Exhibit 31.1
 Certification
  1.
    
    I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Westmoreland
Coal Company;2.
    
    Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;3.
    
    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;4.
    
    The registrants other certifying officer and I are responsible
for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over
financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f))
for the registrant and have:
 a)
    
    Designed such disclosure controls and
procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be
designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information
relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
the period in which this report is being prepared;b)
    
    Designed such internal control over financial
reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to
be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles;c)
    
    Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants
disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our
conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on
such evaluation; andd)
    
    Disclosed in this report any change in the
registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred
during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants
fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
registrants internal control over financial reporting; and
 5.
    
    The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our
most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
 a)
    
    All significant deficiencies and material
weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
registrants ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
information; andb)
    
    Any fraud, whether or not material, that
involves management or other employees who have a significant role in
the registrants internal control over financial reporting.
 Date:      March 13, 2009
    /s/ Keith E. AlessiName:
    Keith E. AlessiTitle:
    Chief Executive Officer and President