BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include accounts of Westmoreland Coal Company, or the Company, or Parent, and its subsidiaries and controlled entities. The Company’s current principal activities, all conducted within the United States, are the production and sale of coal from its mines in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and Texas, and the ownership of the Roanoke Valley power plants, or ROVA, in North Carolina. The Company’s activities are primarily conducted through wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company’s Kemmerer Mine is owned by its subsidiary Westmoreland Kemmerer, Inc., or Kemmerer. The Company’s Absaloka Mine is owned by its subsidiary Westmoreland Resources, Inc., or WRI. The right to mine coal at the Absaloka Mine has been subleased to an affiliated entity whose operations the Company controls. The Beulah, Jewett, Rosebud, and Savage Mines are owned through the Company’s subsidiary Westmoreland Mining LLC, or WML. The Company is subject to two major debt arrangements: (1) $99.0 million senior secured notes at WML that are collateralized by all assets of WML, Westmoreland Savage Corporation, or WSC, Western Energy Company, or WECO, and Dakota Westmoreland Corporation, or DWC, and (2) $252.0 million senior secured notes at the Parent level that are collateralized by the assets of the Parent, WRI, Kemmerer and ROVA. These quarterly consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, or the 2012 Form 10-K. The accounting principles followed by the Company are set forth in the Notes to the Company’s consolidated financial statements in its 2012 Form 10-K. Most of the descriptions of the accounting principles and other footnote disclosures previously made have been omitted in this report so long as the interim information presented is not misleading. The Company received business interruption insurance proceeds in the first quarter of 2013 due to an explosion and subsequent fire at a customer’s facility. The Company recognizes income as business interruption losses are incurred and reimbursement is virtually assured. The Company reports this income in Other operating income and has recognized $4.8 million of income in the first quarter of 2013. The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles and require use of management’s estimates. The financial information contained in this Form 10-Q is unaudited, but reflects all adjustments, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial information for the periods shown. Such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2013. Income Taxes The difference between the statutory income tax rate and the effective income tax rate is due to a change in the valuation allowance.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include accounts of Westmoreland Coal Company, or the Company, or Parent, and its subsidiaries and controlled entities. The Company’s current principal activities, all conducted within the United States, are the production and sale of coal from its mines in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and Texas, and the ownership of the Roanoke Valley power plants, or ROVA, in North Carolina. The Company’s activities are primarily conducted through wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company’s Kemmerer Mine is owned by its subsidiary Westmoreland Kemmerer, Inc., or Kemmerer. The Company’s Absaloka Mine is owned by its subsidiary Westmoreland Resources, Inc., or WRI. The right to mine coal at the Absaloka Mine has been subleased to an affiliated entity whose operations the Company controls. The Beulah, Jewett, Rosebud, and Savage Mines are owned through the Company’s subsidiary Westmoreland Mining LLC, or WML.

The Company is subject to two major debt arrangements: (1) $99.0 million senior secured notes at WML that are collateralized by all assets of WML, Westmoreland Savage Corporation, or WSC, Western Energy Company, or WECO, and Dakota Westmoreland Corporation, or DWC, and (2) $252.0 million senior secured notes at the Parent level that are collateralized by the assets of the Parent, WRI, Kemmerer and ROVA.

These quarterly consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, or the 2012 Form 10-K. The accounting principles followed by the Company are set forth in the Notes to the Company’s consolidated financial statements in its 2012 Form 10-K. Most of the descriptions of the accounting principles and other footnote disclosures previously made have been omitted in this report so long as the interim information presented is not misleading.

The Company received business interruption insurance proceeds in the first quarter of 2013 due to an explosion and subsequent fire at a customer’s facility. The Company recognizes income as business interruption losses are incurred and reimbursement is virtually assured. The Company reports this income in Other operating income and has recognized $4.8 million of income in the first quarter of 2013.

The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles and require use of management’s estimates. The financial information contained in this Form 10-Q is unaudited, but reflects all adjustments, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial information for the periods shown. Such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2013.

Income Taxes

The difference between the statutory income tax rate and the effective income tax rate is due to a change in the valuation allowance.