Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 1. Purpose of and Need for Action
1,968 acres, including 48 acres of haul roads, utility corridor, and mine dewater discharge
pipeline corridor outside of Sections 9, 10 and 16. There are 183 acres of disturbance within
Sections 9, 10 and 16, plus 35 acres outside those sections for a total disturbance area of 218
acres.
Figure 1. Jesus Mesa viewed from the south (Section 16) in the vicinity of the proposed
Roca Honda Mine
Additional surface disturbance associated with the mine haul roads is proposed for Sections 11,
17, and 20. The Cibola National Forest has decided to prepare an EIS to assess the development
of this uranium mining operation on the Mt. Taylor Ranger District.
Purpose of and Need for Action
The Federal action associated with the EIS is the Forest Service’s decision on whether or not to
approve the applicant’s proposed plan. The Forest Service need is to respond to the plan of
operations submitted by the applicant, and to decide whether to approve it as submitted, or to
require further mitigation measures needed to protect other nonmineral surface resources
consistent with the forest plan, Federal regulations, and other applicable laws. An additional
Forest Service need is to decide whether to approve a project-specific forest plan amendment that
would allow the applicant’s project to deviate from the 1985 forest plan standards of management
with regard to historic properties. The applicant has the right to exercise their rights under U.S.
mining laws to develop and remove the mineral resources as set forth by the General Mining Law
2 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest