SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- America West Resources, Inc. (OTC:AWSR) (BULLETIN BOARD: AWSR) , a domestic coal producer with mining operations in Central Utah, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Hidden Splendor Resources, Inc. has successfully emerged from Chapter 11, effective December 22, 2008. Dan Baker, Chief Executive Officer of America West Resources, said, "Hidden Splendor's emergence from bankruptcy is the start of a new era for our Company. The reorganization allowed us to optimize our cost structure and take meaningful steps towards materially enhancing our mining processes. With plans to achieve even greater operational efficiencies and coal production growth through mine expansion initiatives, coupled with growing demand for our clean coal resources, the future of America West looks very promising." As previously announced, the Company has entered Coal Supply Contracts with a number of new customers over the past several months, collectively representing up to $40 million in potential revenues in 2009. About America West Resources, Inc. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, America West Resources, Inc. is an established domestic coal producer focused on the mining of clean and compliant (low-sulfur) coal and its sale primarily to U.S. utility companies for use in generating electricity. Since 2003, the Company has extracted over 1.4 million tons of coal from its owned and operated Horizon Coal Mine based in Central Utah. For more information, please visit http://www.americacoal.com/. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Please refer to the Company's Form 10-KSB and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for additional information regarding risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed from time to time in such SEC reports. Copies of these filings are available through the SEC's electronic data gathering analysis and retrieval system (EDGAR) at http://www.sec.gov/. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: ELITE FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP Dodi B. Handy, President & CEO For Media Inquiries: Tiffany Korkis or John Morrison, Managing Directors of Elite Media Group 407-585-1080 or via email at DATASOURCE: America West Resources, Inc. CONTACT: Tiffany Korkis or John Morrison, Managing Directors of Elite Media Group, +1-407-585-1080, , both for America West Resources, Inc. Web site: http://www.americacoal.com/

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