ST. LOUIS, June 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Arch Coal, Inc. today announced that its Thunder Basin Coal Company subsidiary recently earned top honors for reclamation excellence from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and for surface mine safety from the State Mine Inspector at the Annual Wyoming Mining Association Convention held on June 17. 

The 2015 State of Wyoming Reclamation Award was presented to Thunder Basin's Black Thunder mine for its strong reclamation management and for its innovative use of GIS to track, monitor and advance reclamation and bond release.

In addition to earning the top state environmental award, Black Thunder mine was recognized for achieving the best safety performance among large surface mines in Wyoming, as measured by Lost-Time Incident Rate (LTIR).

"These statewide awards recognize the men and women of Thunder Basin for their long-established and unwavering commitment to excellence in safe and responsible mining practices," said Paul A. Lang, Arch's president and chief operating officer. "This exemplary performance showcases what can be achieved when sharp focus is placed on our core values of workplace safety and environmental care. We thank our employees for their significant contribution to our overall company record; for the pride they exhibit in their work each day; and for their ongoing emphasis on continuous improvement."

Notably, this year, Arch subsidiaries also received top state honors for outstanding mine safety and environmental performance in West Virginia and Colorado.

Black Thunder and Coal Creek recently achieved significant milestones in relation to Arch's core values. Coal Creek mine surpassed 1,000 continuous days, while Black Thunder surpassed one million employee hours operating with A Perfect Zero – a dual accomplishment of zero reportable safety incidents and environmental violations.

U.S.-based Arch Coal, Inc. is a top coal producer for the global steel and power generation industries, serving customers worldwide. Its network of large-scale, low-cost mining complexes is the most diversified in the United States, spanning every major coal basin in the nation. For more information, visit archcoal.com.

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SOURCE Arch Coal, Inc.

Logan Bonacorsi, 314/994.2766