Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
and development of new wells; soil testing; and ongoing air sampling (Shuey and Ronca-Battista,
2007).
Conclusion
Uranium mining, milling, and health impacts related to soil, air, and water contamination remain
an area of concern for some residents in the study area. This is reflected in the 20 comments that
were collected in the scoping period that outline health concerns around proposed uranium
developments (USFS, 2011d), in the stakeholder interviews, and in the various ongoing
government and community studies examining the environmental and health impacts of uranium.
Although evidence pertaining to the actual physical health impacts of previous mining activities
on community members is inconclusive, it is likely that the mental health of residents in the ROI
is being affected by past, present, and the idea of future mining activities.
Stress and mental health are key components of overall health and well-being. Unmanaged stress
has physical health consequences that include weakened immune systems, weakened functioning
of the circulatory and metabolic systems, and increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and
Type 2 diabetes (Brunner and Marmot, 2006). Generally, higher socioeconomic status, strong
social and family supports, and healthy living environments are associated with less stress and
improved mental health. Industrial projects can improve stress levels through providing economic
and employment benefits. However, industrial projects can also increase stress by influencing
community structure and social support systems, aspects of the biophysical environment, and
anxiety levels related to perceived, potential, or actual contamination.
The stress and anxiety levels of residents in the ROI and, in turn, the mental, physical, and social
health effects of these feelings, are affected by both historical and present-day factors. These
factors include the known and the unknown health effects of uranium mining and the large
number of unreclaimed and contaminated mine sites within the area. As well, high levels of
poverty and the past reality and future possibility of a boom-bust cycle magnify the potential for
impacts to mental health in the ROI. Not only are the factors interactive; that is, they can heighten
stress and anxiety because they occur together, but the stress and anxiety related to these factors
are cumulative and may compound over time. While the interactive and cumulative nature of
legacy issues makes future outcomes of communities facing new resource development projects
difficult to predict, the complex nature of legacy issues also underscores the importance of
developing a deep understanding of these issues, and the need to mitigate stress and anxiety levels
associated with them when proposing new projects.
Overall, the likely cumulative impacts resulting from past, current, and future developments in
the ROI would be:
1. In-migration of workers not originally from the area;
2. Economic changes at the level of both individual residents and the local municipalities;
3. Potential exposure to environmental contaminants;
4. Exacerbation of mental health impacts related to perceived contamination;
5. Further mental health impacts to Native community members due to exploitation of land
and water resources;
432 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest