Environment

The Preferred Alternative (PA) route of the King Coal Highway will impact each county in individual and specific ways, but not to a great degree anywhere. Much of the highway will traverse rugged rural terrain. Forested land covers approximately 88 percent of the area.

One of the most significant areas of contact comes at the McDowell County Industrial Park (Indian Ridge Industrial Park). The primary potential environmental impacts involve the filling of some stream areas in the Tug Fork watershed and removal of potential roosting trees of the endangered Indiana Bat. Prior to constructing each phase, sediment control/stormwater retention structures will be constructed in the valleys below any proposed areas of disturbance. These will be permanent retention ponds to mitigate possible stream impact. The appropriate personnel in McDowell County have already conducted mist-netting for the Indiana Bat.

The impact on land use over the entire project area is shown in the table below, separated by the possible alternative routes. The Preferred Alternative (PA) is shown at the bottom of the table.