CONSOL Energy Operations Receive Safety Awards

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CONSOL Energy Inc.'s (NYSE: CNX)  Shoemaker Mine in Marshall County, W.Va., was named the 2010 recipient of the prestigious Eustace Frederick Milestones of Safety Award in Charleston, W.Va.  Four additional CONSOL Energy mine operations in West Virginia were also recognized for their outstanding safety efforts and were named recipients of Mountaineer Guardian awards.

Fola Surface, Peg Fork Surface, Blacksville #2 and the Peach Orchard Preparation Plant were all recognized for their commitment to safety through the awards given annually to qualifying underground and surface mining operations across the state of West Virginia. The 2010 awards were presented February 3 during an awards luncheon held at the West Virginia Coal Association's 37th annual Mining Symposium in Charleston.

The Shoemaker Mine won the state's top award for underground mine safety, recognizing it for the best safety performance among West Virginia underground coal mines in 2010. Shoemaker had some 625 employees and worked safely for 1,447,422 hours producing 3,144,054 tons of coal to earn the award.

The Eustace Frederick Milestones of Safety Award earned by Shoemaker is named in honor of the late Delegate, a champion of mine safety who was a long-time Consolidation Coal Company employee. The award received by Shoemaker this year recognizes the mine for its implementation and continual improvement of a visible and highly successful safety program. The cooperative spirit displayed and practiced by all employees, it was noted at the awards ceremony, resulted in the Shoemaker Mine achieving "the balance of production and safety to which all mining operations should aspire. The working environment created and maintained by the entire work force at the Shoemaker Mine represents the highest standards of the Mountaineer Guardian Awards Program and of the West Virginia coal industry."

"We are proud of all our West Virginia operations employees who were recognized for their safety records and efforts," said J. Brett Harvey, CONSOL Energy chairman and CEO. "These recognitions – for five of our operations in West Virginia -- are a testament to the fact that these employees recognize safety trumps everything at CONSOL Energy. We are proud of them and their achievements."

In addition to the Shoemaker Mine win, in the underground safety category CONSOL Energy's Blacksville #2 Mine in Wana, W.Va., was awarded a Mountaineer Guardian award, recognizing its 581 employees for working safely for 1,296,630 hours while producing 4,624,266 tons of coal.

In the surface mine category, Fola Surface operations and its Peach Orchard Preparation Plant, both in Clay County, W.Va. and the Peg Fork Surface Mine, located in Naugatuck, W.Va., were each recognized with Mountaineer Guardian Awards for their outstanding safety achievements.

Fola Surface Mine's 183 employees safely worked 404,414 hours producing 1,711,217 tons of coal; Peach Orchard's 48 employees worked 113,982 hours safely processing 3,053,346 tons of coal; and Peg Fork Surface Mine's 45 employees worked 93,972 hours safely producing 385,455 tons of coal.

"We are very proud of the safety accomplishments achieved at all of these locations," said CONSOL Energy Vice President of Safety Lou Barletta. "Their commitment to working safely and productively is recognized through these awards. These employees pride themselves in working towards the goal of ZERO accidents each day and as a company we are proud of them and their efforts to work safely yesterday, today and in the future."

The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training and the West Virginia Coal Association (Mining and Reclamation Association) established the Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards Program in 1983 as a joint effort to promote safety in the coalfields of West Virginia. The special program gives recognition to mining workplaces where employees have accumulated qualifying amounts of production without experiencing a fatal accident. Mining operations are divided into categories, based on number of employees in order to be considered for the awards.

Inspectors for the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety & Training nominate companies who they feel have achieved a balance of production and safety. Selection criteria also includes safety program initiatives by the company; the nominated company's safety record; and its violation history.

CONSOL Energy Inc., the leading diversified fuel producer in the Appalachian Basin, is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 Equity Index and the Fortune 500. It has 11 bituminous coal mining complexes in five states and reports proven and probable coal reserves of 4.5 billion tons. It is also the leading Appalachian gas producer, with proved reserves of over 2.9 trillion cubic feet. Additional information about CONSOL Energy can be found at its Web site: http://www.consolenergy.com/.

SOURCE CONSOL Energy Inc.