FAST FACTS: History of Safety Violations at West Virginia Mine

-Operations began at Upper Big Branch Mine-South in 1994
-The mine employs about 200 people
-The mine produced about 1.2 million tons of coal last year
(FoxNews.com)

-In 2010, Upper Big Branch was fined $188,769 and has paid $2,676 to date, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
(AP/CBS)

-Since 1995, there have been more than 3,000 violations at Upper Big Branch
-MSHA has proposed $1.5 million in fines against Big Branch since 2007
-The mine's parent corporation has paid less than $300,000 of the $1.5 million in penalties
-In 2009 Upper Big Branch faced $900,000 in fines for more than 450 violations
-In 2009 Upper Big Branch faced 48 "unwarrantable failure orders," which are considered serious
(Charleston Daily Mail)

-In 2009 slightly more than 10 percent of Upper Big Branch mine's violations were "unwarrantable failures"
-Routine scheduled inspections resulted in more than 100 citations three times in a 12-month period
-Since July 2008, 7 regularly scheduled safety inspections turned up 614 safety violations
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

-Federal records show there have been three previous fatalities at the Upper Branch site since 1995
-January 1998: A contractor dies when materials fall on him
-March 2001: A miner dies when struck by a falling rock at the mine
-July 2003: An electrician is fatally electrocuted while repairing a shuttle car trailing cable
(Charleston Daily Mail)