ISS Proxy Advisory Services and Glass Lewis & Co. Recommend Western Coal Shareholders Vote in Favour of the Arrangement Resolution with Walter Energy, Inc.

VANCOUVER, Feb. 22 /CNW/ --
VANCOUVER, Feb. 22 /CNW/ - Western Coal Corp. (TSX: WTN) (WTN.WT) and
(AIM: WTN) (the 'Company' or 'Western') announces today that ISS Proxy Advisory Services (formerly Riskmetrics) and Glass
Lewis & Co., leading independent providers of proxy research who
provide advice and voting recommendations to many larger financial
institutions, have each published a report recommending that their
subscribers vote 'FOR' the special resolution approving the arrangement
with Walter Energy, Inc. (previously announced December 3, 2010).

A special meeting of the Western shareholders to consider the
acquisition proposal will be held on March 8, 2011 at The Westin
Harbour Castle, 1 Harbour Square, Toronto, Ontario at 9:00 a.m.
(Eastern Time). All shareholders are encouraged to vote in person or by
proxy. Details on how to vote are contained in the information circular
made available to shareholders on February 4, 2011.

Completion of the proposed acquisition is conditional on approval by
Western shareholders and by the Supreme Court of British Columbia and
satisfaction of other customary conditions, including regulatory and
stock exchange approvals. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all
conditions precedent, it is currently anticipated that the proposed
acquisition will be completed on or about April 1, 2011.

Western has retained Georgeson Shareholder Communications Canada Inc. to
act as proxy solicitation agent and to respond to inquiries from
shareholders. Georgeson may be contacted by telephone at 1-866-717-7947
toll-free in North America, 1-781-575-2168 toll-free outside of North
America or by e-mail at askus@georgeson.com.  Further information on the acquisition proposal can also be found at www.westerncoal.com/walter_energy_news/

About Western Coal


Western Coal is a producer of high quality metallurgical coal from three
mines in northeast British Columbia (Canada), high quality
metallurgical coal and compliant thermal coal from four mines located
in West Virginia (USA), and high quality anthracite and metallurgical
coal in South Wales (UK). The Company is headquartered in Vancouver,
BC, Canada, and trades on the AIM and TSX stock exchanges under the
symbol 'WTN'. More information can be found at www.westerncoal.com

Forward-Looking Information


This release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve risks and uncertainties.  Such statements
relate to the Company's expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs. 
As a result, actual future events or results could differ materially
from those suggested by the forward-looking statements.  Readers are
referred to the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR.  Such risk
factors include, but are not limited to changes in commodity prices;
strengths of various economies; the effects of competition and pricing
pressures; the oversupply of, or lack of demand for, the Company's
products; currency and interest rate fluctuations; various events which
could disrupt the Company's construction schedule or operations; the
Company's ability to obtain additional funding on favourable terms, if
at all; and the Company's ability to anticipate and manage the
foregoing factors and risks.  Additionally, statements related to the
quantity or magnitude of coal deposits are deemed to be forward-looking
statements.  The reliability of such information is affected by, among
other things, uncertainties involving geology of coal deposits;
uncertainties of estimates of their size or composition; uncertainties
of projections related to costs of production; the possibilities in
delays in mining activities; changes in plans with respect to
exploration, development projects or capital expenditures; and various
other risks including those related to health, safety and environmental
matters.

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