Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
are expected to have a minor impact on air quality due to the remote nature of the
site, the limited number of vehicles, and the temporary nature of the activity.
Backup electric generator exhaust. Portable generators would be used for the
initial portal site and underground development work. An emergency generator
would be placed at the escape raise upon completion of that feature. Impacts of
emissions on the environment are expected to be negligible due to the remote
nature of the site and intermittent generator use.
Fuel and chemical storage and use. Fuels, explosives, and chemical storage
would comply with any applicable fuel storage and fuel dispensing air quality
regulations. Chemicals for water treatment and solvents used for
maintenance/parts cleaning would be kept in closed containers when not in use.
Mine Operation. Mine operation would consist of a number of activities that have the potential to
create air emissions and. These activities include:
Mobile equipment exhaust. To the extent possible, electrically powered tools
and equipment would be used for mining. Some mobile equipment powered by
gasoline or diesel fuel would be used, resulting in some combustion emissions.
Additionally, 50–60 ore trucks per day would be used to haul ore (1,000
tons/day) to an offsite processing facility. It is anticipated that mobile equipment
exhaust would not have a significant impact due to the remote nature of the
facility.
Fuel and chemical storage and use. Fuels, explosives, and chemical storage
would comply with any applicable fuel storage and fuel dispensing air quality
regulations. Chemicals for water treatment and solvents used for
maintenance/parts cleaning would be kept in closed containers when not in use.
Backup electric generator exhaust. An emergency generator would be placed at
the escape raise. Impacts of emissions on the environment are expected to be
negligible due to the remote nature of the site and intermittent generator use. As
such, these would be temporary emission sources for which there is expected to
be no impact.
Disturbed surface wind erosion, paved and unpaved fugitive road dust.
Approximately 183 acres of surface within Sections 9, 10, and 16 would have the
potential to be disturbed to create room for support facilities, waste rock
placement, ore and growth medium storage, equipment storage, vehicle parking,
and an escape raise. Two existing roadways are in the planning stages for
upgrades which include widening to 60 feet and gravel surfacing. These activities
would generate some amount of fugitive dust.
Transport of mineralized ore. Ore stockpiles would be sprayed with water to
minimize the amount of dust generated during loading operations. Water sprays
would be applied as necessary to moisten the ore and ore pad area. Ore transport
trucks would meet Federal and State standards for the transport of uranium ore,
including covering and labeling.
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 187