Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Transportation
Topic Alternative 1 – No Action
Transportation (cont.)
• Would have no impacts to visual
resources.
• No impacts to transportation
resources.
• Conditions would remain as
described under the
“Transportation Affected
Environment” section.
Alternative 2 – Proposed Action
(Two-shaft alternative)
line, and color:
- All exterior colors will be selected from a
list of colors approved by Forest Service.
- The combination of use of existing
vegetation, berming of soil wherever
possible, vegetation of exposed stockpiles,
and selection of appropriate use of color
schemes for the facilities will all aid in
mitigating impact to scenic values.
- At Section 10, scenic values will be
protected by utilizing the existing
vegetation as a visual break between the
facility and the public road.
• Magnitude of impacts to the permit area
would fit in with the Forest Service visual
quality objectives for the area. Therefore,
the magnitude of impacts would be minor.
• Largest impact would be from viewers on
Mt. Taylor.
• Overall impacts to visual resources would
be adverse but not significant.
• Cumulative impact on visual resources
would be medium term but impermanent
and adverse but not significantly adverse.
• Would have short and long term minor
effects to transportation.
• Short-term effects during mine
development and reclamation would be
due to the delivery of heavy equipment,
pipe, water treatment equipment and
supplies, as well as their removal during
reclamation activities.
• Long-term minor effects would be due to
Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
Alternative 3 – One-shaft
Alternative
Section 10 would not be impacted.
• Impacts to visual resources would be of
minor magnitude, medium term, of a small
extent, probable, and of moderate
uniqueness.
• Moderate uniqueness is due to the
proximity of the proposed mine to Mt.
Taylor.
• The small extent of the impacts is mainly
due to the small number of viewers; this is
especially because the facilities would not
been seen from any major roadways.
• Largest impact would be from viewers on
Mt. Taylor.
• Overall impacts to visual resources would
be adverse but not significant.
• Cumulative impact on visual resources
would be medium term but impermanent
and adverse but not significantly adverse.
• Impacts would be broadly similar to
alternative 2.
• Forest Service roads in Sections 9 and 10
would not be used.
• County Road 605 would be the arterial
roadway leading to the site and aggregate
access roads would be developed.
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 75