EXHIBIT 24

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS: That each of the undersigned directors and
the undersigned Director/Officer of ARCH COAL, INC., a Delaware corporation
("Arch Coal"), hereby constitutes and appoints Steven F. Leer, and Robert G.
Jones, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agent, with
full power to act without the other, to sign Arch Coal's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002, to be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission under the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended; to file such Annual Report and the exhibits thereto and any and all
other documents in connection therewith, including without limitation amendments
thereto, with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and to do and perform any
and all other acts and things requisite and necessary to be done in connection
with the foregoing as fully as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying
and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

DATED:  February 20, 2003

/s/ STEVEN F. LEER
------------------------        President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Steven F. Leer

/s/ JAMES R. BOYD
-----------------------         Chairman of the Board and Director
James R. Boyd

/s/ FRANK M. BURKE
-----------------------         Director
Frank M. Burke

/s/ DOUGLAS H. HUNT
-----------------------         Director
Douglas H. Hunt

/s/ JAMES L. PARKER
-----------------------         Director
James L. Parker

/s/ A. MICHAEL PERRY
-----------------------         Director
A. Michael Perry

/s/ ROBERT G. POTTER
-----------------------         Director
Robert G. Potter

/s/ THEODORE D. SANDS
-----------------------         Director
Theodore D. Sands