GILLETTE, Wyo., Aug. 12, 2013 -- Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) announced that Thunder Basin Coal Company'sCoal Creek mine employees surpassed 1 million continuous work-hours without a single reportable safety incident on August 7. The national coal industry average is 3.52 incidents per 200,000 employee-hours compared to Coal Creek's total incident rate of zero.

Thunder Basin also announced that its Coal Creek mine rescue team finished first and its Black Thunder mine rescue team finished second at the 33rd annual International Surface Mine Rescue Competition held August 1-3 in Gillette, Wyo.

"These exceptional results reflect the strong dedication of Thunder Basin's employees to working safely," said Arch's Senior Vice President of Operations Kenneth D. Cochran. "We're especially proud of the members of our world-class rescue teams, like those at Thunder Basin, who voluntarily train year-round."

Thunder Basin Coal Company is an Arch Coal subsidiary. Thunder Basin operates Black Thunder and Coal Creek mines in the southern Powder River Basin of Campbell County, Wyo. Coal Creek mine is a two-time recipient of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute's Safety Award for exceptional safety performance in 2012 and 2011 among surface mines in its size category.

Arch maintained its peer-leading position in the U.S. coal industry for safety performance for the seventh consecutive year in 2012. Arch's 2012 lost-time safety rate was one-third the national coal industry average.

U.S.-based Arch Coal, Inc. is one of the world's top coal producers for the global steel and power generation industries, serving customers in 25 countries on five continents. Its network of mining complexes is the most diversified in the United States, spanning every major coal basin in the nation. The company controls more than 5 billion tons of high-quality metallurgical and thermal coal reserves, with access to all major railroads, inland waterways and a growing number of seaborne trade channels.