Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
• Providing access to STD testing for workers; this could mean partnering with public
health centers to increase availability of STD testing;
• Providing condoms to workers, particularly to employees who travel frequently;
• Workers should receive awareness training on appropriate, respectful behaviour in small
rural communities;
Workforce migration into an area also has potential to increase rates of infectious respiratory
disease through overcrowding associated with high demand for limited housing availability.
Crowded housing conditions are associated with an increase in the incidence of infectious
respiratory diseases such as influenza, pertussis, and tuberculosis. In addition to increasing the
risk of respiratory disease transmission, crowded housing is also associated with increases in
mental health problems and domestic abuse and violence.
Health impacts stemming from housing depends highly on housing conditions and housing
availability. Housing vacancy rates in the ROI are estimated to be 29 percent (see
“Socioeconomics” section), meaning that there is likely sufficient housing available for those inmigrating
workers looking for permanent relocation during operations phase. It is unknown,
however, how much temporary housing is available to accommodate any workers relocating for
construction, although the number of workers migrating into the area for construction is expected
to be small. Impacts to infectious disease from housing shortages can be mitigated by:
• Performing a needs assessment for housing in advance of project construction and
operations;
• Ensuring there is adequate housing for families in the project area;
• Partnering with local housing authorities to plan for adequate low-income housing
options for workers.
Impacts to Capacity of Local Health Care Services
Resource development projects around the world have demonstrated the potential for causing an
increased demand on local health care and social services. Impacts on the capacity of local health
care services may be felt due to any or all of the following three factors:
1. growth in the population leading to additional demand for health care services;
2. workplace injuries and accidents causing injuries and trauma that require treatment;
3. project-related increases in disease and injury (as described in this and other sections)
leading to addition need for services.
In the project area there is a limited ability to absorb an increase in demand for health care
services. All health care facilities located in Cibola and McKinley Counties are listed as health
professional shortage areas (USDHHS, 2012). During stakeholder consultation, it was confirmed
that there is an extreme shortage of health care workers in the project area (Gunnell, 2012). It was
also noted that approximately half the positions available at medical facilities are not being filled
due to funding shortages and that Indian Health Services hospitals are funded at less than 50
percent of the required need. Key informants have confirmed that increasing usage rates of
medical services would negatively impact the ability to deliver services to the current population.
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 421