St. Louis (August 8, 2002) - Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) announced today that its president and chief executive officer, Steven F. Leer, and its chief financial officer, Robert J. Messey, have signed and filed sworn statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission affirming the 2001 10-K filed with the SEC on March 15, 2002; its 10-Qs for the first and second quarters of 2002; and all 8-Ks and definitive proxy materials filed with the SEC subsequent to the filing of the 2001 10-K.

"Bob Messey and I welcome this opportunity to demonstrate publicly the strong, personal responsibility we have always felt for Arch Coal's financial disclosures," Leer stated.

Arch Coal is the nation's second largest coal producer, with subsidiary operations in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Through these operations, Arch provides the fuel for approximately 6 percent of the electricity generated in the United States.