Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.: Penn Ridge Has No Intention to Longwall Mine Underneath Historic Site

Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ: ARLP) today confirmed that its wholly-owned subsidiary Penn Ridge, LLC ("Penn Ridge”) has no intention to longwall mine under any part of a property identified as an endangered site by the National Trust for Historic Preservation ("National Trust”).

During a news conference held yesterday, Mr. Walter Gallas, regional director of the National Trust, claimed that the Isaac Manchester Farm, located near Avella, Pennsylvania, was endangered due to proposed longwall mining operations by Penn Ridge beneath the farm. On May 25, 2011, Mr. Gallas contacted Penn Ridge and was informed that the company has no plans to longwall mine beneath the 400-acre farm. In fact, Penn Ridge has not applied for a longwall permit to mine underneath any part of the farm and stands by its previous statement to Mr. Gallas that it has no plans to conduct longwall mining operations underneath the site.

About Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.

ARLP is a diversified producer and marketer of coal to major United States utilities and industrial users. ARLP, the nation's first publicly traded master limited partnership involved in the production and marketing of coal, is currently the fourth largest coal producer in the eastern United States with mining operations in the Illinois Basin, Northern Appalachian and Central Appalachian coal producing regions. ARLP operates nine mining complexes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and West Virginia and is also constructing a new mining complex in West Virginia. In addition, ARLP operates a coal loading terminal on the Ohio River at Mount Vernon, Indiana.

News, unit prices and additional information about ARLP, including filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are available at http://www.arlp.com. For more information, contact the investor relations department of ARLP at (918) 295-7674 or via e-mail at investorrelations@arlp.com.