Two Pennsylvania CONSOL Energy Operations Earn Holmes Safety Awards

PITTSBURGH, May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CONSOL Energy (NYSE: CNX) announced that two of its mining operations in Pennsylvania were awarded Joseph A. Holmes Safety Awards during the 2010 Pennsylvania State Council meeting Friday, April 29.

CONSOL Energy's Enlow Fork Mine and the Bailey Preparation Plant, both located in West Finley, Pa., were recognized for their safety records during the Friday awards banquet held at Nemacolin Country Club.

The awards are presented annually by the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association to selected mine operations meeting the safety criteria established for the awards and recognize each operation and its employees for their commitment to and record of safety excellence.

"Our top value at CONSOL Energy is safety and simply put, there is nothing more important than safety," said CONSOL Energy President Nicholas J. DeIuliis. "The employees we have at Enlow Fork and the Bailey Prep Plant whose safety efforts combined to result in these awards are to be commended for their personal commitment to and the focus on safety they put forth every day."

The two CONSOL Energy Pennsylvania operations join seven West Virginia CONSOL Energy operations which have also been selected for Holmes Safety Awards. The Fola Surface Mine and its Peach Orchard Preparation Plant, both located in Bickmore, W. Va.; Peg Fork Surface Mine, located in Naugatuck, W. Va.; Shoemaker Mine located in Marshall County, W.Va.; Blacksville #2 mine located in Wana, W. Va.; and Central Repair Shop in Monongah, W. Va., will also be recipients of the awards in West Virginia based on their 2010 safety records. Little Eagle Coal Company, also in Bickmore, has been named a Pacesetter for Mine Safety by the council. All of the West Virginia awards will be presented later this month at an awards dinner held in that state.

The Holmes Safety Association was founded in 1916 and recognizes mining operations on an annual basis for their safety excellence.

CONSOL Energy Inc., the leading diversified fuel producer in the Eastern United States, is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 Equity Index and the Fortune 500. CONSOL Energy has also been named to Forbes' 2010 list of "The 100 Most Trustworthy Companies," and received the 2011 Pittsburgh Business Ethics Award given by the Society of Financial Services Professionals, Pittsburgh Chapter.  CONSOL has 11 bituminous coal mining complexes in five states and reports proven and probable coal reserves of 4.4 billion tons. It is also the leading Appalachian gas producer, with proved reserves of over 3.7 trillion cubic feet. Additional information about CONSOL Energy can be found at its Web site: www.consolenergy.com.

SOURCE CONSOL Energy Inc.