SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                        ----------------------------

                                  FORM 8-K

                               CURRENT REPORT

                    Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                        Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Date of Report(Date of earliest event reported): December 18, 2002
                                                 (December 18, 2002)

                              Arch Coal, Inc.
          (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         Delaware                      1-13105                 43-0921172
(State or other jurisdiction     (Commission File Number)   (I.R.S. Employer
    of incorporation)                                       Identification No.)


                One CityPlace Drive, Suite 300, St. Louis, Missouri 63141
                  (Address of principal executive offices)        (Zip code)


           Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (314) 994-2700














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                     Exhibit Index begins on page 4.
    




Item 5. Other  Events.

     On December 18, 2002, Arch Coal, Inc. (the "Company"),  announced via press
release that Mr. John W. Eaves was elected  Executive  Vice  President and Chief
Operating  Officer of the  Company.  A copy of the  Company's  press  release is
attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.


Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

     (c) The following Exhibit is filed with this Current Report on Form 8-K:

       Exhibit No.               Description
          99                        Press Release dated as of December 18, 2002




























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                                SIGNATURES

                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated:  December 18, 2002                 ARCH COAL, INC.



                                          By: /s/ Robert G. Jones
                                              Robert G. Jones
                                              Vice President - Law,
                                                General Counsel and Secretary































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                              EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.                 Description

   99                       Press Release dated as of December 18, 2002





































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                                                                      Exhibit 99
News from
Arch Coal, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

                                                      Kim Link, External Affairs
                                                                  (314) 994-2936

                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                               December 18, 2002

Eaves Elected Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of
   Arch Coal, Inc.

     St. Louis - Arch Coal,  Inc.  (NYSE:ACI)  today announced that its board of
directors had elected John W. Eaves executive vice president and chief operating
officer of the  corporation,  effective  immediately.  Eaves previously held the
position of senior vice president of marketing for Arch Coal.

     "We are pleased that John has accepted this new role," said Steven F. Leer,
Arch Coal's president and chief executive officer.  "In this new position,  John
will  have  responsibility  for  all  the  company's  operating,  marketing  and
transportation   activities.   By  integrating   these  functions  under  John's
direction,  we are taking yet another  step in our ongoing  efforts to transform
Arch into a truly market-driven organization."

     Kenneth G. Woodring,  executive vice  president of mining  operations,  and
Brad M. Allbritten,  vice president of marketing,  will report to Eaves, and all
three will continue to be part of the senior  management  team  responsible  for
Arch's overall policies and strategies.

     Eaves   joined  the   corporation   in  1987   after   serving  in  various
marketing-related  positions at Diamond  Shamrock  Coal Company and Natomas Coal
Company.  In 1997,  he was elected vice  president of marketing and president of
Arch Coal Sales, the company's marketing subsidiary,  and in 2000 he was elected
senior vice president of marketing.

     A native of Greenville, Kentucky, Eaves earned a BBA from the University of
Kentucky.  He is a  graduate  of the  Executive  Management  Program  at Wharton
Business School and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

     Arch Coal is the nation's  second  largest coal  producer  with  subsidiary
operations in West Virginia,  Kentucky,  Virginia,  Wyoming,  Colorado and Utah.
Through these  operations,  Arch Coal provides the fuel for  approximately 6% of
the electricity generated in the United States.