Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
A quantitative economic evaluation of revenues, expenditures, taxes, and income and costs of
public services and utilities from this project to Grants, Milan, Gallup, and other local towns was
not warranted because there would be few, if any, impacts to public services and utilities and,
therefore, no requirement to examine revenue sources to pay for them. Similarly, there were no
significant local costs anticipated to local government as a result of increased demands for
housing and associated infrastructure.
Implementation of the action alternatives and development of the proposed Roca Honda Mine
could have direct and indirect impacts to the local (counties) and State economies in terms of
employment, government revenues, personal income, business sales, and quality of life. Results
are expressed in terms of employment (annual average full- and part-time jobs); wages and
salaries (total payroll costs, including benefits); State and local taxes (indirect business taxes,
property income, social insurance, and personal income taxes); and total economic activity (total
value of production). All results are expressed in 2012 dollars.
Permitting
The period from 2009 to 2014 is assumed for the permitting phase. Costs are estimated at $18
million, or $3.6 million per year. An $18 million change in the environmental and other technical
consulting services sector would yield a $26 million impact on the local economy (table 57).
Employment and Income
Table 57. Overall economic impacts of permitting in Cibola
and McKinley Counties
Description Impact
Total Economic Activity $26,087,880
Total Wages and Salaries $11,814,124
Total Employment 340
Total Taxes $859,603
The permitting phase would support 262 direct jobs and an additional 78 indirect and inducted
jobs (table 58). The environmental and other technical consulting services sector would reap the
most benefits, accounting for about $9.6 million of the $11.8 million in income labor (wages and
salaries, including benefits). Wages and salaries represent total payments by industries to workers,
not take-home pay.
Table 58. Economic impacts of permitting in Cibola and McKinley Counties
Impact Type Employment* Wages and Salaries** Economic Activity
Direct Effect 262 $9,576,583 $18,631,869
Indirect Effect 27 $789,287 $2,394,576
Induced Effect 51 $1,449,253 $5,061,435
Total Effect 340 $11,814,124 $26,087,880
*Annual average full- and part-time jobs.
**Total payroll costs (including benefits).
290 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest