Foundation Coal West Ships Billionth Ton

Foundation Coal Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:FCL) today announced that Foundation Coal West will ship its billionth ton of Powder River Basin coal to Westar Energy’s Jeffrey Energy Center located near St. Marys, Kansas. Foundation Coal West operates the Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr mines located near Gillette. The billion tons represents the total amount of coal mined at both mines since production started in 1972.

Kurt Kost, Foundation Coal’s executive vice president, says, “This shipment is a milestone of achievement in the Powder River Basin. It is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication by our employees, our customers, our suppliers and the transportation companies. It will likely be another 15-20 years before we reach this mark again.”

Foundation Coal Holdings, Inc. is a major U.S. coal producer with 13 coal mines and related facilities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Through its subsidiaries Foundation Coal employs approximately 3,000 people and produces approximately 72 million tons annually, largely for utilities generating electricity. Foundation’s corporate offices are in Linthicum Heights, MD.