The Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology and the Colorado Mining Association recognized West Elk mine for outstanding safety performance in achieving a total incident rate of 1.01 in 2001, ten times better than the underground bituminous mine national industry average of 10.03.

West Elk was also presented with the "Outstanding Steep-Slope Reclamation Award" for successfully restoring the original steep slopes from what once was a mine ventilation facility. West Elk was one of only three underground mines honored with a reclamation award at the 105th National Western Mining Conference last week.

In addition, West Elk mine was recognized for its outstanding contributions to Colorado's Pollution Prevention Program. As a leader in the industry, West Elk mine provided initial input to help shape the code of standard practices, and also was one of the first organizations to participate in this voluntary program.

"We're proud to be recognized as industry leaders in safety and reclamation," said Gene DiClaudio, president of Mountain Coal Co.

"West Elk strives for continuous improvement. Our dedicated employees have worked more than three consecutive years without an environmental violation. We want the citizens of Colorado to be reassured knowing that West Elk takes special care and responsibility for our state's precious resources every day."