SOMERSET, Colo., Feb. 20, 2013 -- Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) today announced that its Mountain Coal Company’s West Elk mine has achieved historic milestones in safety and environmental performance.

Employees of the mine have worked more than half a million work-hours with a perfect safety record, said General Manager Jim Miller.

West Elk also has operated 13 consecutive calendar years with perfect environmental compliance, as measured by the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act, Miller said.

“Safety and environmental responsibility are the most important values for West Elk, and our recent achievements reflect every employee’s commitment to those values,” said Miller. “We’ve worked hard day in and day out to operate responsibly, looking out for our environment and one another’s safety.”

Since May 7, 2012, West Elk’s 350 employees have worked more than 580,000 hours and produced 4.9 millions of tons of low-sulfur coal without incurring a single reportable injury, as classified by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.

“We strive to operate the world’s safest and most environmentally responsible coal mines,” said Miller. “Arch is a recognized leader with a safety record three times better than the U.S. industry average, an accomplishment that is a great source of pride at West Elk and throughout the company.”

West Elk mine opened in 1982 as the Mount Gunnison No. 1 mine operated by ARCO Coal Company. Arch Coal acquired Mountain Coal and its West Elk mine in 1998.

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 a 5.5-billion-ton reserve base of high-quality metallurgical and thermal coals, with access to all major railroads, inland waterways and a growing number of seaborne trade channels. For more information, visit http://www.archcoal.com.  
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