ROLLA, Mo. (September 2, 2009) - The Arch Coal Foundation today announced a $116,000 donation to Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) to update its mine rescue and safety laboratory.

"Missouri S&T in Rolla has one of the strongest mining engineering programs in the nation," said John W. Eaves, president and chief operating officer of Arch Coal, Inc. "That's why we're pleased to fund the school's expansion in mine rescue and safety programs, which will further enhance the level of technical expertise of the next generation of leaders in the energy industry."

"We are proud that the Arch Coal Foundation recognizes the role our mining engineering program plays in providing future leaders to the industry," says Dr. Samuel Frimpong, chair of mining and nuclear engineering at Missouri S&T. "This gift from Arch Coal will help us continue to attract the best and brightest engineering students to Missouri S&T."

The Arch Coal Foundation was formed in December 2005 with an initial endowment from Arch Coal, Inc. The Arch Coal Foundation provides support to organizations who engage in improving the quality of life in the communities in which Arch Coal operates. The Arch Coal Foundation focuses much of its giving in the area of education, including contributions to schools, as well as through sponsorship of its signature program - the Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards - that recognizes top classroom teachers in West Virginia, Wyoming and Utah.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) is one of the nation's largest coal producers. The company's core business is providing U.S. power generators with clean-burning, low-sulfur coal for electric generation. Through its national network of mines and more than 4,000 employees, Arch supplies the fuel for approximately 6 percent of the electricity generated in the United States. Arch's subsidiaries achieved an overall 2008 safety record that was three times better than the coal industry average.