Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Project decommissioning after closure of the mine in approximately 2 decades would result in the
opposite impact of project construction and operation, mainly that jobs would be eliminated,
increasing the potential for unemployment among project workers. Unemployment has negative
health impacts. It is associated with increased stress, depression, and anxiety, which are known
contributors to cardiovascular disease (Doyle et al. 2005).
There are a number of strategies that can be implemented to maximize the potential health
benefits of employment provision and minimize negative health impacts from project-caused
unemployment. These are:
• Development and implementation of hiring policies that ensure maximum recruitment of
local residents, especially Native American populations (considered an Environmental
Justice population group).
• Sourcing of local procurement for mine construction, operation and decommissioning
activities.
• Provision of training opportunities for local residents in advance of construction,
operation, and decommissioning to ensure that required skill sets are developed. Training
should be accessible to low-income population groups. Future job description
information should be shared with local education authorities to assist them in planning
for future training programs.
• Provision of comprehensive health insurance to all employees of the project, including
contract workers.
• A workers and employment open house should be held in advance of project construction
and operations. At this open house information should be presented on the estimated
number and types of workers that will be required for construction/operations. The
construction and operations contractor should explain the bidding and contracting process
that the project will use for selecting subcontractors.
• Support the collection of information on local skills and employment interests and focus
business opportunities on areas where the local community already has developed skills.
• Offer workshops to employees on money management techniques and planning for a
secure financial future.
Direct and indirect employment and income from the proposed action is also likely to lead to
increases in social pathologies (e.g., alcohol and drug abuse, assault, domestic violence, and
unintentional and intentional injuries); however, it is not possible to predict the size of the
effect—for example, the number of people that will turn to illegal drug use or the absolute
increase unintentional injuries. Regardless, it is important to consider mitigation efforts to help
reduce the magnitude of the impacts. Several strategies that should be considered to minimize
potential negative consequences are:
• Strict enforcement of company policies on alcohol and drug use, including a no-tolerance
policy for alcohol and drug use while working.
• Provision of information to all workers on community-based resources targeting
addictions.
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 417