Alton Coal Mine is the first coal strip mine ever successfully permitted in Utah, consisting of a gorgeous 635.4 acres of private land in Alton, Utah (Kanab County.) The mine will produce 2 million tons of coal per year, or 6,410 tons per day, with a mine-life of approximately 3 years. After the mine-life is exhausted, Alton Coal Development, who is the investor for this project, will likely try to increase the mine to the surrounding, much larger parcel of BLM lands (as illustrated in map to the right.)

Trucks will transport coal from the mine 312 days per year, 24 hours/day, with a 42 ton payload per truck. The trucks will leave the site every nine-and-a-half minutes, which will amount to 153 trips per day. The proposed haul route for the trucks would depart Alton, Utah via Cistern Road, travel north along Historic US-89 through the Panguitch Historic District, west along State Road 20 to Interstate 15, where trucks would travel south to the Cedar City/Iron Springs area.The haul route encompasses 2 counties: Kanab and Garfield, both of which have overwhelmingly ranching and tourism-based economies that thrive on visitors who come to see Utah's majestic National Parks, which are concentrated in this area of the state. 

Coal Companies have been trying unsuccessfully to mine this area for decades, though the low-grade quality of it's coal is only suitable for Asian Rim Markets. 

Timeline:

1965	Federal coal leases acquired by Nevada Electric Investment Co (NEICO)
1980	Cecil Andrus (Secretary of the Interior) declared eastern portion of NEICO lease area unsuitable for surface mining/surface impacts.
1982-1987	Utah International, Inc (UII) submits a Mining and Reclamation Permit (MRP) to the Utah Division of Gas and Mining (UDOGM). The MRP is never approved and the project is shelved.
1990-1992	NEICO sells Alton coal leases to Gayland Coal, who is unable to start a project.
1993-1998	Ownership of the Alton Coal leases are reverted back to the Bureau of Land Management.
2004	Alton Coal, LLC starts approval process for Alton Coal Strip Mine.
2007	Public scoping comment period ended
October 19, 2009	Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining approved the MRP mining permit for the Alton Coal Strip Mine.
November 19, 2009	Environmental groups, including Utah Chapter of Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Natural Resources Defense Council filed a petition with UDOGM to stop the proposed strip mine.
August 3, 2010	Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining Upholds the Alton Coal Strip Mine MSR mining permit.