Opinion ID: 443049
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Refusal to Reopen the Record

Text: 84 Petitioners contend that the Secretary abused his discretion by refusing to reopen the record on remand to consider new evidence on economic and technological feasibility. The procedural history of the request complicates the issue. On balance, we find that OSHA did not abuse its discretion in denying the request. 85 We will not set aside the agency's refusal to reopen an administrative hearing absent a showing of abuse of discretion. United States v. Pierce Auto Freight Lines, Inc., 327 U.S. 515, 535, 66 S.Ct. 687, 697, 90 L.Ed. 821 (1946); Duval Corp. v. Donovan, 650 F.2d 1051, 1054 (9th Cir.1981). 86 During the remand, petitioners requested that OSHA reconsider its feasibility determinations in light of new evidence about both technological and economic feasibility. 48 Fed.Reg. at 1869. On January 14, 1983, OSHA declined and noted that it would treat the requests as petitions to amend the standard. Id. By letter dated June 7, 1983, OSHA denied the petition. The denial occurred several days prior to the deadline for submission of petitioners' opening briefs in this matter. OSHA stated that the order of April 7, 1981 from this court limited the remand to the significant risk determinations required under IUD v. API. In its denial of petitioners' request, OSHA also stated that, in any event, the record on feasibility is sufficient to support the standard. We agree. 35 87 Our April 7 order did not necessarily limit the remand of this matter as strictly and as explicitly as OSHA contends. Order at p 1 and p 2. Our order did, however, authorize the parties to petition this court to modify the scope of the remand in light of the Supreme Court's then-upcoming decision in American Textile (which directly addressed feasibility issues). Order at p 2. Petitioners offer inadequate explanation for their failure to petition for modification of the remand. 36 88 In support of its argument for reopening, Kennecott seeks to introduce evidence showing the lack of technological feasibility to meet the arsenic standard at its Utah smelter, which was under reconstruction in 1978 when OSHA first issued the final standard. ASARCO seeks to offer evidence collected since 1978, purportedly demonstrating the current depressed economic state of the smelting industry as well as of the magnitude of compliance costs associated with environmental regulations. 37 Thus, petitioners appear to have had reasons to petition this court to expand the remand. Our order gave petitioners until 28 days after the Supreme Court issued its decision in American Textile to petition for such modification of the remand. They did not do so. 38 89 We are concerned that agency consideration of new evidence relevant to agency decisionmaking should not be excluded merely because the agency wishes to bring a long rulemaking or other administrative proceeding to a close. Nonetheless, we are also mindful of the limitations that we specifically placed on this remand as well as of petitioners' failure to ask us to modify the scope of that remand. The Secretary would have arguably violated the terms of our remand had he reopened the record on feasibility issues without our consent. We therefore find that the Secretary did not abuse his discretion in refusing to reopen the record. 39 90 PETITION DENIED.