CHARLESTON, W.Va., Feb 08, 2010 -- Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) today announced that Coal-Mac, Inc. has earned three top West Virginia state honors for achieving a strong safety performance and exhibiting exemplary environmental care.

The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training honored Coal-Mac's Holden 22 surface mine with the Mountaineer Guardian Award for working 634,211 employee-hours without a lost-time accident in 2009.

The West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) presented Coal-Mac with a Construction Award for its Duty Branch conveyor belt and pipeline project. The conveyor transports nearly 3 million tons of coal annually to the loadout, eliminating the need for trucking on public roads and reducing diesel fuel consumption. The newly constructed, triple-walled pipeline includes a fiber optic system that enables real-time monitoring and flow control to help ensure environmental protection.

The West Virginia DEP also presented the Turkey Habitat Award to Coal-Mac's Holden 22 mine for the outstanding reclamation and remediation of a surface mining operation located in Logan and Mingo counties. The project included the application of reclamation techniques that created excellent wildlife habitat, particularly the promotion of the wild turkey population in cooperation with the Logan Area Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

"Together the employees of Coal-Mac have achieved great things through steadfast safety and stewardship," said Arch's President and Chief Operating Officer John W. Eaves. "It is gratifying to see the employees of Coal-Mac earn statewide recognition for being a safe employer and an outstanding corporate citizen."

Coal-Mac, Inc. is a subsidiary of Arch Coal, Inc. Coal-Mac is located near Holden, W.Va., and employs approximately 300 people. In the past five years, the employees of Coal-Mac have received 10 national and state awards for environmental excellence, including the Department of Interior's National Good Neighbor Award.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal is the nation's second largest coal producer, with revenues of $2.6 billion in 2009. The company's core business is providing U.S. power generators with cleaner-burning, low-sulfur coal for electric generation. Through its national network of mines, Arch supplies the fuel for approximately 8 percent of the electricity generated in the United States. An extensive list of environmental and safety awards is available at http://www.archcoal.com/aboutus/awards.aspx.