Department of Environmental Protection v. Cumberland Coal Resources, LP

29 A.3d 414
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 20, 2011
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 29 A.3d 414 (Department of Environmental Protection v. Cumberland Coal Resources, LP) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Department of Environmental Protection v. Cumberland Coal Resources, LP, 29 A.3d 414 (Pa. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinions

OPINION BY

Judge BROBSON.

In these consolidated appeals, Petitioner Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) petitions for review of two orders of the Environmental Hearing Board (EHB), both of which involve the Bituminous Coal Mine Safety Act (Act).1 In an order dated March 30, 2010, EHB granted summary judgment in favor of Respondents Emerald Coal Resources (Emerald) and Cumberland Coal Resources (Cumberland) (collectively, Emerald/Cumberland), concluding that DEP lacked the power to issue certain compliance orders for failure of Emerald/Cumberland to report “accidents” in accordance with Section 109(a)(1) of the Act.2 In an order dated March 16, 2010, EHB granted summary judgment in favor of Amfire Mining Company (Amfire) and Cumberland (collectively, Am-fire/Cumberland),3 concluding that the Act did not empower DEP to regulate and/or cite Amfire/Cumberland for their failure to provide portable fire extinguishers on pieces of equipment referred to as scoops. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm EHB’s decisions in both cases.4

[417]*417I. BACKGROUND5

Pertinent Provisions of the Act

The Act, in general, represents a comprehensive statutory scheme designed to provide for the development of regulations by the Board of Coal Mine Safety (Safety Board), established by the Act, and for DEP’s enforcement of the Act and regulations. With respect to rulemaking, under the “findings and purpose” section of the Act,6 the General Assembly affirmatively determined that “Underground bituminous coal mining is highly specialized ... and requires frequent review, refinement and improvement of standards to protect the health and safety of miners.”7 Further, “[t]he formation of appropriate rules and practices to improve health and safety and to provide increased protection of miners can be accomplished more effectively by individuals who have experience and expertise in underground bituminous coal mining and underground bituminous coal mine health and safety.”8 The General Assembly also stated that one of the purposes of the Act is to “[establish a rule-making process that enables the expeditious updating of the interim health and safety standards established under this act and to otherwise protect the health, safety and welfare of miners and others in and about mines.”9

Effecting the foregoing legislative intent, the Act provides the Safety Board with the following rulemaking authority: “The board shall have the authority to promulgate regulations that are necessary or appropriate to implement the requirements of this act and to protect the health, safety and welfare of miners and other individuals in and about mines.” Section 106.1(a) of the Act.10 Further, the Act directs the Safety Board to address revisions to the interim mandatory safety standards the General Assembly adopted in Chapters two and three of the Act and to address “[hjazards not addressed by existing safety standards.” Section 106.1(f)(1), (2) of the Act.11 Subsection 106.1(f) expressly provides that these specific tasks should not be interpreted to limit the broader powers afforded to the Safety Board under Section 106.1 of the Act.

DEP’s general powers and duties under the Act are set forth in twenty-one (21) separately-numbered paragraphs in Section 105 of the Act.12 DEP also has the authority to “issue written orders to enforce this act, to effectuate the purposes of this act and to protect the health and safety of miners and individuals in and about mines.” Section 501(a)(1) of the Act.13 Though extensive, DEP’s powers and duties under the Act do not include rulemaking authority.14

[418]*418Section 109 of the Act relates to “accidents” and thus has particular relevance to the Emerald/Cumberland matter. Section 109(a)(1) requires mine operators, inter alia, to notify DEP no later than fifteen (15) minutes following the discovery of an “accident.” Section 104 of the Act defines the term “accident” as follows:

“Accident.” An unanticipated event, including any of the following:
(1) A death of an individual at a mine.
(2) An injury to an individual at a mine, which has a reasonable potential to cause death.
(3) An entrapment of an individual at a mine, which has a reasonable potential to cause death.
(4) An unplanned inundation of a mine by a liquid or gas.
(5) An unplanned ignition or explosion of gas or dust.
(6) An unplanned mine fire not extinguished within ten minutes of discovery.
(7) An unplanned ignition or explosion of a blasting agent or an explosive.
(8) An unplanned roof fall at or above the anchorage zone in active workings where roof bolts are in use.
(9) An unplanned roof or rib fall in active workings that impairs ventilation or impedes passage.
(10) A coal or rock outburst that causes withdrawal of miners or which disrupts regular mining activity for more than one hour.
(11) An unstable condition at an im-poundment or refuse pile....
(12) Failure of an impoundment or refuse pile.
(13) Damage to hoisting equipment in a shaft or slope which endangers an individual or which interferes with use of the equipment for more than 30 minutes.
(14) An event at a mine which causes death or bodily injury to an individual not at the mine at the time the event occurs.

Section 109 of the Act also imposes specific duties on DEP in the event of an accident. DEP shall “[t]ake whatever action it deems appropriate, including the issuance of orders, to protect the life, health or safety of an individual” and shall “[pjromptly decide whether to conduct an investigation of the accident and inform the operator and the representative of the miners of its decision.” Section 109(b)(1) and (2) of the Act.

The provision of the Act at issue in the Amfire/Cumberland matter is Section 273(f) of the Act,15 which pertains to fire protection and provides: “Transportation. — Each track or off-track locomotive, self-propelled mantrip car or personnel carrier shall be equipped with one portable fire extinguisher.” (Emphasis added.)

Failure to Report “Accidents”

a. Emerald

Emerald attempted to cut-through — or connect — one portion of a mine (designated, B-6) with another (designated, B-7). In so doing, Emerald failed to follow its pre-determined plan for the cut-through, which included stationing a mine examiner in one end of the mine (B-6) to await the [419]*419approaching crew mining in the other section of the mine (B-7), from which the cut-through would connect to B-6.

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Related

Department of Environmental Protection v. Cumberland Coal Resources, LP
102 A.3d 962 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2014)
DEP, Aplt. v. Cumberland Coal Resources
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2014
Tri-County Landfill, Inc. v. Pine Township Zoning Hearing Board
83 A.3d 488 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
29 A.3d 414, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/department-of-environmental-protection-v-cumberland-coal-resources-lp-pacommwct-2011.