Arch Coal's Dugout Canyon Awarded Sentinels of Safety as Safest Large-Scale Underground Mine in United States

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) today announced that its Canyon Fuel Company's Dugout Canyon mine earned the Sentinels of Safety award for achieving the nation's best 2011 safety record among large underground coal mines.

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"Our Dugout Canyon employees earned this top national recognition for achieving a perfect safety record in 2011," said Arch's President and CEO John W. Eaves.  "A total incident rate of zero is an elite accomplishment, to say the least.  We're very proud of Dugout employees' safety excellence."

In 2011, Dugout Canyon employees worked 449,797 hours with a lost-time incident rate of zero, compared to the national average of 2.44 incidents per 200,000 employee-hours.  Dugout Canyon mine has operated since May 2010 without a reportable safety incident.  Earlier this year, the Dugout Canyon mine was named 2011 Safe Operator of the Year among underground coal mines by the Utah State Labor Commission and Office of Coal Mine Safety, and received a regional RMCMI 2012 Safety Award.

The Sentinels of Safety awards program is sponsored by the National Mining Association. Sentinels of Safety award recipients represent mining operations that have worked the most employee hours in each category without a lost-time incident.  Six award winners are chosen from large and small operations in three category types, with a minimum of 4,000 hours logged without a lost-time incident.

Sentinels of Safety awards were initiated in 1925 by then-Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover and remain the nation's most prestigious awards for recognizing safety in coal, metal and nonmetal mines.  More information on the Sentinels of Safety awards and categories is posted at www.nma.org.

In 2011, Arch continued to lead the U.S. coal industry in safety performance and environmental compliance among large, diversified producers.  Arch subsidiary operations have earned a total of six Sentinels of Safety awards since 2002.

U.S.-based Arch Coal, Inc. is a top five global coal producer and marketer, with 157 million tons of coal sold in 2011.  Arch is the most diversified American coal company, with active 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.  Arch's Canyon Fuel Company is Utah's largest coal producer and a large state employer, with a workforce of more than 700.  It operates the Dugout Canyon, Skyline and Sufco mines.

SOURCE Arch Coal, Inc.