Patriot Coal Receives Prestigious Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Coal Corp. today announced that it received three Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards from the West Virginia Coal Association. The following operations received the award in their respective categories:

• Coal Clean preparation plant at the Panther mining complex;
• Fanco preparation plant and loadout at the Logan County mining complex; and
• Samples surface mine at the Paint Creek mining complex.

Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards are presented each year by the West Virginia Coal Association to mining operations that demonstrate a strong commitment to safety.  Inspectors for the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety & Training nominate facilities based on numerous safety-related criteria, including below average injury incidence rates and effective safety programs. 

"Maintaining a safe work environment every shift of every day is our highest priority.  The Mountain Guardian Safety Awards appropriately recognize the excellent safety performance achieved at these operations.  The Coal Clean preparation plant, in particular, was recognized for four years of operation without a reportable injury," said Patriot President and Chief Executive Officer Bennett K. Hatfield.  "We are pleased to be recognized by our state regulators and peers for best-in-class safety.  I thank our employees for keeping safety at the forefront of everything they do."   

About Patriot Coal
Patriot Coal Corp. is a producer and marketer of coal in the eastern United States, with 10 active mining complexes in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin.  Patriot ships to domestic and international electricity generators, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls approximately 1.8 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves.

SOURCE Patriot Coal Corp.