The Rawhide Mine in Wyoming and the Gateway Mine in Illinois have earned Peabody Energy’s President’s Award. The honor goes to Peabody’s safest surface and underground operations.

On a global scale, Peabody Energy marked new safety performance records in 2011.

"The intense focus on safety at Rawhide and Gateway this past year delivered exceptional results and contributed to the safest year in Peabody's 129-year history," said Peabody president and chief commercial officer Richard A. Navarre. "These mines led the way in a record year. Peabody teams improved our global incidence rate more than 30 percent from the prior year, bringing us closer to the ultimate vision — zero incidents of any kind."

The Rawhide surface mine near Gillette, WY has operated 36 months – or more than 1.3 million hours – without a single incident causing an employee to miss work. In 2011, the mine achieved a safety rate of zero, while the U.S. average for surface peers is 1.69 incidents per 200,000 hours worked, according to the latest available U.S. Mine Safety and Administration (MSHA) data. The mine team shipped more than 13 Mt (15 million st) of coal in the past year.

The underground Gateway Mine was recognized for achieving an incidence rate of 1.47 in 2011, results that are 70 percent better than the U.S. average for underground coal mines, according to the latest available MSHA data. The mine earned the President's Award distinction for the second time in three years. Located in Randolph County, IL, the mine sold 3.2 Mt (3.5 million st) of coal in 2011 and ranked among the most productive operations in the Illinois Basin.

"Employees at Rawhide and Gateway demonstrate they truly value safety as a way of life, beyond just the workplace. Their vigilance and teamwork serve as an example to our organization and industry," said Peabody Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Eric Ford. In the past three years, Peabody employees and operations have earned more than 30 honors for safety and operational excellence. The company's Eaglefield Mine in Queensland, Australia, also completed 2011 with zero reportable incidents – the second year in which the operation achieved this distinction.

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in clean coal solutions. With 2011 sales of 227 Mt (251 million st) and $8 billion in revenues, Peabody fuels 10 percent of U.S. power and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.