ST. LOUIS, Nov. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ARCH) announced today that its eastern operations were recently honored with four awards from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the West Virginia Coal Association.
"Arch's commitment to sustainability includes an uncompromising respect for both the land and the communities in which we operate," said Paul A. Lang, Arch's president and chief operating officer. "We view environmental protection and land reclamation as essential components of the mining process, and as hallmarks of Arch's operations everywhere. The Arch team was honored to be recognized by the state of West Virginia for its dedication to excellence in these essential areas of performance."
The state's top environmental honor – the Greenlands Award – was presented to Arch's Wolf Run subsidiary and its Beckley mine team for outstanding final reclamation work at an adjacent, long-idled underground mining and processing complex.
Arch's Mingo Logan subsidiary received the Exemplary Construction Techniques Protecting the Environment Award for its industry-leading work at the Mountain Laurel mining complex.
The Good Neighbor Award went to Arch's Coal-Mac subsidiary for its "determined and successful efforts to extract coal in an environmentally responsible manner," as well as its exceptional commitment to community involvement.
Arch was also honored with the Exemplary Reclamation award for restoring former mine lands to an excellent condition.
"Arch constantly strives to set the industry standard for environmental excellence through our innovative reclamation work and deep commitment to community engagement and corporate citizenship," said Jim Meier, Arch's vice president of environmental affairs. "We congratulate our employees for their exceptional work, and applaud them for their important contributions to Arch's long-term success."
The joint West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and West Virginia Coal Association Reclamation Awards were established in 1972 to recognize mining companies that achieve the highest level of reclamation and environmental compliance. The Good Neighbor Award was added in 2000 to specifically recognize companies that design and operate mines to minimize impacts on surrounding communities.
U.S.-based Arch Coal, Inc. is a top coal producer for the global steel and power generation industries. Arch operates a streamlined portfolio of large-scale, low-cost mining complexes that produce high-quality metallurgical coals in Appalachia and low-emitting thermal coals in the Powder River Basin and other strategic supply regions. For more information, visit www.archcoal.com.
