Company-Wide Incident Rate Falls 27% in 2001

ST. LOUIS - January 14, 2002 - Arch Coal's (NYSE: ACI) Beth Station Preparation Plant at the Hobet 21 mining complex received a Mountaineer Guardian Award from the West Virginia Coal Association for significant accomplishments in mine safety in 2001.

The safety award was presented at the 29th Annual West Virginia Mining Symposium in Charleston, W.Va. on Jan.10. Arch Coal was selected among 65 nominated facilities.

On Oct. 8 last fall, the Beth Station Prep Plant marked its three-year anniversary without a reportable safety incident.

"The Beth Station plant is a shining example of our company-wide commitment to safety," said Steven F. Leer, Arch Coal's president and chief executive officer.

"With safety as a guiding principle, we're pleased our overall incident rate declined 27 percent in 2001," said Leer. "This is our best safety performance ever; yet we won't be satisfied until we reach our ultimate goal of operating incident-free at all our mines."

Last year, Arch of West Virginia received the 2000 Mountaineer Guardian Award for its accomplishments in mine safety at the Ruffner surface mine and the Slab Fork underground mine.

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 6% of the electricity generated in the United States.