<PAGE>
Exhibit 24
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Arch Coal, Inc. - S-3 Registration Statement
Each of the undersigned directors and officers of Arch Coal, Inc., a
Delaware corporation ("Arch Coal"), do hereby constitute and appoint Robert G.
Jones and Rosemary L. Klein, or either one of them, the undersigned's true and
lawful attorneys and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution
in each, to execute, file and deliver a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (or
other appropriate form), together with any and all exhibits and other
documentation, with respect to an underwritten secondary public offering by
certain selling stockholders of shares of Arch Coal common stock, par value $.01
per share, in our name and on our behalf in our capacities as directors and/or
officers of Arch Coal as listed below, and to do any and all acts or things, in
our name and on our behalf in our capacities as directors and officers of Arch
Coal as listed below, which said attorneys and agents, or any of them or any
substitute, may deem necessary or advisable to enable Arch Coal to comply with
the Securities Act of 1933 and any rules, regulations and requirements of the
Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Registration Statement
(including without limitation executing, filing and delivering any amendments to
the Registration Statement, including any post-effective amendments effected
pursuant to Rule 462), as fully to all intent and purposes as the undersigned
might or could do in person; and each of the undersigned does hereby ratify and
confirm all that said attorneys and agents, or any of them or any substitute,
shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. This Power of Attorney may be
executed in any number of counterparts.
Witness the due execution hereof as of August 31, 2000.
/s/ Steven F. Leer President, Chief Executive Officer and
------------------------------ Director (Principal Executive Officer)
Steven F. Leer
/s/ John W. Lorson Controller and Chief Accounting Officer
------------------------------ (Principal Financing and Accounting
John W. Lorson Officer)
/s/ Philip W. Block Director
------------------------------
Phillip W. Block
/s/ James R. Boyd Director
------------------------------
James R. Boyd
/s/ Thomas L. Feazell Director
------------------------------
Thomas L. Feazell
/s/ Robert L. Hintz Director
------------------------------
Robert L. Hintz
/s/ Douglas H. Hunt Director
------------------------------
Douglas H. Hunt
<PAGE>
/s/ James L. Parker Director
------------------------------
James L. Parker
/s/ A. Michael Perry Director
------------------------------
A. Michael Perry
/s/ Theodore D. Sands Director
------------------------------
Theodore D. Sands
/s/ Ignacio Dominguez Urquijo Director
------------------------------
Ignacio Dominguez Urquijo