) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. § 815(d).[1]

 

Moreover, CCQI’s arguments andcitations to the Mine Act are confusing and misplaced. In its supplementalsubmission CCQI attempts to justify its filings with the Commission by citingthe entire Mine Act “including without limitation §802,§803, §815(d), and §823(d).” (Suppl. Doc. at 1.) Despite this broad approach,CCQI fails to cite to any provision in the Mine Act that would give theCommission jurisdiction to hear a matter involving the issuance of Mine IDs. Forinstance, section 3 of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. § 802, issimply a list of statutory definitions and section 4, 30 U.S.C. § 803, refersto mines subject to the Mine Act. As discussed above, section 105(d), 30 U.S.C.§ 815(d), does not confer jurisdiction over matters of issuing Mine IDs butrefers to contests of citations and orders issued to mine operators forviolations of safety and health standards. Finally, section 113, 30 U.S.C. § 823(d),simply discusses the structure of the Commission and the role of itsadministrative law judges and does not confer general jurisdiction to hear anymatter related to the Mine Act. None of the sections of the Mine Actspecifically cited by CCQI confer jurisdiction on me to hear matters involvingMine IDs, and I am unaware of any other sections that would do so. Nor can CCQIpoint to any of the Commission’s procedural rules that would provide an avenue forinstituting such a proceeding.

 

 Consequently, I must address theSecretary’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. Commission ProceduralRule 1(b) states: “On any proceduralquestion not regulated by the Act, these Procedural Rules, or theAdministrative Procedure Act (particularly 5 U.S.C. 554 and 556), theCommission and its Judges shall be guided so far as practicable by the FederalRules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.” 29C.F.R. § 2700.1(b). Here,I am guided by Rule 12(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on motionsto dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1). BecauseI conclude that I do not have subject matter jurisdiction to review CCQI’s matterinvolving the issuance of Mine IDs, this case must be dismissed. *See StarMine Operations, LLC*, 36 FMSHRC 3326, 3327 (Dec. 2014) (ALJ) (dismissing a casepursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) for lack of subject matterjurisdiction).

 

**WHEREFORE**, it is hereby **ORDERED**that Docket No. CENT 2023-0068-RM is **DISMISSED**with prejudice for lackof subject matter jurisdiction.

 

 

 

 

s/ Alan G. Paez

                                                                                    AlanG. Paez

                                                                                    AdministrativeLaw Judge

 

 

Distribution: (Via Electronic Mail & U.S. Mail)

 

Andy Carson, Esq., CactusCanyon Quarries Inc., 7232 CR 120, Marble Falls, TX 78654 (acarsonmarblefalls@aol.com) 

 

Emily Toler Scott, Esq.,Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor, 201 12th Street South, Suite401 Arlington, VA 22202 

(scott.emily.t@dol.gov)

[1] In its supplemental submission, CCQI attaches a copyof Citation No. 9678444 issued on October 26, 2022, to CCQI at Fairland Plant& Qys (Mine ID 41-00009), and correspondence with MSHA about thenon-issuance of Mine IDs to CCQI. (Suppl. Doc., Ex. 8.) Under CommissionProcedural Rule 20(b), an operator must file a contest of a citation withinthirty days of issuance of the citation. 29 C.F.R. § 2700.20(b).CCQI did not formally contest this citation. Yet, even if I were to construe thesupplemental submission as the contest of a citation issued under section 104,CCQI failed to submit a contest of Citation No. 9678444 within thirty days ofits issuance on October 26, 2022, and as such it would be dismissed as untimely.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
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