Exhibit 99


                                                              News Release
[The Beard Company Logo]

    THE BEARD COMPANY                                 Herb Mee, Jr., President
        Enterprise Plaza, Suite 320
                 5600 North May Avenue
       Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
      (405) 842-2333    OTCBB:  BRCO

                                THE BEARD COMPANY
                   ADVISES THAT TENTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
                     HAS AFFIRMED THE COURT ORDER APPROVING
                           THE McELMO DOME SETTLEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Thursday, January 9, 2003

     Oklahoma City,  Oklahoma --- The Beard Company  (OTCBB:BRCO) today reported
that on December 24, 2002,  the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an Opinion
affirming the May 6, 2002 decision of Judge Weinshienk of the Colorado  District
Court which approved the Settlement, the allocation thereof, attorneys' fees and
other matters.  The Circuit Court carefully considered and fully reviewed all of
the Objectors' arguments and affirmed the District Court's judgment.

     The  11  parties   ("Objectors")  who  objected  to  the  Settlement,   who
collectively  are  entitled  to receive  $106,500 or  two-tenths  of one percent
(0.2%)  of the $51  million  cash  settlement  ("Settlement"),  had 14 days from
December 24 in which to ask the Court to rehear the  appeal,  but elected not to
do so. The  Objectors  have until March 24, 2003 to  petition  the U.S.  Supreme
Court for review.  The U.S.  Supreme  Court takes very few cases and our counsel
think it is  unlikely  that court  would  have any  interest  in this case.  Our
counsel  also  believe the  Objectors  will be  reluctant  to continue to appeal
particularly  considering  their exposure to appeal costs which could be as high
as $1.5 million based on Plaintiffs' cost claims alone.

     If no petition to the U.S.  Supreme Court is filed,  the Settlement will be
final in late March 2003, meaning the distribution of Settlement funds can begin
at that time according to the terms of the Settlement Agreement.

     Herb Mee, Jr.,  President of the Company,  stated:  "Because the Settlement
funds are accruing  interest at 8% from August 21, 2001 until the final payment,
we presently  estimate  that the  Company's  share  thereof will be in excess of
$3.75  million.  Nearly all of such funds will flow to the bottom  line with the
exception of an estimated 2% which will go for Federal  alternative minimum tax.
Release of the Settlement will dramatically  improve the Company's liquidity and
all of its balance sheet ratios."

     The Beard Company's  common stock is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under
the  symbol:  BRCO.  Its  operations  consist  principally  of coal  reclamation
activities,  carbon dioxide (CO2) gas production, the construction of composting
plants in China,  and its e-commerce  activities  related to the  development of
starpay(TM)'s patent-pending payment system for use on the Internet.

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