ST. LOUIS (August 1, 2008) - The board of directors of Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) today announced that Robert G. Jones has been elected senior vice president - law, general counsel and secretary. Jones previously held the position of vice president - law, general counsel and secretary.

"Bob has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of the corporation in recent years," said Steven F. Leer, Arch's chairman and chief executive officer. "We expect to rely increasingly on Bob's strong leadership in the future, given the complex and dynamic energy marketplace in which we compete. I am looking forward to working closely with Bob in the years ahead as we seek to further enhance our position as an energy industry leader."

In this expanded capacity, Jones has leadership responsibility for Arch's legal affairs and also acts as the corporation's chief compliance officer. In addition, Jones serves on the corporation's senior officer team, which has responsibility for strategy development, policy formation and capital allocation.

Jones currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Eastern Mineral Law Foundation and is a member of the National Mining Association's legal and government affairs committees.

Jones joined Arch Coal in 1991 and was elected vice president - law, general counsel and secretary in 2000. Prior to joining Arch, he held positions at the Crowell & Moring law firm in Washington, D.C. and Exxon Coal Company.

Jones earned a bachelor's degree in mining engineering from West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va. in 1979, and a law degree from Saint Louis University in 1987.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal is one of the largest U.S. coal producers, with revenues of $2.4 billion in 2007. Through its national network of mines, Arch supplies cleaner-burning, low-sulfur coal to fuel roughly 6 percent of the nation's electricity. The company also ships coal to domestic and international steel manufacturers as well as international power producers.