ST. LOUIS (February 24, 2005) - The board of directors of Arch Coal, Inc. has declared quarterly dividends for its common and preferred shares. For the company's common stock (NYSE: ACI), the dividend of $0.08 per share is payable March 15, 2005 to shareholders of record on March 4, 2005. For the company's preferred stock (NYSE: ACI_p), the board declared a dividend of $0.625 per share, payable on May 2, 2005 to shareholders of record on April 18, 2005.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal is the nation's second largest coal producer and mines low-sulfur coal exclusively. Through its subsidiary operations in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah, Arch provides the fuel for approximately 7 percent of the electricity generated in the United States.