The longwall mine, operated by Arch subsidiary Mountain Coal, received the Excellence in Safety Award as the top operation in mine safety among all the state’s large underground coal mines.

The mine’s total incident rate of 1.72 per 200,000 employee hours (per federal data) was 70% lower than the national average of 5.91 for underground mines. It is the second year in a row West Elk has earned the award.

The state’s Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety also recognized the operation for its reclamation of an abandoned 1934 mining site. The Outstanding Reclamation honor was given to employees for a successful clean-up and restoration of the site as well as a commitment to environmental stewardship.

Finally, the Department of Public Health and Environment, in cooperation with the Colorado Mining Association, gave West Elk the state’s Senior Participant Award for the mine’s efforts to proactively conserve water and prevent pollution.

The department noted that mine staff had negotiated with shippers for more efficient packaging materials and had conserved water through the installation of such items as low-flow faucets and showerheads.

All the awards were presented to the operation at the 113th National Western Mining Conference and Exhibition in Denver, which wrapped up earlier this month.

"West Elk turned out an outstanding 2010 performance and garnered three statewide awards as a result," Arch president and chief operating officer John Eaves said.

Mountain Coal’s West Elk, located in the western Colorado town of Somerset, employs more than 350 people. It has operated for more than 11 years without a violation of the state’s Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.