(CNN) -- Federal authorities on Thursday ordered Andalex Resources Inc. to pay $420,300 in fines for "flagrant violations" at a coal mine it operates in Price, Utah.
Bob Murray speaks to reporters during the search for trapped miners at the Crandall Canyon mine last year.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration assessed the fines "for violations relating to potential fire and explosion hazards at the Aberdeen Mine," a statement from the agency said.
Andalex Resources is controlled by Bob Murray, who was the co-owner and operator of another mine in Utah that collapsed last year, resulting in nine deaths.
The fines announced Thursday were based on citations issued in 2006 and 2007 for what were called "flagrant violations" under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act, and the "operator's repeated violation of the same safety standard."
MSHA records from two routine inspections indicated that fine coal particles were allowed to cover the hoses, electric conduit and tram motors on electric equipment, providing fuel if a fire ignited.
"In addition, the mine operator allowed excessive accumulations of potentially explosive float coal dust and other combustible material to accumulate on a dangerously maintained conveyor belt," the release said.
"Mine operators that repeatedly violate mine safety standards must be held accountable for their actions," said Richard E. Stickler, acting assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health, in Thursday's news release.
A call to Andalex was not immediately returned.
Last summer, nine people died, including three during a rescue attempt, in the Crandall Canyon mine, which has since been closed.
Six miners were entombed by the August 6 collapse and two rescuers and a federal mining official died in a second collapse 10 days later as they attempted to tunnel toward the area where the miners had been working.
Throughout efforts to reach the miners, Murray maintained the collapse was caused by a small earthquake. However, seismologists said it was more likely that it was the collapse itself that registered as a 3.9-magnitude quake on seismographs.