Sixth Circuit Affirms MSHA's Jurisdiction in Jones Bros. Case

Jones Brothers, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor, Mine Safety & Health Administration concerned whether MSHA or OSHA had jurisdiction over a Tennessee rock-extraction operation. Jones Brothers argued that its site was a borrow pit exempt from Mine Act regulation.

The Sixth Circuit affirmed the Mine Safety and Health Review Commission’s determination that the operation qualified as a mine. The court emphasized that the operation was conducted continuously for several months and that the limestone was processed for intrinsic qualities rather than used merely as bulk fill. The decision reinforces MSHA’s broad jurisdiction and the importance of carefully evaluating borrow-pit status.

Original article:https://www.whitcomblawpc.com/business-law-blog/sixth-circuit-affirms-mshas-jurisdiction-in-jones-bros.-case