Press Releases

Peabody Energy's Lee Ranch Mine has earned the prestigious Sentinels of Safety Award from the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration for operating the nation's safest large surface coal mine in 2005. Mine employees achieved both zero reportable and zero lost-time incidents during the year. Peabody operations have earned the Sentinels of Safety Award two out of the past three years.

"Each of the Sentinels of Safety winners has demonstrated that safety is a value in the workplace," said David G. Dye, acting Administrator of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration within the Department of Labor. "Safe working practices help protect the mining industry's most valuable resource - the miner."

Lee Ranch employees accepted the award today at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The Sentinels of Safety Award is the oldest safety award in the mining industry and is presented to mine operations that achieve the greatest number of employee work hours each year without an injury that results in lost workdays or days of restricted work activity. Lee Ranch has more than 200 employees and last year sold 5 million tons of coal.

"Maintaining a safe workplace is a core Peabody value and is central to our mission. I'm proud of our employees at Lee Ranch for their leadership in safety and for continuing to demonstrate our vision of achieving zero incidents of any kind," said Peabody Energy President and Chief Executive Officer Gregory H. Boyce.

Lee Ranch employees have worked two years and more than 1 million hours without a reportable accident as of August 2006.

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company, with 2005 sales of 240 million tons of coal and $4.6 billion in revenues. Its coal products fuel approximately 10 percent of all U.S. electricity generation and 3 percent of worldwide electricity.

Use of the words "Peabody," "the company" and "our" relate to Peabody, our subsidiaries and our majority-owned affiliates.

   CONTACT:
   Beth Sutton
   (505) 287-2636

SOURCE: Peabody Energy