Western Canadian Coal Receives Brule Mine Environmental Assessment Certificate

Western Canadian Coal Corp. (TSX: WTN & WTN.DB and AIM: WTN) (the ”Company” or ”WCCC”) is pleased to announce that it has received an Environmental Assessment (EA) Certificate from the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office for the Brule Mine Project. This approval-in-principle paves the way for WCCC to produce up to 2.0 million tonnes per annum (Mt/a) of Pulverized Coal Injection (PCI) coal from the Brule Mine on the Burnt River Property, and approves future development of a new coal rail load-out at Falling Creek Flats in the Pine River Valley, along with associated roads and power lines.

The Company will make a determination as to whether to proceed with plans to initially develop and operate the Brule Mine Project in a manner similar to the operation at the Dillon Mine, if the Company is satisfied that PCI coal prices and transportation costs will support the development of the project and the necessary permits are obtained. On this basis the Company estimates that, with minimal additional capital, production at the Brule Mine could be up to 1.0 Mt/a. Work is being completed on identifying areas of high quality coal that can be accessed by a low stripping ratio and could be mined and processed using the existing Dillon Mine plant facilities. This would enable the Brule mine project to provide a continuity of production from the Burnt River properties following the depletion of the Dillon Mine reserves in late 2006.

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.

For further information, please contact:

Western Canadian Coal Corp. Gary K. Livingstone, President & CEO Phone: 604-608-2692 Fax: 604-629-0075 www.westerncoal.com NEMI Northern Energy & Mining Inc. P.C. Devlin, President and Chairman Phone: 604-689-0277 Fax: 604-688-5210

www.nemi-energy.com