Walter Energy's Wolverine Mine Recognized by BC Ministry of Energy and Mines for Safety Achievement

BIRMINGHAM, AL--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2014) - Walter Energy's (NYSE: WLT) (TSX: WLT) Wolverine Mine has been awarded the John Ash Safety Award by the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines for working more than one million employee hours while maintaining the lowest lost time injury frequency among mines in their category. The Wolverine mine completed the 2013 award year with no lost time injuries. In total, the Wolverine Mine has worked more than 14 months -- December 2012 through March 2014, without a lost time incident. The Wolverine Mine is located near the district municipality of Tumbler Ridge and produces a high grade hard coking coal. The mine has a total employment of 440.

"Our success at Wolverine is attributable to the Health and Safety programs we have developed cooperatively with our hourly employees," said Dan Cartwright, President of Walter Energy's Canadian Operations. "The mine has an active Joint Occupational, Health, Safety and Environment Committee. Our system empowers the workforce to participate in a safety program that eliminates unsafe conditions and practices."

The Mine Safety Awards were established in 1961 by the B.C. Minister of Mines to recognize annually the safety record of mines in the province. The Mine Safety Awards program consists of two competitions resulting in seven different awards. All producing mines in B.C. that have accumulated the required number of employee hours and have no fatalities in the competition year are eligible. Contractor hours also are included in employee hours. Award winners have the lowest lost-time accident frequency of mines in their category.

About Walter Energy

Walter Energy is a leading, publicly traded "pure-play" metallurgical coal producer for the global steel industry with strategic access to high-growth steel markets in Asia, South America and Europe. The company also produces thermal coal, anthracite, metallurgical coke and coal bed methane gas. Walter Energy employs approximately 3,600 employees with operations in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom.