Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
In Cibola County, death rates attributable to alcohol are almost three times higher than the U.S.,
and in McKinley County this figure is over four times the national rate. In the event of an
accident, hazardous contaminants may be released; however, exposure to uranium or other
radioactive substances would unlikely affect the health of individuals within the vicinity, since
handling and storage of hazardous substances would follow guidance and preventative measures
from the onsite material safety data sheets (MSDS) and the RHR site safety officer instructions. A
spill prevention, control and countermeasures (SPCC) plan would be developed before
development of the mining facilities begins. The SPCC Plan would be used to train workers and
employees on handling hazardous substances, prevention of spills, cleaning up spills, emergency
or accidental releases, and the notifications and reporting requirements.
Recreation
Nearby recreational and cultural activities are available in the Mt. Taylor Ranger District within
the Cibola National Forest. The forest includes the Zuni Mountains west of Grants and the San
Mateo Mountains and Mt. Taylor, about 24 km (15 miles) east-northeast of Grants. Dispersed
recreation on the forest includes such activities as hiking, backpacking, picnicking, hunting,
fishing, gathering forest products, bird watching, water skiing, off-road vehicle travel, swimming,
and sightseeing. Winter sports include cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Several golf
courses are popular in the area, including the Zuni Mountain Golf Course facility in Milan and
the Coyote del Malpais Golf Course in Grants (Golf Link, 2012a and 2012b).
Safety risks associated with the mining operations could hypothetically affect area recreationists;
however, these risks would be mitigated by safety measures mandated by the land managing
agencies such as the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and the
Forest Service, as well as Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Access to the mine
area will be controlled during mining operations to protect the public from possible injury due to
operating conditions such as heavy equipment and truck traffic and other operations that have the
potential to cause injury to untrained personnel. All personnel entering the site will be checked in,
and will be allowed access to the administration building only with a company escort.
Hospitals and Public Health Facilities
Cibola General Hospital is a 25-bed general medical and surgical hospital in Grants accredited by
the Joint Commission (JC). Survey data for the latest year available shows that 9,621 patients
visited the hospital’s emergency room. The hospital had a total of 873 admissions in a recent year
(AHA, 2012). Onsite services include general surgery, 24-hour emergency care, intensive care
nursing, internal medicine, obstetrics, pathology, pediatric dentistry, podiatry, primary care, and
radiology. Time delays and traffic are not anticipated and, therefore, access would not be
restricted in the case of a serious accident; however, as discussed in “Human Health and Safety,”
health care services in Cibola and McKinley Counties are listed as health professional shortage
areas, or as having limited capacity to handle health care emergencies or increases in service
demand (see “Human Health and Safety – Health Effects Stemming from Workforce Migration”).
Basin Home Health, Inc., is a home health care service based in Grants, NM. It provides services
to individuals and families on an intermittent basis in their place of residence. The purpose is to
promote, maintain, restore, or minimize the effects of illness and disability by achieving maximal
rehabilitation with the least possible disruption of the daily pattern, thus enhancing life and living.
(Basin Coordinated, 2012).
274 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest