Arch Coal Mine Rescue Teams Earn Dual Championships This Summer

CHARLESTON, W.Va., Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Arch Coal, Inc. today announced that mine rescue teams for Cumberland River Coal Company and Mingo Logan Mountain Laurel each won first-place rankings in recent competitions.

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Cumberland River's blue rescue team earned the Grand Championship out of 37 teams from six states in the 2012 Virginia Mining Institute (VMI) Contest.  This is the team's second consecutive year to earn top honors.  Cumberland River is the only team to have achieved a perfect score during the two-day rescue competition held in Blacksburg, Va., Aug. 7-9.

Mountain Laurel's gold rescue team took the Championship out of 19 teams at the Harlan County Safety Days mine rescue competition held at Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College July 24-26.  Also finishing in the top 10 at the Harlan County, Ky., competition were Cumberland River's blue team, Viper's red team and Wolf Run's white team.

"We're very proud of the rescue teams for achieving top rankings," said Kenneth D. Cochran, Arch's senior vice president of operations.  "Our miners depend upon the skills and expertise of our well-trained mine rescue teams, and it is gratifying to know that our team members have demonstrated a high level of proficiency."

Employees volunteer to be part of mine rescue teams.  Teams receive special training in emergency search and rescue.  To keep skills sharp, rescue teams compete in local, regional and national competitions to test their abilities in challenges that include first aid, mapping and firefighting, among other skills.

U.S.-based Arch Coal (NYSE:ACI) is a top five global coal producer and marketer.  Arch is the most diversified American coal company, with mining complexes across every major U.S. coal supply basin.  Its core business is supplying cleaner-burning, low-sulfur thermal and metallurgical coal to power generators and steel manufacturers on five continents.  In 2011, Arch continued to lead the U.S. coal industry in safety performance and environmental compliance among large, diversified producers.

SOURCE Arch Coal, Inc.