Before tragedy hit the Crandall Canyon Mine this month, it had a lower accident rate and fewer safety violations than average for a Utah coal mine. But it had higher fines than most.

Also, all Utah mines controlled by Crandall Canyon co-owner Bob Murray were somewhat opposite as a group. They combined to have higher-than-average accident and death rates but lower safety violation rates.

Federal inspectors found 325 violations at the Crandall Canyon Mine since 2004, including 116 that were "significant and substantial."

The Mine Safety and Health Administration issued a statement saying that is below the national average. Deseret Morning News analysis also found that it was lower than the average for Utah coal mines of 392 violations since 2004 (with 142 as serious).

But it should be noted that MSHA officials have said some mines have more violations simply because inspectors are on site more often. So, to compare apples to apples better, the Deseret Morning News also figured a rate of violations per "inspection event number" listed by MSHA in computer databases.

Crandall Canyon was worse than average in Utah in that measure. It had 6.3 violations per inspection, compared to a state average of 4.0. It had 2.2 "significant and substantial" violations per inspection, compared to a state average of 1.5.

Some of the serious violations cited at Crandall Canyon ranged from failing to put warnings signs and blockades at the end of all roof supports (cited just last month) to lacking two rescue teams while miners were underground (cited in February) to maintaining two escapeways as passable (cited last month).

Six different people or companies control the 13 operational underground coal mines in Utah that were federally inspected since 2004, according to MSHA records. Murray is listed as the controller for six of them, the most of anyone.

The mines controlled by Murray had the lowest rate of violations and serious violations per inspection of any Utah mine controller. Overall, they average 2.4 violations per inspection (compared to an average of 4.0), and one serious violation per inspection (compared to a state average of 1.5).

Utah mines were fined on average $93,877 since 2004. Crandall Canyon was fined $130,678, or more than average. All Utah mines controlled by Murray averaged $131,922 in fines.

The average fine per individual violation was also higher than the state average at Crandall Canyon: $480 per finalized violation since 2004, compared to a state average of $311. The average at all Murray-controlled mines was $430 per fine.

Of note, about half of the state's unpaid, delinquent fines come from Murray-controlled operations. They are officially delinquent on $75,348 out of the total $146,719 past-due fines from Utah mines. The Crandall Canyon Mine itself has no delinquencies listed.

The typical mine in Utah had 3.03 accidents per 200,000 man-hours worked since 2004. The Crandall Canyon Mine did better, having a rate of only 2.75. All Murray-controlled Utah mines had a combined rate of 5.0, or higher than average.

Until this week, Crandall Canyon also had no fatalities since 2004 (and just one in the past decade). The typical Utah mine since 2004 had a fatality rate of .04 per 200,000 man-hours worked. All current Murray mines in Utah combined had a rate of .10.

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E-mail: lee@desnews.com