Form 8-K

                          UNITED STATES
               SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                    Washington, D. C.  20549

                 PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
               THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

        Date of Report(Date of earliest event reported):
                        March 16, 1999


                    WESTMORELAND COAL COMPANY
                    -------------------------
     (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          DELAWARE                0-752             23-1128670
          --------                -----             ----------
(State or other jurisdiction  (Commission File  (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or            Number            Identification
organization)                                    No.)


2 North Cascade Avenue, 14th Floor, Colorado Springs, Colorado       80903
- --------------------------------------------------------------       -----
(Address of principal executive offices)                          (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number,
   including area code:                            719-442-2600
                                                   ------------

Item 5.     Other Events

     The  Company  announced  today  that its  affiliate  LG&E-Westmoreland  has
completed the sale of all of its  remaining  interest in its 79.6 MW natural gas
fired  cogeneration  project in  Rensselaer,  New York,  to Fulton  Cogeneration
Associates,  L.P., an affiliate of The Coastal  Corporation.  The Partnership is
50%  owned  by  Westmoreland   Energy,   Inc.,  a  wholly-owned   subsidiary  of
Westmoreland  Coal  Company,  and 50% owned by LG&E Power,  Inc.  Closing of the
transaction occurred simultaneously with yesterday's execution of the definitive
purchase  agreement.  Westmoreland's  projected  share of the net proceeds is in
excess of $33 million.


Item 7.     Financial Statements and Exhibits

         (c)

         No.         Description

         99.9        Press release dated March 16, 1999


                            SIGNATURE


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, thereunto duly authorized.


                            WESTMORELAND COAL COMPANY



Date: March 24, 1999                /s/ Robert J. Jaeger
                                    --------------------------
                                    By: Robert J. Jaeger
                                    Senior Vice President-Finance
                                  and Treasurer


EXHIBIT 99.9

                          ----------------------------
                                  Westmoreland
                          Sells Interest In Rensselaer
                              Cogeneration Project
                          ----------------------------

Colorado  Springs,  CO -- March  16,  1999 --  Westmoreland  Coal  Company  (OTC
Bulletin Board: WMCL) announced today that its affiliate  LG&E-Westmoreland (the
"Partnership")  has completed  the sale of all of its remaining  interest in its
79.6 MW natural  gas fired  cogeneration  project in  Rensselaer,  New York,  to
Fulton Cogeneration  Associates,  L.P., ("Fulton"),  an affiliate of The Coastal
Corporation.  The Partnership is 50% owned by Westmoreland Energy, Inc. ("WEI"),
a wholly-owned  subsidiary of Westmoreland  Coal Company,  and 50% owned by LG&E
Power, Inc. Closing of the transaction occurred  simultaneously with yesterday's
execution of the definitive purchase agreement.  Westmoreland's  projected share
of the net proceeds is in excess of $33 million.

"We are very pleased with the additional  value  Westmoreland  will realize from
this strategic sale," said Christopher K. Seglem,  Chairman,  President and CEO.
"We are always looking for ways to maximize the return to our  shareholders  and
this sale  provided a great  opportunity  to do so. WEI and LG&E Power are to be
congratulated  for developing  such an outstanding  project.  As promised to our
shareholders,  we are proceeding  with a tender to buy back close to one half of
our preferred shares for cash at a premium to market."

In June, 1998,  LG&E-Westmoreland  restructured  the Rensselaer  Project's power
purchase agreement with Niagara Mohawk Power Company ("NIMO") in return for cash
and a transitional  power purchase  agreement with NIMO.  After the  Partnership
paid debt  obligations  and satisfied  certain other  liabilities,  Westmoreland
received net cash proceeds of approximately  $30 million.  Thus,  Westmoreland's
total proceeds from the restructuring and subsequent sale of Rensselaer  Project
(which included the transitional power purchase agreement with NIMO) exceeds $63
million.

Westmoreland Coal Company,  headquartered in Colorado  Springs,  CO is currently
engaged in Powder River Basin coal mining, independent power production and coal
shipping and terminal facility operations.  Westmoreland owns interests in seven
domestic  independent  power  projects  through  its  wholly  owned  subsidiary,
Westmoreland Energy, Inc.


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           For further information contact Diane Jones (719) 442-2600