*DEP Reaches Agreement in Principle** **With Alpha Natural Resources*

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has reached an agreement in principle with the state’s largest coal operator, Alpha Natural Resources, which filed for bankruptcy in August 2015. The $300 million-plus agreement, which remains subject to a number of contingencies, will pave the way for the bonding and reclaiming of all Alpha’s legacy liability sites in West Virginia, as well as Alpha’s continuing operations in West Virginia.