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                            WESTMORELAND COAL COMPANY
                            -------------------------
                (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

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Westmoreland Stock To Be Traded On The American Stock Exchange

Colorado  Springs,  CO -- April  12,  1999 --  Westmoreland  Coal  Company  (OTC
Bulletin  Board:  WMCL)  announced today that its application to list its Common
Stock and Depositary  Shares on the American  Stock  Exchange  ("AMEX") has been
approved and trading is expected to begin on April 16,  1999.  Common Stock will
trade under the symbol,  WLB, and Depositary Shares will trade under the symbol,
WLB.pr.  Until trading begins on the AMEX,  Westmoreland shares will continue to
trade on the OTC Bulletin Board under the current symbols WMCL and WMCLP.

"We are  extremely  pleased  that  Westmoreland  has  quickly  and  successfully
relisted  its stock on a major  exchange  and will now trade on the AMEX",  said
Christopher K. Seglem, Chairman, President and CEO. "This represents yet another
significant step in our mission to restore and enhance  Westmoreland's  value to
its  shareholders.  We believe the AMEX's  auction format is  particularly  well
suited for this purpose. We look forward to our shareholders enjoying all of the
benefits associated with listing on such a prominent market."

Westmoreland  Coal Company,  headquartered  in Colorado  Springs,  Colorado,  is
currently  engaged in  western  coal  mining  through  its 80% owned  subsidiary
Westmoreland  Resources,  Inc.  and  independent  power  production  through its
wholly-owned  subsidiary  Westmoreland Energy, Inc. The Company also holds a 20%
interest in Dominion Terminal Associates,  a coal shipping and terminal facility
in Newport News, Virginia.

Certain  information  required  by the  Rules  of the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  ("SEC")
Westmoreland  Coal Company (the  "Company")  and the following  Directors of the
Company  may be deemed  to be  participants  in the  Company's  solicitation  of
proxies for its upcoming meeting of stockholders:  Pemberton Hutchinson, William
R. Klaus, Thomas W. Ostrander, Christopher K. Seglem, Edwin E. Tuttle, Robert E.
Killen and James W. Sight.  Employee participants may include Gregory M. Daniels
(Vice President Human Resources and President, Virginia Division of the Company)
Paul W. Durham (Assistant General Counsel and Assistant  Secretary),  Charles H.
Finkenstadt,  Jr.  (Corporate  Secretary),  R. Page  Henley,  Jr.  (Senior  Vice
President,  Acquisitions  and  Development  and  Government  Affairs,  President
Westmoreland  Coal Sales  Company),  Robert J. Jaeger  (Senior Vice President of
Finance  and  Treasurer),  Diane  S.  Jones  (Manager,  Business  Development  &
Corporate  Relations),  Larry W.  Mikkola  (Controller  of the  Company and Vice
President Westmoreland Resources), Christopher K. Seglem (Chairman of the Board,
President and Chief Executive  Officer),  and Theodore E. Worcester (Senior Vice
President of Law and Administration,  General Counsel and Assistant  Secretary).
Subsidiary Director  participants may include Clyde Joseph Presley and Ronald W.
Stucki.  Subsidiary  employee  participants  may include Edward J. Demeter (Vice
President  -  Distribution,   Westmoreland  Coal  Sales),  W.  Michael  Lepchitz
(President and General Counsel,  Westmoreland  Energy,  Inc.),  David W. Simpson
(President,  Westmoreland Resources,  Inc.) and Gregory S. Woods (Executive Vice
President,  Westmoreland Energy, Inc.). The above named individuals collectively
beneficially own approximately  1,536,078 shares, or approximately  21.0% of the
Company's outstanding common stock (excluding shares of common stock that may be
obtained upon conversion of the Company's  Depositary Shares).  Such individuals
also collectively  beneficially own approximately  48,650 Depositary  Shares, or
approximately 2.1% of the outstanding  Depositary Shares,  which are convertible
into 83,094 shares of the Company's  common stock.  For a description of certain
other  interests  of  the  foregoing  individuals,   please  see  the  Company's
preliminary proxy statement for the upcoming stockholders meeting filed with the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on  April  1,  1999.

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