(a) Any person desiring to contest the Director's notice of initial assessment shall request an administrative hearing pursuant to this part. The notice of contest shall be made in writing to the Director, Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, United States Department of Labor. The notice of contest must be received no later than 30 days after the date of receipt of the notice issued under §726.304. No additional time shall be added where service of the notice is made by mail.

(b) The notice of contest shall:

(1) Be dated;

(2) Be typewritten or legibly written;

(3) State the specific issues to be contested. In particular, the person must indicate his agreement or disagreement with:

(i) The Director's determination that the person against whom the penalty is assessed is an operator subject to the requirements of section 423 of the Act and §726.4, or is the president, secretary, or treasurer of an operator, if the operator is a corporation.

(ii) The Director's determination that the operator violated section 423 of the Act and §726.4 for the time period in question; and

(iii) The Director's determination of the amount of penalty owed;

(4) Be signed by the person making the request or an authorized representative of such person; and

(5) Include the address at which such person or authorized representative desires to receive further communications relating thereto.

(c) A notice of contest filed by the operator shall be deemed a notice of contest on behalf of all other persons to the Director's determinations that the operator is subject to section 423 of the Act and §726.4 and that the operator violated those provisions for the time period in question, and to the Director's determination of the amount of penalty owed. An operator may not contest the Director's determination that a person against whom the penalty is assessed is the president, secretary, or treasurer of the operator.

(d) Failure to specifically identify an issue as contested pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) of this section shall be deemed a waiver of the right to contest that issue.

[65 FR 80097, Dec. 20, 2000, as amended at 77 FR 37287, June 21, 2012]