Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Most of Section 16 is covered by a Celavar-Atarque complex (305), with roughly 50 percent
Celavar soils, 35 percent Atarque, and 15 percent other minor components. Depth to bedrock for
Celavar soils in this area ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to bedrock for Atarque soils ranges
from 10 to 20 inches. These soils are well drained and have sandy clay loam and clay-loam
textures. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent and topsoil suitability is rated “poor” to “fair” due to
shallow depth to bedrock.
Two long, narrow bands of Penistaja-Tintero complex (205) soils run north-south through Section
16. Approximately 45 percent of this complex consists of Penistaja and similar soils, while 40
percent is Tintero and similar soils, and 15 percent other minor soil components. Depth to
bedrock for both Penistaja and Tintero soils is 60 inches or more. These soils are in well drained
to excessively well drained areas on 1–10 percent slopes and topsoil suitability is rated “good”
(RHR, 2009d).
Hagerwest-Bond fine sandy loams (220) occur in two areas of Section 16. Approximately 50
percent of these areas is Hagerwest and similar soils, 35 percent Bond and similar, and 15 percent
minor components. Depth to bedrock for Hagerwest soils in this area ranges from 20 to 40 inches,
and for the Bond soils, from 10 to 20 inches. Both soils have textures of fine sandy loam, sandy
loam, and sandy clay loam. Slopes are from 1 to 8 percent and topsoil suitability is rated “poor”
to “fair” due to shallow depth to bedrock and the presence of rock fragments.
Mido loamy fine sand (353) covers about 90 percent of the northwest portion of Section 16 while
10 percent consists of other minor components. Depth to bedrock for this soil is 60 inches or
more; it is excessively well drained and occurs on 1–6 percent slopes. NRCS rates topsoil
suitability as “poor” due to excessive sandiness (RHR, 2009d).
The northwest part of Section 16 also contains the Sparank-San Mateo-Zia complex (230). This
complex is approximately 40 percent Sparank, 35 percent San Mateo, 20 percent Zia, and 5
percent other minor soil components. Depth to bedrock for this soil complex is more than 60
inches, and soils are well drained to excessively well drained. Soil textures range from silty clay
loam, clay loam, sandy loam, to fine sandy loam. This complex is on gentle 0–3 percent slopes
but topsoil suitability is rated “poor” to “fair” due to high sodium and/or clay content.
Environmental Consequences
Alternative 1
Under the no action alternative, there would be no disturbance of the surface topography and soils
from clearing and construction on Sections 9, 10, and 16. No mining would take place, so there
would be no excavation within the Westwater Canyon Formation, no extraction of uranium ore,
and no backfilling of excavated spaces and rooms.
In sum, alternative 1 would have essentially no impacts on geology and soils at the RHR permit
site.
Effects and Mitigation Measures Common to the Action Alternatives
It is not possible to specify exactly how much uranium ore would be mined from the Roca Honda
Mine. Nevertheless, under both alternative 2 and alternative 3, some 4 million tons of uranium
ore, more or less, containing about 18 million pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8), could be mined
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 107