Wright, Wyo. (January 25, 2005) - Wyomingites appreciate excellent teachers! That's the observation of Greg Schaefer, Arch Coal vice president, who says more than 300 nominations were received by the deadline for submissions for his company's Teacher Achievement Awards program.

Arch Coal's program, now in its fifth year in the state, provides a $2,500 personal cash award to 10 superior teachers in Wyoming.

"Receiving more than 300 nominations tells me that the public firmly believes Wyoming has excellent teachers who contribute to the future of our state by what they do and accomplish in their classrooms," Schaefer said. "We all 'win' when our children receive an outstanding education.

"Each nominated teacher must complete and return a comprehensive application packet by March 11, 2005," Schaefer said. "The applications are then judged by an expert panel of their peers - other teachers. Announcement of this year's recipients will be made later in the school year."

The Arch Coal teacher recognition program is supported and publicized by the state's Department of Education, the Wyoming Education Association, Taco John's and Mini Mart.

Arch Coal is the nation's second largest coal producer and employs approximately 850 people in Wyoming. In 2003, Arch Coal's Wyoming operations produced nearly 90 million tons of clean-burning, low-sulfur coal. The company's Black Thunder operation in Campbell County is one of the largest and most efficient coal mines in the world. Arch Coal is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACI) and maintains its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo.