America West Resources CEO Comments on Horizon Mine's Safety Practices and Strong Safety Record

SALT LAKE CITY, April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In the wake of the recent coal mining disaster in West Virginia and renewed calls for safety reforms and enhanced regulatory oversight, Dan Baker, Chief Executive Officer of America West Resources, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AWSR), a domestic coal producer with mining operations in Central Utah, felt compelled to comment on the safety training programs, best industry practices and three-year safety record of Hidden Splendor Resources, which operates the Company's Horizon Mine in Carbon County, Utah.

According to Baker, "Although Hidden Splendor has never had any mining fatalities and has had only one injury since 2005 that required hospitalization, in 2007, our S&S (significant and substantial) violation rate stood at 8.7 incidents per 200,000 hours worked in our mine.  By comparison, the industry average at that time was 4.74 incidents per 200,000 hours.  The MSHA safety citations that Hidden Splendor incurred that year were largely attributable to cited roof falls in dormant former excavation areas of our mine, where we had no active mining activity underway.  Nonetheless, when I joined the Company, we took immediate action, modifying our roof support plan; implementing advanced safety and emergency rescue training for our miners; and designing and executing improvements to our general mine development strategy.  As a result, in 2008 we saw our S&S violation rate drop precipitously, falling 73% to 2.33 incidents per 200,000 hours worked in our mine – 41% better than the industry average which was 4.26 incidents per 200,000 hours worked that year.  In 2009, we achieved even better safety performance, reducing our S&S violation rate to 1.22 incidents per 200,000 hours worked – nearly 70% better than the industry average of 4.03 incidents per 200,000 hours worked."

Continuing, Baker noted, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of life of our mining brothers in West Virginia and our hearts and prayers go out to their friends and family members.  This tragedy serves to remind us all why protecting the health and safety of our miners is and must always remain our highest priority.  America West is immensely proud of the fact that we have operated for nearly two years without incurring a single loss-of-work incident at Horizon – which, in our belief, is a testament to our unwavering commitment to miner safety, the quality and impact of our safety training, and the safety-minded culture we have created, support and nurture every single day."

Utah State Senator David Hinkins (R) added, "It is only through comprehensive safety training, new technologies, conscientious oversight and individual accountability on the part of the operator, federal and state regulators and legislators and the miners themselves, that the ultimate safety and well being of our nation's coal miners can be assured.  Employing safety programs and training practices similar to those that work in companies like America West are absolutely vital if we are to achieve the national imperative of eliminating deaths, serious injuries and lost time accidents in the U.S. mining industry."

America West reported that it believes that the Horizon Mine is currently in full compliance with all mandatory health and safety standards under Section 104(e) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.  

About America West Resources, Inc.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, America West Resources is an established domestic coal producer focused on the mining of compliant (low-sulfur) coal and its sale primarily to U.S. utility companies for use in generating electricity.  The Company operates the Horizon Mine, which has recoverable compliant coal reserves under lease of approximately 19 million tons.  For more information, please visit www.AmericaCoal.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements Please refer to the Company's Form 10-K and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for additional information regarding risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed from time to time in such SEC reports.  Copies of these filings are available through the SEC's electronic data gathering analysis and retrieval system (EDGAR) at www.sec.gov.  The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance.  Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release which are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding current or future mining output, ability to obtain necessary equipment, personnel and permits to mine coal, production capabilities, management's strategy, plans and objectives for future operations, plans and objectives for production, plans and objectives for present and future production, plans and objectives for regulatory approval, and anticipated results, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, without limitation, risks associated with coal production, mining in general and in our mines in particular, ability to achieve the coal output anticipated, ability to obtain permits, ability to hire and retain the necessary personnel, as well as other risks detailed in our filings with the SEC.  We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.

SOURCE America West Resources, Inc.