CONSOL Energy Operation Earns Reclamation Award

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CONSOL Energy Inc.'s (NYSE: CNX) Squire Jim No. 1 Deep Mine in McDowell County, W.Va. earned a 2010 reclamation award earlier this month during an awards luncheon held at the West Virginia Coal Association's 37th annual Mining Symposium in Charleston, W.Va.  The award was presented February 4 and recognizes the Squire Jim Mine for the "exceptional reclamation of the surface areas of an underground mine."

"Returning the land to a useful purpose after mining is one of our goals when we set out to design a reclamation plan," said Charlie Bauguess, manager of closed properties for CONSOL Energy in Central Appalachia. "This award is special because the nomination must come from our peer group (the reclamation inspectors). As an avid outdoorsman, I am pleased we were able to ensure long-term habitat protection for the native wildlife species in the area."

As the owner of more than 430,000 acres of land in the United States and Canada, CONSOL Energy recognizes the importance of environmental protection and responsible use of the land and its natural resources while energy products that power the nation are produced.

"At CONSOL Energy, we take our responsibility as a steward of the environment seriously," said CONSOL Energy Senior Vice President of Environmental Strategy and Regulatory Affairs Katharine Fredriksen. "This reclamation award from the state of West Virginia is affirmation that, we are not only meeting the letter of the law as required by our permits, but we are taking it a step further -- providing a useful, long-term purpose for the land after mining."

CONSOL Energy designed and implemented a wildlife reclamation plan for the site that eliminated the mine face-up area and removed the temporary fill associated with the underground mine as part of its reclamation efforts. Following re-grading, the site was planted using native vegetation and trees, including a wildlife seed mixture of Birdsfoot Trefoil, Red Clover, Yellow Clover and White Clover. The wildlife tree species selected included Red Oak, White Oak, Wild Plum, Persimmon, Red Mulberry, Eastern Redbud and Washington Hawthorne. Utilizing these species, CONSOL Energy was able to quickly establish vegetation supporting wildlife on the site. The site is leased to a local hunting and conservation club to allow for long-term wildlife management.

CONSOL Energy Inc., the leading diversified fuel producer in the Eastern United States, is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 Equity Index and the Fortune 500. It has 11 bituminous coal mining complexes in five states and reports proven and probable coal reserves of 4.5 billion tons. It is also the leading Appalachian gas producer, with proved reserves of over 3.7 trillion cubic feet. Additional information about CONSOL Energy can be found at its Web site: http://www.consolenergy.com/.

SOURCE CONSOL Energy Inc.