Patriot Coal Company Earns Reclamation Honors From the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources & Kentucky Coal Association

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Patriot Coal Company has earned an Outstanding Reclamation Award from the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources and the Kentucky Coal Association for reclaiming prime farmland and permanent ponds for wildlife and recreational use.

Patriot Coal Company, a Peabody Energy subsidiary, was nominated by the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources for transforming more than 600 acres into prime farmland, the highest land use standard encountered in reclamation, and developing a more than 30-acre pond that is a major attraction to a diversity of wildlife, including ducks, geese and blue herons as well as turkey and deer. Reclamation was performed on lands acquired at the Patriot Mine near Henderson, Ky.

"We are committed to innovation and stewardship at all levels and to the principles of our mission statement, which pledges to leave the land in a condition equal to or better than we found it," said Bryan A. Galli, Peabody's Group Executive for Midwest Operations. "We are honored to be nominated and recognized by the state for results that will benefit communities for years to come."

Peabody operations and affiliates have earned 20 major awards for stewardship in the past two years. The honors include 2005 U.S. Department of the Interior Gold, Silver and Bronze Good Neighbor Awards for working with communities to develop sustainable programs, and two 2005 National Reclamation Excellence Awards for developing managed grazing programs and wetlands restoration.

Patriot Coal Company operates the Patriot, Freedom and Big Run mines in Western Kentucky, which last year produced more than 4 million tons of coal.

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

The use of "Peabody," "the company," and "our" relate to Peabody, its subsidiaries and majority-owned affiliates.

CONTACT: Beth Sutton (314) 342-7798