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FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

1331 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW, SUITE 520N

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004-1710

SECRETARY OF LABOR, : 

 MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH : 

 ADMINISTRATION (MSHA) :

 : 

 v. : Docket No. WEVA 2022-0470 

 : A.C. No. 46-09297-552215 

BLUE CREEK MINING, LLC : 

 

BEFORE: Jordan, Chair; Althen, Rajkovich, and Baker, 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 July 18, 2022, the Commission received from Blue Creek 

Mining, LLC a motion seeking to 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).

Under section 105(a), 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 orders, the Commission has found guidance in Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of 

Civil Procedure, under which the Commission may relieve a party from a final order of the 

Commission on the basis of mistake, inadvertence, excusable neglect, or other reason justifying 

relief. 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).

The Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”) indicates 

that the proposed assessment was delivered to the operator on April 8, 2022. The assessment 

July 18, 2023
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became a final order of the Commission on May 9, 2022, and MSHA issued a delinquency notice 

on June 23, 2022. 

Blue Creek states that it is unclear exactly when it received the proposed assessment but

notes that near the deadline to file the notice of contest in this case, its Corporate Safety Director, 

who usually files notices of contest, left the company on April 22, 2022. It contends that the 

outgoing Director did not file the required notice of contest, nor did he notify any other 

employee of the impending deadline. When a paralegal for Blue Creek learned of the oversight, 

the operator quickly retained counsel to file the required contest. Blue Creek has not filed any 

other motions to reopen with the Commission in the last two years.1 The Secretary does not

oppose the request to reopen but urges the operator to take steps to ensure that future penalty

contests are timely filed in accordance with MSHA’s regulations at 30 C.F.R. § 100.7 and the 

Commission’s procedural rules.

1

 Blue Creek’s motion reflects that it relied on the same corporate personnel to file 

notices of contests of proposed civil penalties as Rockwell Mining, LLC, a separate subsidiary of

Blackhawk Mining, LLC. On June 29, 2023, the Commission issued an Order noting that 

Rockwell’s recent history of filing motions to reopen, if considered cumulatively, “may indicate 

an inadequate or unreliable internal processing system.” Rockwell Mining, LLC, Order at 3. The 

Commission thus warned Rockwell that it “will closely scrutinize any future motions to reopen . 

. . for signs of an inadequate processing system.” Id. Because the two subsidiaries rely on the 

same processes and personnel, Blue Creek is now also on notice. 
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Having reviewed Blue Creek’s request and the Secretary’s response, we find that due to 

mistake, inadvertence or excusable neglect the penalty assessment was not timely contested. See 

Noranda Alumina, LLC, 39 FMSHRC 441, 445 (Mar. 2017) (when the safety director left the 

company unexpectedly, the failure to timely contest constituted an inadvertent mistake). 

Moreover, we note that Blue Creek promptly filed its motion to reopen upon notification that the 

penalties were delinquent. In the interest of justice, 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. Accordingly, consistent with Rule 28, the 

Secretary shall file a petition for assessment of penalty within 45 days of the date of this order.

See 29 C.F.R. § 2700.28.

_________________________________

Mary Lu Jordan, Chair

_________________________________ 

William I. Althen, Commissioner 

_________________________________ 

Marco M. Rajkovich, Jr., Commissioner

_________________________________ 

Timothy J. Baker, Commissioner 
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Distribution:

Jonathan R. Ellis, Esq.

Colton C. Parsons, Esq.

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

707 Virginia Street East, Chase Tower, 17th Floor

Charleston, WV 25301

jonathan.ellis@steptoe-johnson.com

colton.parsons@steptoe-johnson.com

April Nelson, Esq.

Associate Solicitor

Office of the Solicitor

U.S. Department of Labor

Division of Mine Safety and Health

201 12th Street South, Suite 401

Arlington, VA 22202

Nelson.April@dol.gov

Emily Toler Scott, Esq.

Counsel for Appellate Litigation

Office of the Solicitor

U.S. Department of Labor

Division of Mine Safety and Health

201 12th Street South, Suite 401

Arlington, VA 22202

scott.emily.t@dol.gov

Melanie Garris

USDOL/MSHA, OAASEI/CPCO

201 12th Street South, Suite 401

Arlington, VA 22202

Garris.Melanie@DOL.GOV

Chief Administrative Law Judge Glynn F. Voisin

Federal Mine Safety Health Review Commission

Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge

1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 520N

Washington, DC 20004-1710

GVoisin@fmshrc.gov