CLINE RECEIVES MSHA APPROVAL - Q4 COAL MINE PRODUCTION

TORONTO, Dec. 23 /CNW/ - Cline Mining Corporation (TSX: CMK) ("Cline" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the United States Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has approved a mining plan which permits the underground miners to drive into and mine coal from the Apache and Allen coal seams at Cline's New Elk Coal Mine located in Las Animas County, Colorado, U.S.A. The coal miners have already begun coal production in the Apache coal seam utilizing underground continuous mining methods. The mined coal will be loaded directly onto the recently installed high capacity conveyor system and transported to the surface coal stock pile, from where it will be fed into the newly completed 3 million tonne per year metallurgical coal processing plant.

With this approval from MSHA, Cline has achieved its targeted start-up of the New Elk Coal Mine in Q4 of 2010. Production will increase steadily over the next year, with the goal of reaching the rate of 3.0 million tonnes of coal per year by the end of 2011.

Confirmation drilling of 16 drill holes at the New Elk Coal Mine has detailed and confirmed high quality metallurgical steel-making coking coal in the coal seams. The in-seam coal qualities reported by SGS from the recent drill cores show the coal to be in the premium high-vol category in each of the seams to be mined over the next twenty years.

Cline's New Elk Coal Mine has a mineral resource estimate of 315 million tons of coal in-place (87.6 million tons Measured and 227.4 million tons Indicated) as detailed in a technical report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report of the New Elk Mine Project Los Animas County, Colorado, USA" prepared by Gary L. Skaggs, P.E., P.Eng. and Timothy Ross, P.E., of Agapito Associates, Inc. dated November 1, 2010 (effective March 13, 2010), available on SEDAR under Cline's profile and on Cline's website at www.clinemining.com.

About Cline: Cline has significant metallurgical coal property interests in British Columbia, Canada and in Colorado, U.S.A. with NI 43-101 compliant independent Technical Reports. Cline Mining Corporation is a mine development company focused on the exploration and development of metallurgical steel making coals in Canada and the U.S., iron ore in Madagascar and the Cline Lake Gold Mine Property in northern Ontario, Canada.

CLINE MINING CORPORATION
Ken Bates, President and Chief Executive Officer

Forward-Looking Information
This news release may contain forward-looking statements (including "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws), including the magnitude or quality of mineral deposits, the economic assessment and estimates regarding the mine life of the New Elk coal mine, and the timing and completion of financings. The timing of drilling and work recommended by the NI 43-101 Technical Report is based on current internal expectations, which may prove to be incorrect. Other risk factors are discussed under "Risk Factors" in Cline's Annual Information Form for its 2009 financial year end, and include management's ability to anticipate and manage risk factors. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are common to junior mineral exploration companies. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the Company's need for additional funding to continue its exploration efforts, changes in general economic, market and business conditions, and competition for, among other things, capital and skilled personnel. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable laws. Copies of the Company's public filings under applicable Canadian securities laws are available at www.sedar.com. The Company further cautions that information contained on, or accessible through, this website is current only as of the date of filing such information and may be superseded by subsequent events or filings.

Principal Offices:
Toronto Office: Brookfield Place, 181 Bay Street, 3^rd Floor, Clarkson Gordon Heritage Building, Toronto, ON, M5J 2T3
Vancouver Office: Suite 2950 -650 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 4N8

For further information:

Contacts: Ken Bates, President and CEO
Ernest Cleave, Vice-President and CFO
Office: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clinemining.com