Patriot Coal Negotiates Environmental Settlement Related to Apogee and Hobet Complexes

Patriot Coal Negotiates Environmental Settlement Related to Apogee and Hobet
Complexes

ST. LOUIS, March 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Patriot Coal Corporation (NYSE:
PCX) announced that it has entered into a consent decree with Ohio Valley
Environmental Coalition, Inc., and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Inc.
to resolve pending claims under the Clean Water Act relating to Patriot's
Apogee and Hobet mining complexes. The consent decree was entered on March 19
by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

As a result of the negotiated settlement, the deadline for compliance with
selenium effluent limitations at outfalls subject to the litigation has been
extended from June 30, 2009 to April 5, 2010. Additionally, the Company has
agreed to implement a pilot project using certain reverse osmosis technology
to evaluate its technical and economic feasibility for use in selenium
treatment in a coal mining setting. The estimated cost over the life of the
pilot project and related evaluations is approximately $350,000. The Company
has also agreed to pay a penalty of $50,000 and plaintiffs' attorney fees and
costs as part of the settlement.

About Patriot Coal

Patriot Coal Corporation is the third largest producer and marketer of coal in
the eastern United States, with 15 active mining complexes in Appalachia and
the Illinois Basin. The Company ships to domestic and international electric
utilities, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls
approximately 1.8 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. The
Company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol
PCX.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking as defined in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve
certain risks and uncertainties that may be beyond our control and may cause
our actual future results to differ materially from expectations. We do not
undertake to update our forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect
our results include, but are not limited to: geologic, equipment and
operational risks associated with mining; changes in general domestic and
international economic conditions, including coal, power and steel market
conditions; availability and costs of credit; the outcome of commercial
negotiations involving sales contracts or other transactions; price
volatility, changes in demand and decreases in consumer spending; supplier and
contract miner performance and the availability and cost of key equipment and
commodities; the Company's ability to replace coal reserves; labor
availability and relations; availability and costs of transportation;
legislative and regulatory developments; risks associated with environmental
laws and compliance; the outcome of pending or future litigation; weather
patterns affecting energy demand; and the availability and costs of competing
energy resources. The Company undertakes no obligation (and expressly
disclaims any such obligation) to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise. For additional information concerning factors that could
cause actual results to materially differ from those projected herein, please
refer to the Company's Form 10-K.

SOURCE Patriot Coal Corporation

Janine Orf of Patriot Coal Corporation, +1-314-275-3680, Patriot Coal
Corporation