National Coal Company v. Secretary of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, (MSHA), Docket No. LAKE 2010-408-R (September 8, 2010)

The Secretary of the Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) alleged that smoke from client’s coal stock pile, demonstrated the existence of a fire which constituted an accident under the Mine Act. The Secretary issued a control order under Section 103(k) of the Mine Act. We argued before an administrative law judge for the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission that MSHA had failed to establish the existence of a fire, and therefore an accident did not occur. At trial, the judge ordered MSHA to vacate the control order. The case has been appealed by the Secretary and the briefs and requested oral arguments have been filed in front of the Review Commission on behalf of our client.