§ 4.1156 - Summary disposition.

§ 4.1156 Summary disposition.

(a) In a civil penalty proceeding where the person against whom the proposed civil penalty is assessed fails to comply on time with any prehearing order of an administrative law judge, the administrative law judge shall issue an order to show cause why -

(1) That person should not be deemed to have waived his right to a hearing; and

(2) The proceedings should not be dismissed and referred to the assessment officer.

(b) If the order to show cause is not satisfied as required, the administrative law judge shall order the proceedings summarily dismissed and shall refer the case to the assessment officer who shall enter the assessment as the final order of the Department.

(c) Where the person against whom the proposed civil penalty is assessed fails to appear at a hearing, that person will be deemed to have waived his right to a hearing and the administration law judge may assume for purposes of the assessment -

(1) That each violation listed in the notice of violation or order occurred; and

(2) The truth of any facts alleged in such notice or order.

(d) In order to issue an initial decision assessing the appropriate penalty when the person against whom the proposed civil penalty is assessed fails to appear at the hearing, an administrative law judge shall either conduct an ex parte hearing or require OSM to furnish proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law.

(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to deprive the person against whom the penalty is assessed of his opportunity to have OSM prove the violations charged in open hearing with confrontation and cross-examination of witnesses, except where that person fails to comply with a prehearing order or fails to appear at the scheduled hearing.