Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
The second health-related effect of legacy mining has to do with compensation for past exposure
and associated illness. Some people in the ROI feel that they have not been adequately
compensated for the adverse health effects associated with working in or living near uranium
mines. Government restitution, via the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), came
about in 1990 and is available for those miners who worked prior to 1971 as well as widows of
these miners and former residents downwind of uranium mines (USDOJ, 2011); however, some
have found that stringent government rules and bureaucracy make receiving compensation
difficult (Boulanger and Gorman, 2004). As well, some have argued that there is a shortcoming
in the number of illnesses recognized by RECA and that workers post-1971 should also be
eligible for compensation due to poor safety standards that persisted (Evers et al., 2009).
The final issue has to do with unreclaimed mining sites that may continue to affect health in the
ROI. There are many past mining and milling sites that have yet to be reclaimed in the ROI,
including 500 abandoned mines in Navajo Nation and 97 legacy mines and 5 mills in the Grants
Mining District. A number of assessment programs and plans have been initiated to reclaim the
land and rectify some of the environmental and health legacy issues due to uranium mining in the
area (USEPA, 2008; USEPA, 2011f); however, there is a feeling from some residents that the
cleanup effort has not gone quickly enough. Community consultations have also revealed that
there exists a lack of trust in government and in mining companies, and the feeling of being
‘trapped’ due to the inability to sell homes close to contaminated sites (Gunnell, 2012; Head-
Dylla et al., 2012).
Uranium mining, milling, and health impacts related to soil, air, and water contamination remain
an area of concern for residents and community leaders in the ROI. This is reflected in the 20
comments that were collected in the scoping period that outline health concerns around proposed
uranium developments (USFS, 2011b). These comments, along with both government and
community efforts to gain more information about the health impacts of uranium mining legacy
indicate that:
• uranium is very much on the minds of local residents;
• past uranium mining has raised interest in the ROI about the potential health impacts
associated with new mining activity; and
• therefore, despite improved safety regulations, proposed new mines may raise stress and
anxiety levels in the affected environment.
Legacy issues are explored more fully in the “Cumulative Impacts” section for “Human Health
and Safety” and in the “Legacy Issues” section.
Biomedical Health Outcomes
This section presents an overview of biomedical health outcomes and diseases experienced by the
population in the affected environment. Biomedical health refers to illnesses, diseases, injuries,
and other health states experienced by individuals. The indicators presented were selected
because of their potential to be impacted by the proposed action alternative. The linkages between
each health outcome and the proposed action alternative are outlined at the outset of each
subsection.
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 381