Opinion ID: 170445
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Decision of the ALJ

Text: The ALJ rejected the Secretary's principal theory  namely, that there was a problem with the distribution of airflow in the mine. He decided that the Secretary had failed to prove a distribution problem, 25 FMSHRC at 750-51, or that the presence of temporary ventilation controls had contributed to a violation of § 75.334(b)(1). Id. at 751-53. Instead, the ALJ upheld the citation on the ground that the bleeder system was over-extended and therefore could not, on July 31, 2000, control the air passing through the area so as to continuously dilute and move methane-air mixtures and other gases from the gob into the bleeders. Id. at 746. The ALJ found that [t]he key element in diluting and moving methane-air mixtures from the gob is to ensure that there is a sufficient quantity of air sweeping the gob. Id. at 747. He said that even though methane liberation had increased quite significant[ly], id., the quantity of air sweeping the gob had decreased, id. at 747-48, the mine fan was running at or near full capacity, id. at 747, and the regulator doors were wide open, id., Plateau did not make any changes to its system, id. at 747, 748. (He failed to state, however, what changes could have been made.) The ALJ further found that the methane-concentration readings at MPL B1 would have revealed a deficiency in the bleeder system had it not been for leakage of fresh air into the bleeder entries lowering the readings. Id. at 748. Two MPL B1 readings at the action level, he said, meant that the system had been max'ed out. Id. at 748 (internal quotation marks omitted). Plateau had failed to recognize the effect of the leakage when it established its action level for MPL B1. Id. at 749. Although the ALJ acknowledged that § 75.323(e) does not require the 2.0% regulatory limit to be met as the air exits the gob, he said that if the mixing occurs thousands of feet [away] as a result of air leaking into the bleeders from an intake air course, a mine operator has no means of determining whether it is properly `controlling' the air passing through the gob. . . . Id. In addition, the ALJ stated that the increasing difference between the methane concentrations at MPLs 7 and 8 and those at MPL B1 indicated that airflow from the gob was becoming a smaller percentage of the total airflow at MPL B1. Id. at 750. Quite simply, he concluded, methane was accumulating in the gob more rapidly than the ventilation system was able to dilute and move it into the bleeders. Id. Finally, the ALJ found that the Secretary had established that an explosion of accumulated methane had triggered the subsequent explosions during the accident. This evidence, he found, helped to establish a violation of § 75.334(b)(1). The ALJ addressed the question of notice as follows: A mine operator may violate section 75.334(b)(1) even though it is fully complying with the approved ventilation plan. First, the mine operator has better knowledge of the conditions that will be encountered when mining commences. More importantly, because an underground coal mine is a dynamic environment, a mine operator must be constantly vigilant when monitoring the conditions underground and it must make changes to its ventilation system as conditions warrant. I agree with the Secretary that Plateau should have been on notice that its bleeder system was not functioning properly on July 31, 2000. Id. at 746. The ALJ did not again explicitly address the issue of notice, although in the summary of his findings and conclusions he stated that the evidence presented was not based on speculative post-ignition investigative assumptions, theories, and conclusions. Id. at 756 (internal quotation marks omitted). In order to comply with the standard, he continued, Plateau should have reacted to the increased methane levels and [the] reduced ventilation through the gob by making changes to its ventilation system before the first gob vent borehole was reached. Id. at 757. He did not state what changes should have been made, but he asserted that Plateau possibly could have achieved compliance by decreasing the rate of production. Id.