Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
Gaining access to the ore zones required dewatering of the mine, which began in the mid-1970s.
Mine water was treated prior to discharge. Approximately 675,085 tons of ore and 698,000 tons
of waste rock were mined from the Morrison Formation. Ore was shipped offsite for milling.
Waste rock from shaft sinking (shaft muck) and from mine development was placed in an onsite
waste rock pile (RGRC, 2012).
It is expected that operations at this mine will resume once more now that the uranium market is
more favorable.
Cebolleta Uranium Mine
Future Mine
Conventional Underground and Open Pit
This project is located in Cibola County. Neutron Energy submitted an application and sampling
and analysis plan to NM MMD in March 2012 for up to 84 holes that would be drilled on 14
acres of previously disturbed private land. Drilling using conventional truck-mounted rigs and
supporting equipment was to have begun in May 2012 and be completed within 8–10 weeks. The
purpose of the drilling is to determine whether enough uranium ore occurs to justify mine
development on this privately owned land (MMD, 2012a).
La Jara Mesa Uranium Mine
Future Mine
Conventional Underground
Over a period of 20 years, Laramide Resources proposes to tunnel two inclined adits (horizontal
or nearly horizontal passages) from under the west edge of La Jara Mesa, on the Cibola National
Forest approximately 10 miles northeast of Grants, to remove 40,000 tons of uranium ore for
testing and to begin development of a production mine. This project is located about 8 air miles
from the proposed Roca Honda Mine. Disturbance on the 16.4 acres would include improvements
to existing roads, construction of a new water pipeline and electric distribution line in the road
right-of-way, and an escape raise/air vent at the top of La Jara Mesa. If approved, this project
would operate concurrently with the Roca Honda Mine. A draft EIS on this proposal was released
to the public in June 2012 (USFS, 2009b; USFS, 2012a).
Uranium Exploration
Combined Uranium Exploratory Drilling Project
Future
There is a proposal to approve multiple plans of operation for exploratory drilling to determine
the extent of uranium deposits in several areas on the mesas surrounding Mt. Taylor, including
San Mateo Mesa and La Jara Mesa northeast of Grants. Cibola National Forest is currently
preparing the EIS for this exploratory drilling (USFS, 2012b).
86 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest