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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2000

NMA PRESENTS CHAIRMAN'S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MINING EDUCATION

LAS VEGAS, N.V. -- Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, RAG American Coal-Pennsylvania Operations, ESRI, and the Kentucky Coal Association were awarded National Mining Association's 2000 Chairman's Awards for Excellence in Mining Education at an awards luncheon held in conjunction with NMA's MINExpo INTERNATIONAL 2000®.

This year's winners, representing each of the four categories: hardrock mining, coal mining, manufacturers and services, and state associations categories, were presented the awards by NMA Chairman Steven F. Leer, President & CEO, Arch Coal, Inc.

Mining companies have strengthened their ties with local schools in recent years with the launching of NMA's adopt-a-school program and development of the Classroom Speaker Go-Kit. Today's mining companies are giving classroom presentations, hosting school group mine tours, and providing age-appropriate mineral education materials to schools and community groups. NMA's Chairman's Award for Excellence in Mining Education was created in 1997 to recognize these outstanding efforts to educate our nation's students about the importance of the mining industry.

The hardrock winner is Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, which has made a long-term commitment to education in Cleveland and in its mining communities in Upper Michigan and Minnesota. The company is also a strong supporter of many national mining education programs. Cleveland-Cliffs sponsors several educational initiatives such as a "Day of Excellence" for straight "A" students, a week-long "Adventures in Mines and Minds" designed to promote the study of math, science and business among high school juniors and seniors, a new classroom at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Minnesota where mining and geology can be taught, and a wetlands mitigation project at Empire Mine in Michigan that has been turned into an outdoor environmental classroom for area schools.

RAG American Coal-Pennsylvania Operations will receive the coal award. The company has been a leader in the Greene County School to Work Partnership, "Educator in the Workplace," "Co-op Experience" and "Job Shadowing" programs for county educators and students. The innovative and comprehensive community program begins with in-school presentations using NMA's Classroom Speaker Go-Kit and career information. Employees also have a role in the Greene County Career Awareness Day with all 8th and 11th grade students in the county attending.

Winning the manufacturers and services trophy this year is ESRI, which develops geographic information system (GIS) software and maintains quality educational programs in K-12, community college and university fields. Earth sciences and mining technology are key components within these programs. ESRI staff demonstrate these concepts at teacher conferences, in the classroom, and provide software for in-class learning. The company developed the software and materials for the GLOBE Program, which includes the free distribution and tailoring of mapping tools, GIS data and classroom activity kits to GLOBE program leaders, K-12 teachers and students in the program.

The Kentucky Coal Association is the state associations winner. Its broadly-based education program includes the development of a multimedia coal education kit available in every public school and county library in the state, as well as a comprehensive web-based coal information site. In addition to publishing the Kentucky Coal Facts pocket guide every two years, the association has developed a book aimed at middle school children, Mining in the 21st Century-The Cutting Edge, which will be distributed to all public school libraries and public libraries in Kentucky this month.

The U.S. mining industry produces coal, metals, building materials, and many other essential minerals that define the daily lives of 267 million Americans. The mining industry generates over $500 billion in total economic benefit each year and helps to sustain nearly 5 million U.S. jobs.