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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), 

on behalf of JASON HARGIS

v. 

VULCAN CONSTRUCTION

MATERIALS, LLC

JASON HARGIS

v. 

VULCAN CONSTRUCTION

MATERIALS, LLC

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Docket No. SE 2021-0163 

Docket No. SE 2022-0001 

Docket No. SE 2022-0013 

ORDER FOR SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEFING

These proceedings all involve cross-petitions for discretionary review by the Secretary of 

Labor (“Secretary”), Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC (“Vulcan”), and a miner, Jason Hargis 

(“Complainant”). On January 9, 2023, the Commission granted all three petitions for 

discretionary review. On January 20, 2023, the Commission consolidated the cases and set forth 

a briefing order. Since the filing of the parties’ briefs, however, the Commission has noticed an 

issue not previously briefed by the parties. 

The issue involves the interaction between two sections of the Mine Act. Specifically, 

section 105(c)(2) authorizes temporary reinstatement pending “the final order on the complaint” 

and instructs that the “order shall become final upon 30 days after [the] issuance” of the decision. 

30 U.S.C. § 815(c)(2) (emphasis added). 

Section 113(d)(1) of the Act states that “[t]he decision of the administrative law judge of 

the Commission shall become the final decision of the Commission 40 days after its issuance 

unless within such period the Commission has directed that such decision shall be reviewed by 

the Commission . . . .” 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1) (emphasis added). 

Thus, the issue in calculating the final order date for ending temporary reinstatement

concerns the applicability and interaction of the 30-day language in section 105(c)(2) and the 40-

day language in section 113(d)(1).

July 6, 2023
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As a result, the Commission requests supplemental briefing on the calculation of a “final 

order” date for temporary reinstatement purposes given section 105(c)(2) and section 113(d)(1). 

The briefs of the parties shall be filed within 14 days of the date of this order and shall not 

exceed 15 pages in length. 

___________________________________ 

 Mary Lu Jordan, Chair

 ___________________________________ 

 William I. Althen, Commissioner

 

_________________________________ 

Marco M. Rajkovich, Jr., Commissioner

_________________________________ 

Timothy J. Baker, Commissioner 
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Distribution:

Emma P. Cusumano, Attorney

April E. Nelson, Associate Solicitor

Emily Toler Scott, Counsel for Appellate 

Litigation Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department 

of Labor Division of Mine Safety & Health

201 12th Street South, Ste. 401

Arlington, VA 22202

Cusumano.emma.p@dol.gov

Nelson.April@dol.gov

scott.emily.t@dol.gov

Christopher M. Smith, Esq.

Office of the Solicitor

U.S. Department of Labor

618 Church Street, Suite 230

Nashville, TN 37219

smith.christopher.m@dol.gov

Elaine M. Youngblood, Esq.

Ortale Kelley

330 Commerce Street, Suite 110

Nashville, TN 37201

eyoungblood@ortalekelley.com

Margaret S. Lopez, Esq.

William K. Doran, Esq.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PC

1901 K Street NW, Suite 1000

Washington, DC 20006

margaret.lopez@ogletree.com

william.doran@ogletree.com

Chief Administrative Law Judge Glynn F. Voisin 

Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge 

Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission 

1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 520N 

Washington, DC 20004-1710 

GVoisin@fmshrc.gov
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Administrative Law Judge Michael Young 

Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge 

Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission 

1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 520N 

Washington, DC 20004-1710 

myoung@fmshrc.gov