The EIS will review Alton Coal Development LLC's application for a federal coal lease on 3,851 acres of public and private land about three miles south of the Kane County town of Alton and about 10 miles west of Bryce Canyon National Park.
BLM specialists will use input from the meetings to shape the environmental study.
"The public needs to be involved in the process as early as possible so we can be aware of and address all concerns with the proposal," said Rex Smart, manager of the BLM's Kanab Field Office.
"We have already identified several issues . . . but we still need to hear from the public about their issues."
Smart said the EIS will address the potential impacts of the surface mine to nearby homes as well as city and county facilities, the possible health effects from blasting to remove the coal and an overlying layer of rock, and potential impacts on livestock grazing, big game herds and hunting.
Alton Coal Development LLC estimates the surface mine would create about 50 jobs and yield about 2 million tons of coal annually. Each weekday, about 190 truckloads of coal would be hauled from the mine site north on U.S. Highway 89 to State Route 20 and then down Interstate 15 to a coal loadout facility west of Cedar City.
Since June, the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining has been processing a parallel application to start the strip mine on 440 acres of private land.
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance already has expressed reservations about the proposed project because of its proximity to Bryce Canyon.
Project documents are available for public review weekdays (except holidays) at the Kanab Field Office, 318 N. 100 East, Kanab, 84741.
Written comments may be mailed to Keith Rigtrup at the Field Office, faxed to him at 435-644-4620 or e-mailed to UT_Kanab_Altoncoal@blm.gov.
