Press Releases

Peabody Energy announced today that Powder River Coal Company's North Antelope Rochelle Mine has been honored as the safest Wyoming surface mine in 2004 and as a Good Neighbor for promoting best practices in environmental conservation and mining education. The awards were presented by the State Mine Inspector and the Wyoming Mining Association.

For the second consecutive year, North Antelope Rochelle earned the "Safe Sam" award, which recognizes employees for working more than 1.5 million hours without a lost-time incident in 2004.

The North Antelope Rochelle Mine celebrated a two-year milestone on Dec. 17, 2004. All told, employees achieved more than 3.5 million hours without an incident causing an employee to miss work, a record for a U.S. surface coal mine. Last year, the North Antelope Rochelle Mine also received the prestigious Sentinels of Safety Award from the U.S. Department of Labor for operating the nation's safest U.S. surface mine.

The Good Neighbor Award credits North Antelope Rochelle for working with an association of land owners on the development of a collaborative ecosystem management plan in the Thunder Basin. The effort will enhance wildlife habitat across a more than 930,000-acre landscape.

Mine employees also were recognized for working with area students to restore riparian habitat as part of a broad wildlife habitat reclamation program, for promoting mining education through Career Days and mine tours and for providing outstanding voluntary community leadership. Since 1991, seven Powder River Coal Company employees have earned the Peck Community Achievement Award.

"Safety and stewardship are core values and key to our mission of being a worldwide supplier of low-cost energy, which contributes to economic prosperity and a better quality of life," said Kemal Williamson, Peabody's Group Executive for the Powder River Basin Operations.

"We are proud to recognize our 850 employees for striving toward our ultimate safety vision of operating safe workplaces that are incident free, and for leadership in environmental stewardship through support of the local ranching community."

The North Antelope Rochelle Mine is among the nation's top three most productive surface mines and last year shipped an industry record 80.1 million tons of coal, enough fuel to provide electricity to 20 million families.

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company, with 2004 sales of 227 million tons and $3.6 billion in revenues. Its coal products fuel more than 10 percent of all U.S. electricity and 3 percent of worldwide electricity.

  Contact:
  Beth Sutton
  (314) 342-7798

SOURCE: Peabody Energy