ST. LOUIS (July 22, 2009) - Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) today announced the selection of David E. Hartley to succeed the company's retiring Vice President and Chief Information Officer Michael T. Abbene.

Hartley will be responsible for information system operations, applications, infrastructure, security and compliance for the entire corporation, including its subsidiaries. He will report to C. Henry Besten, senior vice president of strategic development, effective August 1.

Prior to joining Arch Coal, Hartley was a founding member of Protiviti, a global consulting firm, in 2002 where he served as Director of the St. Louis office for seven years. He also has served as a Senior Manager at both Ernst & Young and Arthur Andersen. Hartley earned a bachelor of science degree in Accounting from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and is a certified public accountant and certified information systems auditor.

"Dave's forward-thinking will be a great asset to Arch," said Besten. "During his 18-year career, he's consulted with dozens of Fortune 500 companies and has developed a deep understanding of what it takes to apply technology to successfully manage risk and reward."

Abbene joined Arch in 2000 and has served in the capacity of vice president and CIO for the last four years. Prior to joining Arch, he was employed as an information technology professional in several industries including 19 years with Monsanto and affiliated companies, and has a total of more than 40 years of professional experience in information technology. "We want to thank Michael for his many years of service and contributions to Arch and to wish him well in his retirement," said Besten.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal is one of the nation's largest coal producers, with 2008 revenues of $3.0 billion. Through its national network of mines, Arch Coal provides the fuel for approximately 6% of the electricity generated in the United States. Arch has amassed numerous national and international awards for the innovative use of new technologies, including Business Week's Web Smart 50, CIO's Bold 100 and InformationWeek's 500.