Patriot Coal Receives Second 2011 Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative Award

ST. LOUIS, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Coal Corporation (NYSE: PCX) announced that it received the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative Excellence in Reforestation Award, presented by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Office of Surface Mining.  The award was presented for the reclamation of the Guyan Surface mine in the Logan County complex, near the communities of Yolyn and Amherstdale.  Earlier in 2011, the Company received an Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative Award for outstanding reclamation at a former surface mine in Kentucky.

The ARRI Excellence in Reforestation Award is presented each year to honor both active and abandoned coal mine reclamation operations from each state in the Appalachian Region that best exemplify the use of the Forestry Reclamation Approach in conducting reclamation operations.

"Since 2006, almost 400,000 seedlings have been planted at this reclamation site.  The project included two wildlife research plots with native species that will assist Patriot and other coal producers in incorporating native plants into future reclamation activities across the region," stated Patriot Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Charles A. Ebetino, Jr.  "We are very pleased to receive this award in recognition of our ongoing environmental stewardship efforts."

About Patriot Coal

Patriot Coal Corporation is a leading producer and marketer of coal in the eastern United States, with 14 active mining complexes in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin.  The Company ships to domestic and international electricity generators, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls approximately 1.9 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves.  The Company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PCX.

SOURCE Patriot Coal Corporation