Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
of blessings that move across the landscape following watercourses and people. Regarding Mt.
Taylor, the Pueblo stated “If [Mt. Taylor] is disturbed in ways that endanger its well-being, the
people’s personal and community ritual to protect their world, in turn, will be interrupted. Should
such an awful consequence occur because the exchange of blessings between Acoma Pueblo (the
center) and [Mt. Taylor] (the edge) becomes impeded, the world will change. If Acoma’s people
are unable to fulfill their sacred obligations as stewards, the world might experience upheaval”
(Anschuetz, 2012:56).
Acoma predicts that a fundamental injury would be inflicted upon Mt. Taylor because of the
proposed project. Because Acoma and its landscape are so inextricably linked, disturbances that
threaten the integrity of Mt. Taylor would also imperil Acoma’s traditional culture, cohesiveness,
and continuity. The long-term consequences that Acoma would suffer because of the proposed
project would be irreversible, and the loss of meaningful cultural relationships, without material
manifestations, could not be mitigated.
Pueblo of Laguna
General Concerns
The Pueblo of Laguna opposes uranium exploratory drilling and mining and believe these
activities would adversely affect Mt. Taylor. The pueblo recognizes that there are direct and
indirect impacts of uranium activity, that all actions are cumulative, and that no matter how small
the physical impacts are, the overall affects would be widespread. Impacts to specific locations
are believed to affect the whole of Mt. Taylor.
Protection of the water supply, both surface and groundwater, is a core issue and concern for the
pueblo. The contamination of groundwater is a major concern for the pueblo. This contamination
can transfer to the plants and animals and evergreens, rendering them unpure and unfit for
traditional use. Contamination and altering of the vegetation would make it unavailable to the
traditional practitioners.
Drilling and mining activities for uranium are considered by the pueblo to be a disturbance to the
mountain, and a desecration of the mountain. To desecrate Mt. Taylor is dangerous and could lead
to unforeseen problems, and ultimately extinction. The disturbance causes by drilling and/or
mining would stop religious leaders from the various kiva groups from using some of their areas
to collect herbs for healing. If an area becomes unusable due to impacts or contamination, the
practitioners would need to find new locations to do their collection.
Proposed Uranium Mine
The Pueblo of Laguna has determined that the proposed RHR mine would have direct, indirect,
and cumulative impacts on the Laguna cultural environment. Some long-term impacts expected
by the pueblo include the continued exclusion of Lagunas from their traditional landscape,
changes to the viewshed, ecosystem shifts, and compromises to the physical health and wellbeing
of animal, plant, and human life that come in contact with the uranium ore. Permanent
impacts include the destruction of archaeological sites, the removal of earth and water beneath
Mt. Taylor, disturbance of ancestral human remains, and the disrespect shown to the spirits and
beings that make Mt. Taylor of such irreplaceable value to the Laguna people.
Laguna views the opening of the RHR mine as adversely affecting the Mt. Taylor TCP and the
properties within it. Impacts anticipated to the mountain include excavation within the mountain,
346 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest