Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Construction employment is expected to draw largely from the local workforce in the greater
Grants area. This would result in a direct increase in employment of both skilled and unskilled
labor in area communities. The construction workforce would be expected to be filled by the
available labor supply. In 2010, McKinley County had an unemployment rate of 9.1 percent, its
highest rate since 2000. Cibola County’s 2010 unemployment was 7.3 percent. Both counties
have sizeable construction sectors.
Indirect and induced impacts during the development phase of the project would support an
additional 740 jobs in Cibola and McKinley Counties. Associated consumer spending in these
counties would increase during the construction phase. However, the indirect and induced jobs
supported are often relatively low-wage jobs such as fast food workers or convenience store
clerks. Increases in equipment manufacturing and health care jobs would provide wages similar to
those in the mining industry.
Development includes actual construction activity, such as labor, materials, and subcontractors, as
well as construction equipment rentals, engineering and project management, and commissioning
and spare parts, which would be procured by local vendors to the extent possible.
Population and Demographics
It is anticipated that the vast majority of the approximately construction workforce would be
drawn from the local workforce. These workers are expected to commute to the project area from
their residences, rather than relocate. Construction employees typically commute up to 2 hours
from their homes (Gilmore et al., 1982).
Thus, direct impacts to population in the analysis area would result from those employees likely
to relocate to the region; these employees would need to possess specialized skills and would
either relocate to the region temporarily or permanently, including staying in hotels/motels,
apartments, or purchasing a home. Population is expected to grow at least temporarily over the
duration of the construction phase, and Cibola and McKinley Counties would likely receive these
residents. Further, because of the considerable loss of construction jobs in surrounding
communities in recent years as a result of the current economic recession, there is a significant
pool of unemployed skilled construction labor in the region. Consequently, workers hired to
construct the project would likely be drawn from the existing workforce and not from a migratory
workforce from outside the ROI.
Housing
As previously noted, research indicates that construction workers are willing to commute up to 2
hours one way for a job (an average of 73 miles and maximum of 115 miles one way) (Gilmore et
al. 1982). As a result, most of the workers would be coming from the Grants area and its suburbs,
approximately 25 miles southwest of the project area.
Housing vacancy rates in the analysis area in 2010 averaged approximately 18 percent (table 61).
Considering the significant number of vacant housing units in the analysis area, and with most of
the construction workforce expected to commute to the project area rather than relocate, little or
no transient housing would be required in the project area or in the communities closest to the
project area. Those who relocate would have ample housing options in Cibola and McKinley
Counties. There would be minimal demands on the local housing supply.
292 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest