Westmoreland Coal Company Announces Appointment of Senior Vice President ? Coal Operations and Corporate Controller

Westmoreland Coal Company (NASDAQ GM: WLB) today announced the promotion
of two employees to new roles within the Company. Mr. Joseph Micheletti,
former Mine Manager of the Company′s Jewett Mine, was promoted to Senior
Vice President ? Coal Operations overseeing mining operations and Mr.
Russell Werner, former Director of Accounting, was promoted to Corporate
Controller.

Mr. Micheletti holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mineral Processing
Engineering from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology. He
joined Westmoreland in August 1998 and has held several key leadership
positions at several Westmoreland mining projects, prior to his
promotion in June 2011. Mr. Micheletti  has worked in the production,
maintenance, processing, and engineering disciplines of the mining
industry for 24 years and sits as a Director of the Rocky Mountain Coal
Mining Institute.

Mr. Werner joined Westmoreland in June 2006 and was named Director of
Accounting in April 2008. Prior to joining Westmoreland, Mr. Werner
worked for nine years in public accounting. Mr. Werner holds a Bachelor
of Science degree in Accounting and became a certified public accountant
in 1994.

Westmoreland Coal Company, which recently listed on the NASDAQ Global
Market exchange, is the oldest independent coal company in the United
States. The Company′s coal operations include coal mining in the Powder
River Basin in Montana and lignite mining operations in Montana, North
Dakota and Texas. Its power operations include ownership of the two-unit
ROVA coal-fired power plant in North Carolina. For more information,
visit www.westmoreland.com.

Westmoreland Coal Company

Kevin Paprzycki, 719-442-2600