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Westmoreland Coal Company (Nasdaq GM:WLB) today announced that its Western Energy Company subsidiary has been selected to receive an Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Award from the Office of Surface Mining for its reclamation efforts at Western Energy Company’s Colstrip Mine in Colstrip, Montana. The Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Awards are presented to coal mining companies that achieve the most exemplary mining and reclamation in the country. Western Energy Company is the 2011 recipient of the Directors Award for exemplary use of geomorphic reclamation techniques.
“This is the third time that Western Energy has received an Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Award since 2005, which is a direct reflection of the mine’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” stated Keith E. Alessi, Chief Executive Officer. “The Director’s award is among the highest reclamation distinctions in the coal mining industry, and Western Energy is extremely honored to be recognized again by the Office of Surface Mining for its reclamation achievements.”
The company’s award entry highlighted the history of incorporating geomorphic characteristics into reclamation designs. This process began in cooperation with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in the early 1990s and was refined in reclamation work completed in 1996 and 1997. It has been most recently used in final reclamation work completed in 2004 and 2010. The goal has been to replace premining topographic diversity and native vegetation types that would have been lost using the standard reclamation techniques of the early 1990s.
Western Energy will receive the Directors Award for its geomorphic reclamation techniques on October 17th during an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Westmoreland Coal Company is the oldest independent coal company in the United States. The Company’s coal operations include coal mining in the Powder River Basin in Montana and lignite mining operations in Montana, North Dakota and Texas. Its power operations include ownership of the two-unit ROVA coal-fired power plant in North Carolina. For more information, visit www.westmoreland.com.
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Contact: Kevin Paprzycki (719) 442-2600