**FEDERALMINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION**

OFFICE OF THE CHIEFADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE

1331 PENNSYLVANIAAVENUE, NW, SUITE 520N

WASHINGTON, DC 20004-1710

TELEPHONE: 202 434-9987/ FAX: 202 434-9949

 

 
|  
SECRETARY OF  LABOR MINESAFETYANDHEALTH ADMINISTRATION (MSHA),

Petitioner

v.

 

BRADLEYT.  WILEY,

Respondent

 

 

 

CIVILPENALTYPROCEEDING

 

DocketNo.SE2023-0013

A.C.No.09-01264-563440

 

 

 

 

 

Mine:Jackson  Quarry

 
SECRETARY OF  LABOR MINESAFETYANDHEALTH ADMINISTRATION (MSHA),

Petitioner 

v.

 

 

TERRAEXCAVATING,LLC,

Respondent

 

 

 

CIVILPENALTYPROCEEDING Docket No. SE 2023-0048

A.C.No.09-01264-563564

 

 

 

 

 

Mine:Jackson  Quarry

 

 

 
VULCANMATERIALSCOMPANY,

Contestant 

v.

 

SECRETARY  OF LABOR, MINESAFETYANDHEALTH  ADMINISTRATION, MSHA,

Respondent

 

 

 

CONTESTPROCEEDING

Docket No.  SE 2022-0146 CitationNo.9637716;06/23/2022

 

 

 

Mine:JacksonQuarry Mine ID: 09-01264

SECRETARYOF LABOR

CIVILPENALTYPROCEEDING

 
MINESAFETYANDHEALTH

 

 
ADMINISTRATION(MSHA),

DocketNo.SE2022-0193

 
Petitioner

A.C.No.09-01264-561057

 
v.

 

 
 

VULCANCONSTRUCTIONMATERIALS

Mine:Jackson Quarry

 
LLC,

 

 
Respondent

 

 

 

 

 
SECRETARYOF LABOR

CIVILPENALTYPROCEEDING

 
MINESAFETYANDHEALTH

 

 
ADMINISTRATION(MSHA),

DocketNo.SE2023-0150

 
Petitioner

DocketNo.SE2023-0151

 
 

A.C.No.09-01264-574618

 
v.

 

 
 

VULCANCONSTRUCTIONMATERIALS

 

 

Mine:Jackson Quarry

 
LLC,

 

 
Respondent

 

 

 

 

 

 
SECRETARYOF LABOR

CIVILPENALTYPROCEEDING

 
  MINESAFETYANDHEALTH

 

 
ADMINISTRATION(MSHA),

DocketNo.SE2023-0172

 
Petitioner

A.C.No.09-01264-575226

 
v.

 

 
 

TERRAEXCAVATING,LLC,

 

Mine:Jackson Quarry

 
Respondent

 

 

 

 

 
SECRETARY OF  LABOR MINESAFETYANDHEALTH  ADMINISTRATION (MSHA),

Petitioner 

v.

VULCANCONSTRUCTIONMATERIALS LLC,

Respondent

 

 

 

CIVILPENALTYPROCEEDING Docket No. SE 2024-0010

A.C.No.09-01264-584632

 

 

 

 

Mine:Jackson  Quarry

 
SECRETARYOF LABOR

CIVILPENALTYPROCEEDING

 
MINESAFETYANDHEALTH

 

 
ADMINISTRATION(MSHA),

DocketNo.SE2024-0011

 
Petitioner

A.C.No.09-01264-585552

 
v.

 

 
 

BRADLEYT. WILEY,

 

Mine:Jackson Quarry

 
Respondent

 

 
 

**ORDER GRANTINGACTING SECRETARY’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY DECISION AND DENYING RESPONDENTS’MOTIONS FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY DECISION ON QUESTION OF MSHA JURISDICTION**

 

**I.              ****PROCEDURAL HISTORY**

 

Thesedockets arise under the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, as amended (the“Mine Act” or “the Act”). An employee of Respondent Terra Excavating, LLC(“Terra”), a subcontractor for Respondent Bradley T. Wiley (“Wiley”) was killedin a June 17, 2022, accident at the Jackson Quarry, a site composed of landleased in part and owned in part by Respondent Vulcan Construction Materials,LLC (“Vulcan”). The Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”) issuedcitations and orders to all three Respondents, all of which then asserted thatMSHA did not have jurisdiction over the Jackson Quarry, which they claimed wasnot a “mine” as defined in the Act.

 

The Secretary of Labor filed anunopposed motion on October 12, 2023, requesting that the common jurisdictionalquestion be bifurcated from the individual dockets and consolidated fordecision by a single administrative law judge. Unopposed Mot. to Bifurcate andConsolidate. This proceeding is the product of the motion and the ChiefAdministrative Law Judge’s approval of the Acting Secretary’s request. 

 

The parties requested a hearing onthe jurisdictional question but were receptive to the suggestion of motions forsummary decision as a possible means of resolving the question without ahearing. Each party then moved for summary decision. 

 

The Acting Secretary’s motion wasfiled and served on March 8, 2024. Acting Secretary’s Motion for SummaryDecision (“Sec’y Mot.”). Respondents Vulcan, Terra, and Wiley filed and servedtheir motions on March 20.[1]Respondent Vulcan Construction Materials LLC’s Motion for Summary Decision andOpposition to Acting Secretary’s Motion for Summary Decision (“Vulcan Mot.”);Respondent Terra Excavating LLC's Motion for Summary Judgment (“Terra Mot.”);Respondent Brad T. Wiley’s Motion for Summary Judgment (“Wiley Mot.”). Vulcan’smotion was characterized as both a motion for summary decision and anopposition to the Acting Secretary’s motion. Vulcan Mot. at 2. The ActingSecretary filed an opposition on April 1. Acting Secretary of Labor’sOpposition to Respondents’ Motions for Summary Decision (“Sec’y Opp’n”). Forthe reasons given below, the Acting Secretary’s motion for summary decision onthe question of jurisdiction is granted, and Respondents’ motions are denied. 

 

**II.           ****FACTS**

** **

**A.   ****UncontestedFacts**

 

In 1995, Lafarge, an entityunrelated to Vulcan, began conducting mining operations at a stone quarry ontwo parcels of land in Jackson County, Ga. (“Former Quarry”). Vulcan Mot. at 4;Ex. A to Vulcan Mot. (Jimmy Fleming Decl.), ¶ 3. In 2013, Vulcan purchased alease on the two parcels of land from Lafarge. Vulcan Mot. at 4 and Ex. A(Jimmy Fleming Decl.) ¶ 4; Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 5.

 

Vulcan was not an operator of theFormer Quarry at any time before 2013. Vulcan Mot. at 4, and Ex. A (JimmyFleming Decl.) ¶ 5. Upon purchasing the lease from Lafarge, Vulcan terminatedthe Former Quarry’s MSHA mine identification number (“Mine ID”) with MSHA. VulcanMot. at 4 and Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 5. Between 2013 and all relevanttimes thereafter, there were no active mining operations at the site. VulcanMot. at 4 and Ex. A (Jimmy Fleming Decl.) ¶ 6; Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 6.

 

In 2021, Vulcan acquired fiveadditional parcels of land contiguous to the two parcels leased from Lafarge. VulcanMot. at 4 and Ex. A (Jimmy Fleming Decl.) ¶ 7. On February 4, 2022, Vulcanapplied with the Jackson County, Ga., Board of Commissioners to have the sevenparcels of land (hereinafter “Jackson Quarry”) rezoned as Heavy Industrial (HI)with a Special Use permit to allow mining. Vulcan Mot. at 4 and Ex. A (JimmyFleming Decl.) ¶ 8; Ex. C (Rezoning and Special Use Permit Application). Vulcan’sintended function for the Jackson Quarry was to operate it as a stone quarryand crushing/milling facility. Vulcan Mot. at 5 and Ex. A (Jimmy Fleming Decl.)¶ 9; Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 7; Ex. D (Barry Lawson Decl.) ¶ 4.

 

On the property of Jackson Quarry,there was an abandoned scale house that was in disrepair and could not berepaired or reused. Vulcan Mot. at 5 and Ex. D (Barry Lawson Decl.) ¶ 5. On or aboutFebruary 2022, Vulcan contracted with Wiley to remove the scale house and gradeground on the property. Vulcan Mot. at 5 and Ex. D (Barry Lawson Decl.) ¶ 6.

 

From February 2022 to May 2022,Wiley worked at the Jackson Quarry, clearing vegetation and mulching. VulcanMot. at 5 and Ex. D (Barry Lawson Decl.) ¶ 7; Ex. E (Brad T. Wiley Decl.) ¶ 1. InMarch or April 2022, Wiley contracted Terra for grading work including clearingdebris and moving dirt in preparation for the construction of a building pad atthe Jackson Quarry. Vulcan Mot. at 5 and Ex. D (Barry Lawson Decl.) ¶ 8; Ex. E(Brad T. Wiley Decl.) ¶ 11; Ex. F (Wayne Yost Decl.) ¶ 2. Wiley did notcontract Terra to construct the building pad at the Jackson Quarry. Vulcan Mot.at 5 and Ex. D (Barry Lawson Decl.) ¶ 8; Ex. E (Brad T. Wiley Decl.) ¶ 11; Ex.F (Wayne Yost Decl.) ¶ 2

 

Wayne Yost was the General Managerfor Terra on the project. Vulcan Mot. at 5 and Ex. F (Wayne Yost Decl.) ¶ 1. GregDuckett was Vulcan’s Safety and Health Manager responsible for the JacksonQuarry at all times relevant to this matter. Vulcan Mot. at 5 and Ex. B (GregDuckett Decl.) ¶ 3. Robert Ashley was the MSHA Field Office Supervisor for theMacon, Ga., field office at all times relevant to this matter. Vulcan Mot. at 5and Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 8; Ex. G (Robert Ashley Memorandum ofInterview); Ex. N (Robert Ashley Dep.) 21:2-21. 

 

In February 2022, Duckett calledAshley and told him Vulcan intended to operate the Jackson Quarry as a stonecrushing/milling facility but was not yet ready to crush for commerce. VulcanMot. at 6 and Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 8, 9; Ex. G (Robert AshleyMemorandum of Interview); Ex. N (Robert Ashley Dep.) 27:5-17, 32:12-18. Ducketttold Ashley that Vulcan was getting ready to start preparing the site and wouldbe moving in equipment and taking steps in preparation of building a plant andscale house. Vulcan Mot. at 6 and Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 9.

 

On February 22, 2022, Vulcanapplied for a Mine ID in anticipation of future mining. Vulcan Mot. at 6 andEx. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 11; Ex. H (Mine ID Request Information Form). 

 

BrettCalzaretta is an MSHA training specialist from the Macon field office. VulcanMot. at 6 and Ex. I (Brett Calzaretta Dep.) 7:19-8:2, 18:18-21. In April 2022,Calzaretta visited the Jackson Quarry for a special initiative on fatalitiesinvolving power haulage. Vulcan Mot. at 7 and Ex. E (Brad T. Wiley Decl.) ¶ 2;Ex. F (Wayne Yost Decl.) ¶ 3; Ex. J (Brett Calzaretta Time Report Activities);Ex. I (Brett Calzaretta Dep.) 23:13-19, 27:20-28:3.

 

During Calzaretta’s visit, the onlyactivities he witnessed at the Jackson Quarry were cleaning up (i.e., stumpingand grubbing trees, cleaning up vegetation, consolidating trash piles andhauling them off) and workers hauling dirt in, dumping it, and smoothing it forlater compacting. Vulcan Mot. at 7 and Ex. E (Brad T. Wiley Decl.) ¶ 4. Theonly equipment Calzaretta saw at the site during his visit were an excavator, haultrucks for dirt moving, and dozers moving dirt. Vulcan Mot. at 7 and Ex. E(Brad T. Wiley Decl.) ¶ 5.

 

Calzaretta did not see a crushingplant or equipment during his visit. Vulcan Mot. at 7 and Ex. I (BrettCalzaretta Dep.) 37:11-12. Calzaretta did not observe any blasting, drilling,crushing, extraction activities, milling, screening, or sizing of materials. VulcanMot. at 7 and Ex. I (Brett Calzaretta Dep.) 47:16-22, 48:5-13. Nor did heobserve any maintenance or repair of equipment or materials being hauled. VulcanMot. at 7 and Ex. I (Brett Calzaretta Dep.) 48:14-19.

 

During his visit, Calzaretta didnot observe any mine-related hazards. Vulcan Mot. at 7 and Ex. I (BrettCalzaretta Dep.) 47:2-12. Calzaretta did not inquire as to the training statusof Wiley or any Terra employee. Vulcan Mot. at 7 and Ex. E (Brad T. WileyDecl.) ¶ 6-10; Ex. F (Wayne Yost Decl.) ¶ 4-6; Ex. I (Brett Calzaretta Dep.)33:16-18. Calzaretta did not have authority to issue citations at the JacksonQuarry during his visit. Ex. I (Brett Calzaretta Dep.) 20:21-22. Calzarettaalso stated he visited Jackson Quarry, not to conduct an inspection, butbecause it “[c]ame up on the data retrieval system as a new mine” when hechecked to see if any new mine properties had opened. Ex. I (Brett CalzarettaDep.) 44:7-18, 47:11-12.

 

On March 16, 2022, Ashley approvedVulcan’s request for a Mine ID. Vulcan Mot. at 8 and Ex. H (Mine ID RequestInformation Form). On April 18, 2022, the Jackson County Board of Commissionersapproved Vulcan’s application to rezone the Jackson Quarry as Heavy Industrial(HI) with a Special Use permit to allow mining. Vulcan Mot. at 8 and Ex. K(Rezoning & Special Use Permit Approval Letters).

 

On June 17, 2022, a fatal accidentat the Jackson Quarry killed Terra employee Brian Thigpen. Vulcan Mot. at 8 andEx. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 12; Ex. D (Barry Lawson Decl.) ¶ 10; Ex. E (BradT. Wiley Decl.) ¶ 12; Ex. F (Wayne Yost Decl.) ¶ 9. At the time of the fatalaccident, Thigpen was operating a compactor to settle earth for futureconstruction of the building pad when the compactor rolled over. Vulcan Mot. at8 and Ex. F (Wayne Yost Decl.) ¶ 9.

 

At the time of the fatal accident,construction of the building pad had not started, and the site was not readyfor construction to begin. Vulcan Mot. at 8 and Ex. D (Barry Lawson Decl.) ¶11. Ashley had no knowledge of any drilling, blasting, extraction, milling,crushing, screening, or sizing of material, maintenance or repair of equipmentor haulage of materials taking place at the Jackson Quarry when the accidentoccurred. Vulcan Mot. at 8 and Ex. N (Robert Ashley Dep.) 47:1-48:2, 49:15-20.

 

On June 17, 2022, Duckett calledMSHA to report the fatal accident and says that he did so as a courtesy becauseVulcan had applied for a Mine ID in anticipation of future mining. Vulcan Mot.at 8 and Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 12; Ex. L (MSHA Escalation Report).

 

MSHA, upon receiving a report of afatality, proceeded under the assumption that it had jurisdiction over theJackson Quarry. Vulcan Mot. at 9 and Ex. M (Sec’y Amended Response to Resp.First Set of Interrogatories). MSHA did not consider the possibility that itdid not have jurisdiction over the Jackson Quarry until Vulcan, Wiley and Terracontested MSHA’s jurisdiction. Vulcan Mot. at 9 and Ex. M (Sec’y AmendedResponse to Resp. First Set of Interrogatories).

 

Attorneys in the Office of theSolicitor determined that MSHA had jurisdiction over the Jackson Quarry. VulcanMot. at 9 and Ex. M (Sec’y Amended Response to Resp. First Set ofInterrogatories).

 

**B.   ****ContestedFacts**

 

Vulcan contends that during hisvisit, Calzaretta spoke with Wiley and Yost and**informed them that MSHAdid not yet have jurisdiction over the Jackson Quarry but would at some point. Ex.E (Brad T. Wiley Decl.) ¶ 8; Ex. F (Wayne Yost Decl.) ¶ 5. The Acting Secretarydisputes that Calzaretta discussed jurisdiction during his visit to the JacksonQuarry. Sec’y Opp’n at 4; Ex. I (Brett Calzaretta Dep.) 56:17-58:4. 

 

Ashley and Duckett agreed Vulcanwould apply for a Mine ID, and Duckett would contact Ashley thirty days beforeVulcan started crushing and sizing material so MSHA could do a courtesyinspection. Vulcan Mot. at 6 and Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 9; Ex. G (RobertAshley Memorandum of Interview); Ex. N (Robert Ashley Dep.) 33:3-9; 40:4-11;52:17-25-53:1-4. The Acting Secretary disputes that Ashley made any suchagreement as to timing and asserts that Vulcan already had applied for a MineID at the time of the conversation. Sec’y Opp’n at 4; Ex. N. (Robert AshleyDep.) 50:12-13, 52:14-15. 

 

Vulcan also asserts that Ashley andDuckett also agreed Vulcan would provide MSHA with its Mine ID informationthirty days before Vulcan started crushing and sizing material. Vulcan Mot. at6 and Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 9. Based on this conversation with Ashley,it was Duckett’s understanding that MSHA would not have jurisdiction over theJackson Quarry until thirty days before Vulcan started crushing and sizingmaterial. Vulcan Mot. at 6 and Ex. B (Greg Duckett Decl.) ¶ 10. The ActingSecretary states that Ashley would not have agreed to a date and that hetestified that he did not do so. Sec’y Opp’n at 4; Ex. N. (Robert Ashley Dep.)54:8-15.

 

** **

**III.         ****LEGAL STANDARDS**

** **

**A.   ****Standardfor Summary Decision**

 

A motion for summarydecision shall be granted only if the entire record, including the pleadings,depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions, and affidavits, shows:

(1)  Thatthere is no genuine issue as to any material fact; and 

(2)  Thatthe moving party is entitled to summary decision as a matter of law. 

 

29 C.F.R. § 2700.67(b). The Commission “has long recognizedthat . . . ‘[s]ummary decision is an extraordinary procedure,’” *Energy WestMining Co.*, 16 FMSHRC 1414, 1419 (July 1994) (quoting *Missouri GravelCo.,* 3 FMSHRC 2470, 2471 (Nov. 1981)) (alterations in original). 

 

The Commission has also equatedsummary decision with summary judgment under the Federal Rules of CivilProcedure. *Id.*, *citing Celotex Corp. v. Catrett*, 477 U.S. 317,327 (1986); *Sec’y of Labor v. Hanson Aggregates N.Y., Inc.*, 29 FMSHRC 4,8-9 (Jan. 2007). Where the resolution of an issue depends on contested materialfacts, entry of summary decision is improper. *Energy West Mining Co.*, 16FMSHRC at 1419. A fact is “material” if it “might affect the outcome of thesuit under the governing law.” *Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.*, 477 U.S.242, 248 (1986). 

 

**B.   ****MSHAJurisdiction**

** **

The Acting Secretary has noted thatRespondents did not initially object to MSHA’s jurisdiction, and that Vulcanhad applied for a Mine ID from MSHA. However, jurisdictional objections may beraised by any party at any time, even where a party has previously assented toagency jurisdiction. *Sebelius v. Auburn Reg’l Med. Ctr.,*568 U.S. 145,153 (2013). 

 

The Mine Act confers limitedjurisdiction on the Mine Safety and Health Administration, created by the Act,over all extraction of minerals in nonliquid form (and minerals in liquid formextracted by miners working underground). Mine Act, §§ 2(g), 3(h), 30 U.S.C. §§801(g), 802(h).****

 

Another federal agency under theDepartment of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration(“OSHA”), has general jurisdiction over all workplaces not regulated by MSHA oranother specialized federal agency. *See*Occupational Safety and HealthAct of 1970 § 4(b)(1), 29 U.S.C. § 653(b)(1)(“Nothing in this chapter shall apply to working conditions of employees withrespect to which other Federal agencies, and State agencies . . . exercisestatutory authority to prescribe or enforce standards or regulations affectingoccupational safety or health.”). 

 

MSHA and OSHA therefore haveentered into an interagency agreement providing guidance to determine whetherMSHA or OSHA should assume jurisdiction over a site. Mine Safety and HealthAdministration Occupational Safety and Health Administration InteragencyAgreement, 44 Fed. Reg., 22,827, 22,827 (Apr. 17, 1979). The agreement assignsMSHA jurisdiction over working conditions “on mine sites and in millingoperations.” *Id.*

 

The Mine Act’s jurisdiction over“coal or other mine[s]” includes:

 

lands, excavations,underground passageways, shafts, slopes, tunnels and workings, structures,facilities, equipment, machines, tools, or other property includingimpoundments, retention dams, and tailings ponds, on the surface orunderground, used in, *or to be used in*, or resulting from, *the workof extracting such minerals* from their natural deposits in nonliquid form,or if in liquid form, with workers underground, or used in, *or to be used in*,the *milling**of such minerals*, or the work of preparing coal orother minerals, and includes custom coal preparation facilities. 

 

30 U.S.C. § 802(h)(1)(C) (emphasis added).

 

The legislative history of the MineActed stated the Committee’s intention to construe the Act broadly in favor ofjurisdiction:

 

Finally, thestructures on the surface or underground, which are used *or are to be usedin* or resulting from the preparation of the extracted minerals are includedin the definition of ‘mine’. The Committee notes that there may be a need toresolve jurisdictional conflicts, but it is the Committee’s intention that whatis considered to be a mine and to be regulated under this Act be given thebroadest possibly [sic] interpretation, and it is the intent of this Committeethat doubts be resolved in favor of inclusion of a facility within the coverageof the Act. 

 

S. Rep. No. 95-181,at 14 (1977), *reprinted in* Senate Subcomm. on Labor, Comm. on HumanRes., *Legislative History of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977*,at 602 (1978)

(emphasis added). 

 

The Mine Act also defines who isconsidered an “operator” and “miner” under the Act. An “operator” is defined as“any owner, lessee, or other person who operates, controls, or supervises acoal or other mine or any independent contractor performing services orconstruction at such mine.” 30 U.S.C. § 802(d). A “miner” is defined as “anyindividual working in a coal or other mine.” 30 U.S.C. § 802(g).

 

**IV.         ****DISPOSITION**

**A.   ****The ActingSecretary’s Motion for Summary Decision**

 

The Acting Secretary has assertedthat there are no contested issues of material fact and that she is entitled tojudgment as a matter of law. Generally, the Acting Secretary has argued thatthe plain language of the Mine Act supports her jurisdictional claim, and thatthe intent of the Act and its preference for inclusion of sites which could beclassified as “mines” further bolsters her claim. Sec’y Mot. at 5-8. 

 

As the Supreme Court noted in *Chevron*,the initial inquiry into statutory meaning must be “whether Congress hasdirectly spoken to the *precise question* at issue. If the intent ofCongress is clear, that is the end of the matter; for the court, as well as the agency, must give effect to theunambiguously expressed intent of Congress.” *Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Nat.Res. Def. Council, Inc.,* 467 U.S. 837, 842-43 (1984) (emphasis added). 

The precise question here iswhether the location where the accident occurred is a “mine” as defined by theAct. In addressing that question, it is appropriate to consider the nature ofthe property, its ownership, and its intended use. 

 

Vulcan acquired its interests inthe Jackson Quarry, a property comprised of several contiguous parcels of land,for a purpose. It intended to use the land as a stone quarry—i.e. to “extract[] such minerals [i.e. rock] from their natural deposits” within or on “lands,excavations, . . . or other property” within the quarry. 30 U.S.C. § 802(h). Vulcanalso intended that the Jackson Quarry property was “to be used in[] the millingof . . . minerals.” *Id.*

 

There is no dispute about thisintended use of the property. Vulcan has acknowledged that it had applied for,and been granted, permission from Jackson County to conduct mining operationsand milling at the Jackson Quarry. More to the point, Vulcan had applied for,and had been issued, a Mine ID from MSHA approximately three months before theaccident. 

 

Thus, a refined expression of theprecise question in this case is: “May jurisdiction under the Mine Act adhereto lands, excavations, and property for which a commercial entity withownership and leasehold rights in the property has sought and received permissionto extract minerals from their natural deposits in nonliquid form and to millsuch minerals on the lands and property, has applied for and been issued a MineID from the federal agency charged with enforcing the Act, and has worked forthree months after issuance of a Mine ID to prepare the site for mining andmilling operations?”

 

The language of the Act embracesfuture activities, i.e. lands *to be used* in the extraction or processingof minerals. But it cannot necessarily be said that MSHA’s jurisdiction adhereswhen the minerals are discovered in exploration, or at the first applicationfor a permit for any sort of activity at the site. This might conform to aliteral interpretation but could empower MSHA to assert jurisdiction overvirtually any tract in the country—any place where a deposit of minerals innonliquid form might be found. 

 

Such an overbroad definition wouldbe unlikely to serve the purposes served by the Act. One might therefore findambiguity in circumstances where no substantial steps have been taken to cementthe intent to use the “lands, excavations, or other property” for mineralextraction or milling. Therefore, the Acting Secretary, who has asserted thatthe plain language of the statute controls this decision, must prove that thesite is unambiguously within the definition of a “mine” as defined by the Act. 

 

The jurisdictional facts in thiscase do so. This was a property not only *intended* for use but *committedto it* by planning, investment, official acts, and work preparing the sitefor mining and milling. Every element of the definition of “mine” is attestedto by uncontroverted evidence—and, as ratification, the owner of the mine hadliterally submitted its property to MSHA’s jurisdiction by applying for, andbeing issued, a Mine ID from the agency three months before the accident.

 

This case is thus unlike *KCTransport, Inc.*, 44 FMSHRC 211 (Apr. 2022), *rev’d and remanded* 77F.4th 1022**(D.C. Cir. 2023). The issue in that case was whether therewas jurisdiction over coal haul trucks owned by an independent company and amaintenance and storage facility for those trucks which was not located on theproperty of the mine. 44 FMSHRC at 211-12. The Commission held the facility wasnot a “mine” because it was not “located on or appurtenant to a mine site . . .engaged in any extraction, milling, preparation or other activities within thescope of subsection 3(h)(1)(A).” *Id.* at 225. 

 

On appeal to the D.C. Circuit, thecourt found the statute to be ambiguous as to whether the trucks and facilitywere subject to jurisdiction as a “mine.” *KC Transport*, 77 F.4th at1030-31. The court held that, as in prior cases, the Secretary “‘never grappledwith’ the regulation’s ‘clear ambiguity.’” *Id.* at 1029, *citing AkzoNoble Salt, Inc. v. FMSHRC,* 212 F.3d 1301, 1304-05 (D.C. Cir. 2000).[2]Thus, remand was necessary to permit the Secretary to apply her interpretationto the language the court held to be ambiguous in that context. 

Here, though, there is nointerpretive work to be done. Whatever Congress may have intended as regardsroads, trucks, facilities, equipment, or rights of way, there can be no doubtabout the Act’s authority over a “mine” as it is traditionally understood anddefined, where the mine owner has notified the agency that it intends tooperate a mine on the land in question, has received a legal identificationfrom the agency confirming its authority over the mine, and has worked formonths preparing the site for extraction and milling. 

 

In discovery, the Acting Secretaryhas admitted that she did not make an affirmative determination of jurisdictionbefore the accident. *See*Ex. M (Sec’y Amended Response to Resp. FirstSet of Interrogatories). While the Acting Secretary has not provided anyauthority establishing that a Mine ID alone is a sufficient foundation foragency jurisdiction, such authority is unnecessary in this case. The definitionof “mine” clearly applies to the Jackson Quarry under the material facts agreedto by the parties. 

In *KC Transport*, the D.C.Circuit**recognized the distinction giving rise to ambiguity in applyingthe statute’s jurisdictional reach to mobile equipment. *See KC Transport*,77 F.4th at 1031-33 (noting the crucial distinction between the “three movableitems—‘equipment, machines, [and] tools’” enumerated in section 3(h)(1)(C) ofthe Mine Act and the features in that section defined by physical location).[3]The Court observed that the Secretary had at no point in the litigation“grapple[d] with the conflicting, practical implications” of the definition shehad advanced *as it related to those items*. *Id.*at 1032. 

No such practical concerns arepresented by a traditional “mine” in a fixed physical location. To the extentthere could be any ambiguity about *when* the Secretary’s authority overthe mine would arise, that too is resolved here by the application for andissuance of a Mine ID from MSHA:

 

Consider the process through which MSHA ensures compliancewith the Mine Act’s safety regulations. To start, Congress instructs that“[e]ach operator of a coal or other mine subject to this chapter *shall*file with the Secretary the name and *address* of such mine[.]” 

* *

*KC Transport*, 77 F.4th at 1030, *citing* 30 U.S.C. § 819(d)(emphases added by the court). 

 

Had there been no fatal accident inthis case, if an MSHA inspector had shown up on June17, 2022, and demanded entry to perform an inspection, what would havehappened? Is there any doubt that a district court would have enforced thedemand to enter a property designated as a “mine” in the agency’s records andcommitted on the public record to use for mineral extraction and milling? 

Theanswer must be “no.”[4]*See id.* (Secretary’s authorized representatives“shall have a right of entry to, upon, or through any coal or other mine.” (*citing*Mine Act § 103(a), 30 U.S.C. § 813(a))). The absence of any such doubt confirmsthat there is no ambiguity as to the precise question presented in this case. Theagency is therefore entitled to summary decision on the question of jurisdictionover the Jackson Quarry as a “mine,” based on the clear language of the Act, asapplied to the undisputed facts of this case.[5]

 

As afinal matter, the Acting Secretary cannot be entitled to summary decision onthe question of fair notice because the material facts on which the issue mightdepend are contested. The Acting Secretary has denied that conversations tookplace as described by Respondents. *See*Section II.B, *supra*,slip op. at 7.  

 

A hearingis not necessary, because the issue is resolved by resort to the plain languageof the statute alone. But while Respondents’ approach in seeking to extend theconcept of fair notice to the general matter of jurisdiction over a “mine” isnovel, it is not unique. *See Austin Powder Co.,*37 FMSHRC 1337 (June 2015)(ALJ). That case—also decided on the plain language definition of “mine”—isdiscussed more fully at slip op. at 18, *infra.*

 

**B.   ****Respondents’Motions for Summary Decision**

 

The Commission requires crossmotions for summary decision to be considered independently, determiningwhether either side has demonstrated an entitlement to a decision. *HansonAggregates*, 29 FMSHRC 10, *citing* 11 James Wm. Moore, et al.,*Moore's Federal Practice*§ 56.l 1[5][a], at 56-105 to 107 (3d ed. 1999).**Respondents’ arguments are grounded, at least in part, on an assertion thatjurisdiction is not wholly dependent on location and should thus be examined todetermine whether jurisdiction over them is proper, independent of whether theJackson Quarry was intended “to be used” for mineral extraction and/or milling.*See*Vulcan Mot. at 10-11 (stating “(1) the nature of the activities inquestion in relation to activities normally associated with mining; (2) therelationship in time of the activities in question to active mining operations;and (3) the nature of the land at the time of the activities in question” mustall be considered when determining jurisdiction). 

 

Vulcan suggests that the ActingSecretary has read the foundational definition on which jurisdiction rests in“isolation.” *Id.* at 11. It argues that the definition in section3(h)(1)(C) has a “functional, locational, and temporal component” that must beconsidered. *Id.* But if one concludes—as the facts here require—that theJackson Quarry is a “mine” under the Act, the rest of the problem posed byRespondents’ motions rests on that definition and essentially solves itself. 

 

Respondents cite *CyprusIndustrial Minerals Company v. FMSHRC*,**664 F.2d 1116 (9th Cir.1981), as support for their assertion that the definition of “mine” has afunctional component that must be considered. Vulcan Mot. at 16. Their relianceis misplaced. The Ninth Circuit’s decision did typify the operator’s activitiesas something that could “hardly be described as anything but mining,” *CyprusIndus. Minerals,*664 F.2d at 1118. But Respondents disregard the centralpoint of the court’s holding, which cited several precedents in diversecircuits and the legislative history of the Act and concluded that “it does notmatter if what is included in the definition fails to conform to theconventional concept of mining.” *Id.*

 

The court adopted the view of theThird Circuit in *Marshall v. Stoudt’s Ferry Preparation Co*., 602 F.2d589 (3d Cir. 1979):

 

Although it may seemincongruous to apply the label ‘mine’ to the kind of plant operated by Stoudt’sFerry, the statute makes clear that the concept that was to be conveyed by theword is much more encompassing than the usual meaning attributed to it—*theword means what the statute says it means*.

* *

*Cyprus Indus. Minerals*, 664 F.2d at 1118, *quoting**Stoudt’s Ferry*, 602 F.2d at 592.**(emphasis added). 

 

Resort to legislative history isalso unhelpful to Respondents’ argument. The Act’s legislative history ratherfamously directs that its scope should be read expansively, as the court notedin *Cyprus Industrial Minerals*. *See* Section III.B., *supra*,slip op. at 9 (excerpt from a report of the Senate Subcommittee on Labor regardingthe Mine Act); *Cyprus Indus. Minerals*, 664 F.2d at 1118 (quoting fromthe same report). 

 

The Jackson Quarry, then, is a“mine” under the Act. Based on that conclusion, the definition of “operator”clearly applies to Vulcan (*“any* owner, lessee, or other person whooperates, controls, or supervises a . . . *mine*”). 30 U.S.C. § 802(d)(emphasis added). 

 

Similarly, the inclusion of “*any*independent contractor performing services or construction at such *mine*”within the definition of “operator” must be read to apply to Wiley and Terra. *Seeid.* (emphasis added). The definition is enormously broad and provides noexclusions or limitations on the terms “services or construction.” 

 

The D.C. Circuit has expresslyrejected the position that a functional limitation may preclude enforcementactions against independent contractors whose services are not sufficientlyrelated to mining or milling operations. *See Otis Elevator Co. v. Sec’y*,921**F.2d 1285, 1290 (D.C. Circuit 1990) (“We think that the phrase ‘anyindependent contractor performing services . . . at [a] mine’ means just that—*any*independent contractor performing services at a mine.”).[6]

The definition of “miner” as “*any*individual working in a coal or other *mine*,” 30 U.S.C. § 802(g)(emphasis added), likewise does not qualify “working” in any way. Thus, theemployees of any entity, or any independent contractor self-employed and workingat the mine, would be “miners,” and the protections of the Act would apply to *any*such persons engaged in *any* type of work at the mine. 

 

Respondents’ arguments abouttemporal and functional limitations on MSHA’s jurisdiction are thusunsustainable in this case. The “temporal” aspect of the definition is renderedliterally in the statute: the provisions of the Act apply not only to lands,excavations, etc., currently engaged in the extraction or milling of mineralsbut also to those “*to be used*” and “resulting from” such use. 30 U.S.C.§ 802(h)(1) (emphasis added). 

 

This temporal component expands theAct’s jurisdiction and strengthens the Acting Secretary’s plain languageargument. By extending the definition forward and backward to times when theproperty in question may not yet have been or may no longer be *functionally*engaged in extraction or milling—which alone would satisfy the definition of amine—the statute’s language establishes that a property may be a mine beforethose activities commence and after they have ceased. 

 

In *Lancashire Coal Company v. Secretaryof Labor,*968 F.2d 388 (3d Cir. 1992), the court found “considerablesupport” for and credited the Secretary’s reading of the Mine Act asrecognizing “three potential time periods for the involvement of structures inmining activity: (1) the term ‘used in’ meaning current use, i.e. ‘being usedin’; (2) the term ‘to be used in’ meaning *contemplated* use; and (3) theterm ‘resulting from’ meaning former use.” 968 F.2d at 390-91 (emphasis added).[7]

No tool of statutory constructioncan contend with the weight of contrary authority marshalled by the Acting Secretaryhere. Leaving aside the Act’s clear language and the oft-repeated Committeeinstruction that its scope is to be broadly construed, any traditionalinterpretation of the definition of “mine” would consider the statute as awhole and would note that the definitions of “operator” and “miner” are whollydependent on the characterization of the property in question. 

 

Linguistically, the breadth of thedefinitions is consistent and mutually supportive, and the Acting Secretary hasnot read the definition of “mine” in isolation. That definition is part of anintegrated statutory scheme that Congress intended to be broadly inclusive ofproperties used in, to be used in, or resulting from mineral extraction orprocessing (including milling), and all persons working on or within suchproperties. 

 

This case, unlike *KC Transport*,does not approach the frontiers of the Act’s jurisdictional limits. And unlike *KCTransport*, the precise question at issue may be resolved by considering theplain language itself. 

 

Respondents appear to understatethe difficulty of unseating a plain language interpretation. While it may notbe necessary to literally show that adopting the plain language would producean absurd result, Respondents must at least demonstrate that the outcome wouldbe “an unreasonable one ‘plainly at variance with the policy of the legislationas a whole.’”*U.S. v. American Trucking Ass’ns,*310 U.S. 534, 544(1940). 

 

The pleadings and evidence providedhere cannot support such a finding. On the contrary, the plain language isbuttressed by the legislative history, the use of words in context, Congress’evident choice in describing activities in the broadest possible terms, and theobvious intent to apply the Act’s protections to properties, like the JacksonQuarry, that were not yet engaged in extraction or milling but which werelegally recognized by local and federal officials as committed to such use inthe near future. 

 

Respondents have cited no authoritywhere the Secretary’s exercise of jurisdictional authority over a piece of realproperty within the Act’s definition of a “mine” was rejected. *See*Sec’yOpp’n at 5-6 (noting absence of such authority and citing *Cyprus IndustrialMinerals*, 664 F.2d at 1117-20 and cases cited therein; and *LancashireCoal Co.*, 968 F.2d at 390, in support of jurisdiction over areas wheremining is “contemplated”). Indeed, Vulcan’s motion cites extensively to boththe Commission’s and D.C. Circuit’s decisions in *KC Transport*, eventhough no legal principle supporting its contentions has survived judicialreview to this point.[8]*See*Vulcan Mot. at 12-14, 20-21. 

 

The Jackson Quarry’s qualificationas a “mine”—as the term has been straightforwardly defined—is thereforedeterminative of jurisdiction, contrary to Respondents’ assertions. *See*Sec’yOpp’n at 8, noting correctly that Commission’s decision in *KC Transport*wasbased on location, where trucks were asserted to be a “mine”).

 

**C.   ****FairNotice**

 

As a final point, Respondents haveasserted an affirmative defense of “fair notice” and raised such an argument asa basis for summary decision, asserting that MSHA had effectively disclaimedjurisdiction at the Jackson Quarry. Vulcan Mot. at 19. The argument isuntenable. 

 

First, as noted above, slip op. at13, *supra,*the jurisdiction question rests on plain language. But thefair notice defense operates to limit deference to an agency interpretation ofan ambiguous standard, where the position is inconsistent with or departs from aprevious interpretation or common understanding. 

 

“‘The due process clause prevents .. . deference from validating the application of a regulation that fails togive fair warning of the conduct it prohibits or requires.’” *DQ Fire andExplosion Consultants, Inc.*, 36 FMSHRC 3083, 3087 (Dec. 2014), aff’d, 632F. App’x 622 (D.C. Cir. 2015) (unpublished),*quoting General Electric Co. v.EPA,*53 F.3d 1324, 1328 (D.C. Cir. 1995) (citation omitted). Deference isnot an issue here, where the Secretary relies on a straightforward reading ofthe statute because the clear language therein provides an operator fair notice.*See Dynamic Energy Inc.*, 32 FMSHRC 1168, 1172 (Sept. 2010); *BluestoneCoal Corp.*, 19 FMSHRC 1025, 1031 (June 1997). 

 

Second, if there were any ambiguityin the statutory definition (again, there is not), a decision on the fair noticequestion would depend on contested material facts. Relying on Ashley’s sworntestimony, the Secretary has denied that any representations were made aboutjurisdiction in conversations with Respondents’ representatives. 

 

Finally, the requirement of fairnotice generally applies to particular regulatory provisions. *See DQ Fireand Explosion Consultants, Inc.,* 36 FMSHRC at 3087-88. Every bindingprecedent case cited by Respondents involves a particular regulatory provision.*See*Vulcan Mot. at 19-20.[9]

 

Vulcan asserts that the “standard”is the scope of MSHA’s jurisdiction under Section 3(h)(1)(C). Vulcan Mot. at20. But it has provided no authority in support of its position. This is afoundational, statutory definition, not a safety standard, and the fair noticeargument is not readily adaptable to the broader context, where the question isnot “What conduct is prohibited or required?” but “Does this statute apply atall to the property in question?” 

 

Respondents have cited one case inwhich an administrative law judge rejected a contractor’s challenge to MSHA’sjurisdiction on notice grounds. *See* Vulcan Mot. at 23, citing *AustinPowder Co.*, 37 FMSHRC at 1358. There, the independent explosives contractorsimilarly argued that MSHA had disclaimed jurisdiction over its facility, andthat it lacked fair notice when jurisdiction was reasserted. 37 FMSHRC at 1358.

 

Unlike the present case, the facilitywas not itself a “mine” in the traditional sense but a storage facility onproperty located nearby and connected to the extraction area by a road onproperty owned by the mine owner. *Id.* Even so, the judge rejected thefair notice argument and determined that the plain language of the statute—thedefinition of “mine” at issue here—established that jurisdiction was proper. *Id.*

 

The judge considered the factorsestablished for determining whether notice of the standard’s requirements hadbeen provided and determined that even if the language did not plainlyestablish jurisdiction over the facility, the Commission’s objective“reasonably prudent person” test would support a finding that fair notice hadbeen provided. *Id.* at 1359, *citing Alan Lee Good ̧*23 FMSHRC 995, 1005(Sept. 2001) (Jordan, C., & Beatty, C., separate opinion).

 

Thus, the fair notice argumentwould fail even if one were to agree that ambiguity could be inferred from “theinconsistency of the agency’s enforcement, including pre-enforcement contactfrom MSHA officials, and the lack of guidance informing the regulated communitywith ascertainable certainty of its interpretation.” Vulcan Mot. at 20. The dueprocess analysis first asks “whether a reasonably prudent person *familiarwith the mining industry and the protective purposes of the standard* wouldhave recognized the specific prohibition or requirement of the standard.” *DQFire and Explosion Consultants,* 36 FMSHRC at 3087, *quoting**IdealCement Co.*, 12 FMSHRC 2409, 2416 (Nov. 1990) (emphasis added). *See alsoAlan Lee Good,*23 FMSHRC at 1005, *citing**Island Creek Coal Co.*,20 FMSHRC 14, 24-25 (Jan. 1998).

 

A reasonably prudent personfamiliar with the mining industry would be familiar with the breadth of its jurisdictionalprovisions and the common definition of “mine,” including its applicability toprospective operations. Inconsistency of agency enforcement and a lack ofnotice to the regulated community are indeed valid factors one may use todetermine whether a party has notice of an agency’s interpretation of anambiguous regulation. However, they do not apply here to a plainly wordedstatute that has been consistently read, by courts, the Commission, and itsjudges, to mean what it says.[10]

 

In sum, Congress has spoken plainlyin simple declarative sentences. Such clear language leaves no room forambiguity or interpretation. Thus, Respondents’ arguments about the type ofactivity involved at the mine, *see*Vulcan Mot. at 13, are refuted by thefact that the activities at issue in this case were undertaken *at a mine, byminers* as those terms are plainly and unequivocally defined. Respondents’motions must therefore be denied. 

 

** **

**V.            ****CONCLUSION**

 

The Jackson Quarry is a “mine,” asdefined in the Act. Each Respondent was an “operator,” as that term is definedin the Act, and the employees of each respondent who were engaged in any typeof work at the quarry were “miners” as that term is defined in the Act. TheSecretary’s motion for summary decision on the question of MSHA’s jurisdictionover the Jackson Quarry is therefore **GRANTED**, and Respondents’ motionsfor summary decision on the same question are **DENIED**. 

 

 

 

 

/s/Michael G. Young

                                                                  MichaelG. Young

                                                                  AdministrativeLaw Judge

 

 

 

Distribution (by electronicmail):

 

Counsel for MSHA: Chaunda L.Brock, Esq., brock.chaunda.l@dol.gov,Jeremy B. Dailey, Esq., dailey.jeremy.b@dol.gov, Danny P. Miller, Esq., miller.daniel.p@dol.gov,Office of the Solicitor, U. S. Department of Labor, 61 Forsyth Street,S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, atl.fedcourt@dol.gov

 

Counsel for Vulcan ConstructionMaterials, LLC:  Margaret S. Lopez, Esq., margaret.lopez@ogletree.com,Jaslyn W. Johnson, jaslyn.johnson@ogletree.com, Esq., Ogletree,Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. 1909 K. St. NW, Suite 1000,Washington, DC, 20006

 

Counsel for Terra Excavating,LLC: Melanie L. Paul, Esq., melanie.paul@jacksonlewis.com, Jackson LewisP.C., 171 17th St. NW, Suite 1200, Atlanta, GA, 30363

 

Counsel for Bradley T. Wiley: Kristin R.B. White, Esq., kwhite@fisherphillips.com,Fisher & Phillips, LLP, 1125 17th St., Suite 2400, Denver, CO80202

[1] In March 6, 2024,motions for an extension of time, Terra and Wiley both said that they intendedto adopt the reasoning and position presented by Vulcan in its motion. Theextensions were granted, and the resulting motions deferred generally toVulcan’s argument. *See*Terra Mot. at 4; Wiley Mot. at 4. Therefore,references to Respondents’ positions rely on Vulcan’s presentation in itsmotion, which is wholly supported by the other two Respondents, and citationsare to “Vulcan Mot.” 

 

Unless cited otherwise, all exhibits inthis decision are exhibits submitted with Vulcan Mot. and cited as they wereidentified in that motion. 

[2] The court alsocited *Secretary of Labor v. National Cement Company of California, Inc.,*494F.3d 1066, 1077 (D.C. Cir. 2007), which was similarly remanded for atraditional resolution of ambiguity conferring deference to the Secretary’sinterpretation. 

* *

[3] The court notedthe “movable items included in the middle of the list” in subsection (C) couldbe interpreted as being analyzed “in relation [to], and as connected, to thepreceding physical manifestations” in the list:

 

As applied here,there is at least a question of whether “equipment, machines, [and] tools,”when read within the wider Chapter 22 context, constitute “coal or othermine[s]” only when there is an established connection to the fixed physicalmanifestations listed before and after them. 30 U.S.C. § 802(h)(1)(C). It isunclear, however, whether such an established connection impacts thecircumstances under which the three movable types of property remain “mines”when not physically connected to the manifestations listed in subsections(A)–(C). At a minimum, the statutory language, broader context, and numerouspractical concerns render subsection (C)’s meaning ambiguous.

 

*KC Transport*, 77 F.4th at1033. 

 

[4] This decision islimited to the circumstances present in this case. It is far from clear thatmere application or even approval of an application for zoning to permit miningand/or milling would be sufficient to establish jurisdiction over a site. The jurisdictionalholding as a matter of 

(continued . . .)

[4](continued . . .)

lawin this case should be viewed narrowly as dependent on the application for andissuance of a Mine ID by MSHA. 

[5] The Acting Secretaryhas disputed several facts asserted by Vulcan as uncontested. *See*Sec’yOpp’n at 4; Section II.B., *supra*, slip op. at 7. None of those facts ismaterial to my decision. The Secretary is entitled to judgment as a matter oflaw even if Vulcan’s facts are accepted as true. 

[6] In *Otis ElevatorCompany*, a company which serviced elevators carrying mining companies’employees into mines was found to be an independent contractor, and thus an 

(continued . . .)

 

[6] (. . . continued)

operator,under section 3(d) of the Mine Act because it “contracts to perform services atmines.” 921 F.2d at 1291.

 

In another case, *Joy Technologies, Inc.v. Secretary of Labor*, 99 F.3d 991 (10th Cir. 1996), the Tenth Circuit alsoadopted the D.C. Circuit’s reasoning in *Otis Elevator Co.* to read“independent contractor” broadly. That case involved a manufacturer of miningequipment who sent a service representative to advise mine employees “with theequipment both above ground in the mine’s maintenance shop and below ground inthe mine.” 99 F.3d at 994. The Tenth Circuit stated section 3(d) did not limitthe definition of “independent contractor” to those “contractors who areengaged in the extraction process and who have a continuing presence at themine.” *Id.* at 999 (citing *Otis Elevator Co.*, 921 F.2d at 1290). Thus,the manufacturer was held to be both an independent contractor and operatorunder the Mine Act because the “clear” meaning of the statute encompassedcontractors who “performed services at the mine.” *Id.* at 1000.

 

[7] Both Vulcan andthe Acting Secretary also cited several cases—including some of the samecases—in which administrative law judges at the Commission found a physicallocation to 

(continued . . .)

[7] (. . . continued)

bea mine when mining operations had not yet begun or had ceased and not resumed. *See*Sec’y Mot. at 7; Vulcan Mot. at 16-17; Sec’y Opp’n at 6. The cases citedinclude: 

 

·      *N.J.Wilbanks Contractor, Inc.*, 39 FMSHRC 2069, 2076 (Dec. 2017) (ALJ) (upholdingjurisdiction over a mine that would eventually extract and process granite whendevelopment activities including “site grading, drilling and blasting rock, andconstructing dams, as well as laying down belt structures, crushers, andshakers, and hauling clean rock to designated locations” were being performed);

 

·      *HillsMaterials Company*,34 FMSHRC 3097, 3102-03 (Dec. 2012) (ALJ) (affirming jurisdiction found wheremine was temporarily closed and had not “commenced operations,” but would startthe next day);

 

·      *RoyalCement Co.*,31 FMSHRC 1459, 1462 (Dec. 2009) (ALJ) (specifically noting Act’s languageincluding facilities where future milling is contemplated in upholdingjurisdiction over facility where repairs were being performed in order toreopen quarry and cement plant that had been closed for three years); and

 

·      *ThePit*,16 FMSHRC 2008, 2008-10 (Sept. 1994) (ALJ) (“The plainlanguage of the Act” clearly provided jurisdiction over equipment at a sitewhich will be used for extraction of minerals and milling). 

 

The anticipatory activities in these casessupport the extension of jurisdiction to contemplated mining or milling butcould not be read to constrain the breadth of the Act’s plain language, even ifthe cases were precedential. 

[8] The Acting Secretary’sassertion that *K.C. Transport* is “not good law,” Sec’y Opp’n at 8, maybe premature. The D.C. Circuit did reverse and remand the case when reviewingthe Commission’s decision. 77 F.4th at 1031. *See also*Section IV.A. *supra*,slip op. at 11. The operator has petitioned the Supreme Court for certiorari,and the Court has not yet decided whether to accept the petition. *See*Petition for Writ of Certiorari, *KC Transport, Inc., v. Julie A. Su, ActingSec’y of Labor*, ___ U.S. ___, No. 23-876, 2024 WL 645391 (Feb. 12, 2024); Brieffor the Respondents, *KC Transport, Inc., v. Julie A. Su, Acting Sec’y ofLabor*, ___ U.S. ___, No. 23-876 (Apr. 15, 2024).

[9] Vulcan cited thefollowing cases which discuss fair notice within the context of specificregulations under the Mine Act: *Ideal Cement Co.*, 12 FMSHRC 2409, 2416 (Nov.1990) (30 C.F.R. § 56.9002); *Alan Lee Good*, 23 FMSHRC 995, 1005 (Sept.2001) (Jordan, C, & Beatty, C, separate opinion) (30 C.F.R. § 56.14107(a));*Lodestar Energy, Inc.*, 24 FMSHRC 689, 694-95 (July 2002) (30 C.F.R. § 75.364(b)(1));*Wolf Run Mining Co.*, 32 FMSHRC 1669, 1682 (Dec. 2010) (30 C.F.R. §75.521); *DQ Fire and Explosion Consultants*, 36 FMSHRC at 3088 (30 C.F.R.§ 48.5). 

[10]While the Secretary has proved MSHA’s jurisdictional claim over the Jackson Quarry,Respondents’ notice and other arguments might pertain to one or more of thecitations or orders issued in these cases. Those standards have not beenconsidered here because they are not “jurisdictional” questions and are beyondthe scope of the issue assigned for disposition in this proceeding. However, theActing Secretary must yet bear the burden of proving that the violationsoccurred and that the persons cited were responsible, and this decision shouldnot be read as offering any opinion on the validity of the citations and ordersissued in the individual dockets, or the vitality of a fair notice defense inresponse to any of the citations or orders.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
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