SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                SCHEDULE 13D

                 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                             (AMENDMENT NO. 8)



                              Arch Coal, Inc.
                             (Name of Issuer)

                                Common Stock
                       (Title of class of Securities)

                                 039380100
                              (CUSIP Number)

                             David L. Hausrath
                             Vice President and
                              General Counsel
                                Ashland Inc.
                        50 E. RiverCenter Boulevard
                                P.O. Box 391
                          Covington, KY 41012-0391
                               (859) 815-3333
               (Name, address and telephone number of person
             authorized to receive notices and communications)

                             February 22, 2001
          (Date of event which requires filing of this statement)


         If the filing person has previously  filed a statement on Schedule
13G to report the  acquisition  which is the subject of this  Schedule 13D,
and is filing this schedule  because of Rule  13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the
following box |_|.


Page 2 of 6 CUSIP No. 039380100 13D 1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS Ashland Inc. I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS 61-0122250 2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (a) [ ] N/A (b) [ ] 3 SEC USE ONLY 4 SOURCE OF FUNDS 00 (See Item 3) 5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) or 2(e) [ ] 6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Kentucky NUMBER OF 7 SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 0 BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY 8 SHARED VOTING POWER EACH 0 REPORTING PERSON WITH 9 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 0 10 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 0 11 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 0 12 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES [ ] 13 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11) 14 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON CO

Page 3 of 6 Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, D.C. 20549 Schedule 13D ITEM 1. SECURITY AND ISSUER Ashland Inc. ("Ashland") currently does not own any shares of common stock ("Common Stock"), par value $.01 per share, of Arch Coal, Inc. ("Arch Coal"). Arch Coal is a Delaware corporation with its principal executive offices located at City Place One, Suite 300, Creve Coeur, Missouri 63141. ITEM 2. IDENTITY AND BACKGROUND (a), (b) and (c) Ashland is a Kentucky corporation with its principal executive offices located at 50 E. RiverCenter Blvd., P. O. Box 391, Covington, Kentucky 41012-0391. Ashland is a diversified company with wholly owned operations in distribution, specialty chemicals, motor oil and car care products, and highway construction. Ashland also has a 38-percent equity interest in Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC. The executive officers and directors of Ashland and their principal occupations are shown on the attached Schedule I. The business address of each executive officer is shown on Schedule I. Each director's business address is Ashland Inc., c/o Office of the Secretary, 50 E. RiverCenter Boulevard, P. O. Box 391, Covington, KY 41012-0391. (d-e) During the last five years, neither Ashland nor any of the persons listed in Schedule I hereto, has been (i) convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and similar misdemeanors) or (ii) a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, Federal or state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws. (f) Each executive officer and director is a U.S. citizen. ITEM 3. SOURCE AND AMOUNT OF FUNDS OR OTHER CONSIDERATION Not applicable.

Page 4 of 6 ITEM 4. PURPOSE OF TRANSACTION On June 22, 1999, Ashland, as a shareholder of Arch Coal, announced that it had retained the investment banking firm of Goldman Sachs to help Ashland explore strategic alternatives for its investment in Arch Coal. On March 16, 2000, Ashland's board of directors declared a taxable distribution to its shareholders of approximately 17.4 million of its 22.1 million shares of Arch Coal Common Stock. On March 27, 2000, Ashland distributed these 17.4 million shares of Arch Coal Common Stock to its shareholders of record on March 24, 2000. Each share of Ashland Common Stock received 0.246097 shares of Arch Coal Common Stock. In addition, Ashland shareholders received $7.1875 per share for any fractional shares of Arch Coal Common Stock, which was determined to be the value of Arch Coal Common Stock on the record date. At that time, Ashland announced that it intended to dispose of its remaining 4.7 million shares of Arch Coal Common Stock in a transaction or transactions that qualify as a sale for federal income tax purposes by March 2001. On September 6, 2000, Arch Coal filed a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for the sale of 4,756,968 shares of Arch Coal Common Stock by Ashland in an underwritten public offering. These shares were sold on February 22, 2001 at a price of $19.00 per share, before underwriter's commission. ITEM 5. INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER I. ASHLAND (a) Ashland currently does not own any shares of Arch Coal Common Stock. (b) Not applicable. (c) Except as otherwise disclosed herein, neither Ashland nor the persons listed in Item 2 has effected any transaction relating to Arch Coal Common Stock within the last 60 days. (d) Not applicable. (e) On February 22, 2001, Ashland sold all of its remaining 4,756,968 shares of Arch Coal Common Stock, thereby ceasing to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of Arch Coal Common Stock. II. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF ASHLAND The beneficial ownership of the Common Stock of Arch Coal of Ashland's executive officers and directors is listed on Schedule II.

Page 5 of 6 ITEM 6. CONTRACTS, ARRANGEMENTS, UNDERSTANDINGS OR RELATIONSHIPS WITH RESPECT TO SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER Not applicable. ITEM 7. MATERIAL TO BE FILED AS EXHIBITS None.

Page 6 of 6 SIGNATURE After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. February 22, 2001 ----------------------------------------- (Date) /s/ David L. Hausrath ----------------------------------------- David L. Hausrath Vice President and General Counsel

Schedule I DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF ASHLAND INC. PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS AND BUSINESS ADDRESSES DIRECTORS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION* - ---------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Samuel C. Butler Partner of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Attorneys, New York, New York Frank C. Carlucci Chairman of the Board of The Carlyle Group, Washington, D.C. Paul W. Chellgren Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Ashland Inc., Covington, Kentucky Ernest H. Drew Former CEO of Westinghouse Industries and Technology Group James B. Farley Private Investor and Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, New York (now known as The MONY Group) Ralph E. Gomory President of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, New York, NY Bernadine P. Healy President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross, Washington, D.C. Mannie L. Jackson Majority owner and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Harlem Globetrotters, International Patrick F. Noonan Chairman of the Board of The Conservation Fund, Arlington, Virginia Jane C. Pfeiffer Management Consultant, Vero Beach, Florida William L. Rouse, Jr. Former Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Security Corporation Theodore M. Solso Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cummins Inc. * For business addresses, see Item 2.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS BUSINESS ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION - ------------------ ----------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Paul W. Chellgren P. O. Box 391 Chairman of the Board and Covington, KY 41012 Chief Executive Officer James R. Boyd P. O. Box 391 Senior Vice President Covington, KY 41012 and Group Operating Officer David J. D'Antoni P. O. Box 2219 Senior Vice President Columbus, OH 43216 and Group Operating Officer J. Marvin Quin P. O. Box 391 Senior Vice President Covington, KY 41012 and Chief Financial Officer James J. O'Brien P. O. Box 1400 Senior Vice President; Lexington, KY 40512 President, The Valvoline Company Charles F. Potts APAC, Inc. Senior Vice President; 3340 Peachtree Rd., NE President, APAC, Inc. Tower Place Atlanta, GA 30326 Kenneth L. Aulen P. O. Box 391 Administrative Vice Ashland, KY 41114 President; Controller Philip W. Block P. O. Box 391 Administrative Vice Covington, KY 41012 President J. Dan Lacy P. O. Box 391 Vice President Covington, KY 41012 David L. Hausrath P. O. Box 391 Vice President and Covington, KY 41012 General Counsel Richard P. Thomas P. O. Box 391 Vice President and Covington, KY 41012 Secretary Peter M. Bokach P. O. Box 2219 Vice President; Columbus, OH 43216 President of Ashland Distribution Company

James A. Duquin P. O. Box 2219 Vice President; Columbus, OH 43216 President of Ashland Specialty Chemical Company Lamar M. Chambers P. O. Box 391 Auditor Covington, KY 41012

SCHEDULE II Arch Coal Common Stock Transactions* and Ownership by Ashland Directors and Executive Officers Director of Ashland Total Ownership ----------------------------------------- ---------------------------- Samuel C. Butler 625 direct Frank C. Carlucci 626 direct Paul W. Chellgren (information included in Executive Officer's List) Ernest H. Drew 1,722 direct James B. Farley 98 joint with wife 492 direct Ralph E. Gomory 246 direct Bernadine P. Healy 917 direct Mannie L. Jackson 492 direct Patrick F. Noonan 492 direct Jane C. Pfeiffer 694 direct William L. Rouse 1,114 direct Theodore M. Solso 246 direct *There were no transactions relating to Arch Coal Common Stock effected by Ashland Directors and Executive Officers within the last 60 days.

Executive Officer of Ashland Total Ownership - ------------------------------- ------------------------------- Kenneth L. Aulen 2,547 direct Philip W. Block 500 (1) 900 direct Peter M. Bokach 59 (1) 676 direct James R. Boyd 52 (1) 1,045 joint with wife 32,647 direct Lamar M. Chambers 731 (1) 225 direct Paul W. Chellgren 20,402 direct 39 (1) David J. D'Antoni 1,545 (1) 123 custodian for son 1,577 direct James A. Duquin 456 direct David L. Hausrath 858 (1) J. Daniel Lacy 962 (1) James J. O'Brien 61 (1) 324 direct Charles F. Potts 424 (1) 331 direct J. Marvin Quin 24 (1) 7,071 direct Richard P. Thomas 915 (1) 386 direct (1) Shares held in Ashland's Employee Savings Plan as of January 30, 2001.