Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
designated recreation sites within Cibola National Forest are located at a distance of 7–13 miles.
Overall, the incremental effect on recreation of the proposed Roca Honda Mine in combination
with other existing and reasonably foreseeable actions would be adverse and minor in magnitude,
but not considered significant.
Environmental Justice and Protection of Children
Affected Environment
Executive Order 12898 “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations” (The White House, February 11, 1994), requires that
Federal agencies consider as a part of their action, any disproportionately high and adverse
human health or environmental effects to minority and low income populations. Agencies are
required to ensure that these potential effects are identified and addressed.
The goal of the executive order is to ensure that:
• All people are treated fairly with respect to the development and enforcement of
protective environmental laws, regulations, and policies;
• Potentially affected community residents are meaningfully involved in the decisions that
would affect their environment and/or their health.
The Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as: “the fair treatment and
meaningful involvement of all people regardless or race, color, national origin, or income with
respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations,
and policies.” The goal of “fair treatment” is not to shift risks among populations, but to identify
potential disproportionately high adverse impacts on minority and low-income communities and
identify alternatives to mitigate any adverse impacts. For purposes of assessing environmental
justice under NEPA, the CEQ defines a minority population as one in which the percentage of
minorities exceeds 50 percent or is substantially higher than the percentage of minorities in the
general population or other appropriate unit of geographic analysis (CEQ, 1997).
Executive Order (EO) 13045 “Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and
Safety Risks” (The White House, February 11, 1994) places a high priority on the identification
and assessment of environmental health and safety risks that may disproportionately affect
children. The EO requires that each agency “shall ensure that its policies, programs, activities,
and standards address disproportionate risks to children.” It considers that physiological and
social development of children makes them more sensitive than adults to adverse health and
safety risks and recognizes that children in minority, low-income, and indigenous populations are
more likely to be exposed to, and have increased health and safety risks from, environmental
contamination than the general population.
Since the uranium mine and operations would be contained in Cibola and McKinley Counties,
they represent the primary focus and region of influence (ROI) for any direct and indirect impacts
that may be associated with the implementation of the proposed action. For purposes of
comparison, the State of New Mexico is also defined as a geographic unit of analysis.
264 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest