With the stroke of a pen, a single MSHA inspector can shut a mine down based on nothing more than his or her belief about the existence of a particular condition at the mine. That’s hardly new. Indeed, Congress provided that authority to MSHA more than 30 years ago. Similarly, publicly traded companies have long had an obligation to report mine or facility closures and similar events to their shareholders and the public when those events could have a material impact on their business.

Is MSHA Abusing Its Authority by Expanding Mine Closure Orders?