Alpha Natural Resources Announces Safety Milestones

ABINGDON, Va., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE: ANR), a leading U.S. coal producer, today announced 2009 safety milestones, including several prestigious safety honors received last week in West Virginia and an overall safety performance for all of its affiliated companies that was substantially (approximately 18 percent) better than the 2009 industry average for both surface and underground coal mining operations.  Last year was the best year on record for Alpha and its affiliates, as measured by total reportable incident rate (TRIR).

Alpha affiliates received six Mountaineer Guardian Awards presented by the West Virginia Coal Association and the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training at the 37th West Virginia Coal Mining Annual Symposium on Feb. 4, 2010.  The following mines and preparation plants were honored:

The annual award is offered only to select mines and mining-related entities that meet strict safety criteria.  The award recognizes those organizations that manage fatality-free operations, superior internal safety programs, cooperative teaming with authorities and minimal safety violations.

The foremost safety award in West Virginia for surface mines is the Barton B. Lay, Jr. Milestones of Safety Award, which was presented at the symposium luncheon to the Ewing Fork Mine No. 1, also known as the Pax Surface Mine, operated by Alpha affiliate Simmons Fork Mining, Inc. in Raleigh County.  

Several operations of Alpha affiliates completed the year without a lost-time accident (LTA), including 14 surface mines, five underground mines and 10 support facilities, including preparation plants, loadouts and docks.  

Altogether, Alpha-affiliated operations received more than 40 state and federal safety awards in 2009, including Joseph A. Holmes Certificates of Honor, awarded to the Twin Star Loadout, near Hurley, Va., for working three years without an LTA, and to Premium Energy Surface Mine, near Gilbert, W.Va., for working two years without an LTA.  

"Our most important job is to return each miner home safely after each shift," said Kurt Kost, President of Alpha Natural Resources.  "Our goal is to reduce injuries to zero, and our affiliates continue to strive to meet that goal every day.  Safety is a core element of the Alpha 'Running Right' program, and we take great pride in the safety culture and the safety performance at all of Alpha's affiliated operations.  I congratulate the employees of the operations that won safety awards during the year, especially those that were accident free while helping meet America's energy needs with millions of tons of affordable coal."

A special safety video entitled "Coal Mining Safety: No Oxymoron" has been posted to the following YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM9i5zSWI0w

About Alpha Natural Resources

Alpha Natural Resources is one of America's premier coal suppliers with affiliate coal production capacity of more than 90 million tons a year.  Alpha is the nation's leading supplier and exporter of metallurgical coal used in the steel-making process and is a major supplier of thermal coal to electric utilities and manufacturing industries across the country.  The company, through its affiliates, employs approximately 6,300 people and operates more than 60 mines and 14 coal preparation facilities in the regions of Northern and Central Appalachia and the Powder River Basin.  More information about Alpha can be found on the company's Web site at www.alphanr.com.  

SOURCE Alpha Natural Resources