The secretary of labor’s ability to unilaterally reach settlements with mine operators under investigation for violating safety rules is in jeopardy after a federal appeals court refused to bolster that dealmaking power.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently declined to grant the Department of Labor’s request to validate its efforts to settle several coal mining companies’ cases involving millions of dollars in penalties while their citations are being appealed before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.
Who has the authority to dismiss or change a decision mine operator’s citation that’s under review ...