Patriot Coal Recognized With Safety & Reclamation Awards

ST. LOUIS, March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Patriot Coal Corporation (NYSE: PCX) today announced that four of its facilities have received Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards from the West Virginia Coal Association – the Federal No. 2 mine, the Westridge surface mine, the Big Mountain preparation plant and the Harris preparation plant. Additionally, Patriot’s Guyan and Colony Bay surface mines each received reclamation awards from the West Virginia Coal Association.

Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards are presented each year to mining operations that have demonstrated a commitment to operational safety. Inspectors for the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training nominate facilities based on numerous criteria, including below average injury incidence rates and an effective, comprehensive safety program. Reclamation award recipients are nominated by inspectors for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for demonstrated commitment to environmental performance.

“Maintaining a safe work environment and instilling a strong safety culture in our workers are key principles in the way Patriot runs its operations,” noted Patriot President & Chief Operating Officer Paul H. Vining. “I especially commend employees at our Harris preparation plant for more than seven years with no MSHA reportable injury. And our Big Mountain preparation plant had a zero injury incident rate in 2008, following a zero incidence rate in 2007.”

“Excellence in reclamation is part of our mission to be a good steward of the environment. In particular, with this award, the Guyan surface mine has received awards for superior reclamation for more than 10 consecutive years,” continued Vining. “We are pleased to be recognized with these awards, which underscore our employees’ commitment to safety and reclamation excellence.”

As a result of the company’s strong emphasis on safety, 2008 was the safest year in Patriot’s history. Patriot workers achieved an incidence rate of 3.75 per 200,000 hours worked, reflecting a 25 percent reduction since 2005, the first year for which safety statistics were available for the combined Patriot/Magnum entity.

About Patriot Coal

Patriot Coal Corporation is the third largest producer and marketer of coal in the eastern United States, with 15 active mining complexes in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin. The Company ships to domestic and international electric utilities, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls approximately 1.8 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. The Company’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PCX.

SOURCE Patriot Coal Corporation