The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety recognized the complex at the 112th National Western Mining Conference and Exhibition in Denver with its Excellence in Safety Award for 2009.

West Elk had the lowest total recordable incident rate among all Colorado large underground coal mines, and its 1.61 recordable injury rate per 200,000 employee hours was a third of the national average of 4.4.

The mine was also honored by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety for a proactive reclamation of a US forest road considered to be steep and unstable. As part of the project, West Elk replaced the area with a new, realigned gravel road.

“According to the CDRMS, reclamation of the abandoned portion of the road included the innovative use of onsite materials … [including] the use of large boulders to block vehicular access and blend with surrounding lands as well as the use of fallen Aspen trees for erosion control and access restriction,” the company said.

“In addition, [Arch subsidiary] Mountain Coal modified the alignment of the new road in order to avoid an active hawk's nest that was identified after the start of construction.”

Finally, West Elk crews earned the Pollution Prevention award from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado Mining Association. That award was bestowed for the mine’s proactive waste reduction methods; an earlier project at the complex involved energy-efficient lighting at the office, shop and other buildings.

"This external recognition reinforces our recent selection of West Elk as the top internal environmental performer among all underground mines in Arch's national network, and also underscores the employees' strong commitment to safety," Arch president John Eaves said.

Mountain Coal's West Elk mine in Somerset, Colorado, employs more than 350 people. The longwall and continuous miner operation sold 5.3 million tons in 2008.