ST. LOUIS (March 19, 2008) - Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) today announced that Mountain Coal Company's West Elk mine earned two state awards for its outstanding environmental achievements in 2007.

The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety presented West Elk with the awards at the Colorado Mining Association's 110th National Western Mining Conference and Exhibition in Denver.

West Elk mine and its employees were honored for the application of environmentally sound practices in the engineering design and construction of Sylvester Road. The 1.3 mile road was built on private and U.S. Forest Service property to reduce traffic through the town of Paonia. In addition, West Elk was recognized for operating more than eight years without a state environmental violation.

West Elk also was recognized as a senior participant for its outstanding voluntary contributions to Colorado's Pollution Prevention Program, including the development of an outstanding employee health and safety plan for all employees, the conservation of water resources and the compacting of solid waste.

Mountain Coal Company's West Elk mine is located in Somerset, Colo. Approximately 400 people are employed at West Elk.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal is one of the nation's largest and most efficient 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, Arch supplies the fuel for approximately 6 percent of the electricity generated in the United States.