St. Louis (Dec. 18, 2004) - Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) today announced that its board of directors had elected John W. Eaves executive vice president and chief operating officer of the corporation, effective immediately. Eaves previously held the position of senior vice president of marketing for Arch Coal.

"We are pleased that John has accepted this new role," said Steven F. Leer, Arch Coal's president and chief executive officer. "In this new position, John will have responsibility for all the company's operating, marketing and transportation activities. By integrating these functions under John's direction, we are taking yet another step in our ongoing efforts to transform Arch into a truly market-driven organization."

Kenneth G. Woodring, executive vice president of mining operations, and Brad M. Allbritten, vice president of marketing, will report to Eaves, and all three will continue to be part of the senior management team responsible for Arch's overall policies and strategies.

Eaves joined the corporation in 1987 after serving in various marketing-related positions at Diamond Shamrock Coal Company and Natomas Coal Company. In 1997, he was elected vice president of marketing and president of Arch Coal Sales, the company's marketing subsidiary, and in 2000 he was elected senior vice president of marketing.

A native of Greenville, Kentucky, Eaves earned a BBA from the University of Kentucky. He is a graduate of the Executive Management Program at Wharton Business School and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

Arch Coal is the nation's second largest coal producer with subsidiary operations in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Through these operations, Arch Coal provides the fuel for approximately 6% of the electricity generated in the United States.