Secretary of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, (MSHA), v. North American Drillers, LLC, Docket Nos. LAKE 2008-2-R and LAKE 2008-98 (February 12, 2012)

The Secretary of the Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued a citation to our client, a national drilling company. After completion of the discovery process and conducting depositions to determine the citation’s validity, the Secretary vacated the enforcement action and civil penalty. We filed a declaratory judgment action with an ALJ which was denied. We then appealed, and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission upheld the mine operator’s argument that the Commission’s jurisdiction relating to a legal challenge, issued pursuant to Section 105(d) of the Mine Act, does not terminate upon the Secretary of Labor’s vacating of a citation and civil penalty.