Labor Department Faces Skeptical Judges in Mine Commission Spat

Two Biden-appointed judges on a federal appeals court grilled the Labor Department about whether the agency has the power to unilaterally settle mine safety cases.

Susannah Madeline Maltz, a DOL attorney, appeared unable to convince Judge Florence Pan of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that the dispute belongs in her court during oral arguments Thursday.

The DOL has sought to settle cases involving millions of dollars in penalties against several coal mining companies that were before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, a panel that’s supposed to independently review mine safety-related disputes. ...