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SOCIOECONOMICS <br />National King Coal has a strong local hiring policy. The total employment at the King Coal Mine is <br />currently 33 people. The employment by National King Coal represents 100% of the employment in <br />the underground coal mining sector. Additionally, National King Coal is one of the largest employers <br />in La Plata County. <br />In 1998, the King Coal Mine paid approximately $2,500,000 in salaries to its <br />employees. The King Coal Mine pays substantial amounts in federal, state, and local <br />taxes. In 1998, the company paid approximately $331,794.00 in workmen's <br />compensation, $104,235.00 in federal royalties, $4,445 in private royalties, $42,482.00 <br />in reclamation taxes, $263,271.00 in excise tax for black lung benefits, $49,630.00 in <br />state severance taxes, and $30,167.00 in county property taxes. <br />In addition to the people employed at the mine, various coal -hauling contractors employ an <br />additional equivalent of 28 full-time jobs. The coal buyer pays the freight, which generates an <br />additional $2.8 million annually to "satellite industry" for this provided service. <br />IV. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION <br />CRITICAL ELEMENTS <br />1. Air Quality <br />Air quality will be diminished during loading of coal, and from truck traffic on-site and on the <br />county road. Colorado Department of Health and Environment Program has jurisdiction overall air <br />quality issues. Dust control measures as required by CDHEP will be implemented. <br />Signature of specialist: Loren Wickstrom 1-16-01 <br />2. Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) <br />The area is not located within an area designated as an ACEC by the San Juan/San Miguel Resource <br />Management Plan. <br />Signature of specialist: Penny K. Wu, 8/2/00 <br />3. Cultural Resources <br />National King Coal has conducted Class III, intensive surface inventory within their existing <br />operation area. No archaeological or historic sites or paleontological localities were located. The <br />frequency of site occurrences in this general area, based on adjacent inventory data, is low: one <br />historic stone foundation and three isolated prehistoric stone tools recorded within a 2 mile radius of <br />the project area. Low levels of subsidence have been observed within other coal mining areas <br />adjacent to the project area, however, they are not to the degree that they would impact surface <br />16 <br />