Opinion ID: 854301
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Blacklisting Claim

Text: Bechtel argues that “[t]he ARB incorrectly addressed [his] post-employment blacklisting claim.” Pet’r’s Br. 43. There seems to be some confusion surrounding the disposition of this claim by the ALJ and ARB. In her 2005 decision, the ALJ dismissed this claim, determining that she had no authority to consider a claim that OSHA had not investigated. Joint App’x 80. Because the ARB did not address that issue in its 2008 remand order, the ALJ, in her 2009 decision, simply incorporated the text of her 2005 decision with respect to Bechtel’s post-employment claim. Id. at 122. The ARB then upheld the ALJ’s dismissal of this claim on slightly different grounds, explaining that no evidence in the record showed that Bechtel amended his complaint to include allegations relating to the supposed post-employment blacklisting. Bechtel, 2011 WL 4889269, at ; see 29 C.F.R. § 18.5(e) (setting out the procedure for amending complaints before an ALJ). Bechtel now argues that the ARB erred in determining that he did not amend his complaint and refers us to two letters addressed to OSHA from his attorney. Pet’r’s Br. at ADD-1–10. He claims that these letters provide evidence that he did indeed amend his complaint. These letters, however, were not part of the administrative record and are not properly before us on this appeal. See Kappos v. Hyatt, 566 U.S. ----, 132 S. Ct. 1690, 1696 (2012) (“Under the APA, judicial review of an agency decision is typically limited to the administrative record.”); Riverkeeper, Inc. v. EPA, 358 F.3d 174, 184 (2d Cir. 2004) (“Review under [5 U.S.C. § 706] is narrow, limited to examining the administrative record to determine whether the agency decision was based on a consideration of the relevant factors and whether there has been a clear error of judgment.” (alteration and internal quotation marks omitted)). We therefore have no reason to conclude that the ARB’s decision was 11 arbitrary or capricious or that it was not based on substantial evidence found in the record. See 5 U.S.C. § 706.