Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
as there is little or no water on the site. However, firewood gathering takes place in the woodlands
on Sections 9 and 10.
The Roca Honda Mine in portions of Sections 9, 10, and 16 would be mined for uranium to
remove underground ore resources. After completion of the mining phase, the project site would
be reclaimed and restored as required by the Forest Service and the New Mexico Mining and
Minerals Division. Once reclaimed, the site would return to the same uses of the land that occur
at present. This would include open range cattle grazing, low density recreational uses such as
hunting, and wildlife value. Therefore, development of this site for a mine would not eliminate
the potential for long-term productivity of this land. As a result, no significant impacts to longterm
productivity are expected to occur from the proposed project.
Unavoidable Adverse Effects
Table 100 lists unavoidable adverse effects for each of the three alternatives considered in depth.
Table 100. Unavoidable adverse effects of the three alternatives considered
Resource
Area
Geology and
Soils
Surface Water
Resources
Groundwater
Resources
Alternative 1
– No Action
Alternative 2 – Proposed
Action (2 shafts)
- None - Disturbance of soils on 218 acres in
total.
- Not considered significantly adverse.
- None - Temporary increase in erosion due to
disturbed ground surface.
- Not considered significantly adverse.
- None - Pumping of nearly 80,000 AF of
groundwater from Westwater aquifer
and drawdown of the same that would
take centuries to recover.
- Would dry up Bridge Spring.
- Negligible but likely adverse impact
on Horace Spring.
- Aquifer drawdown considered
significantly adverse.
Air Quality - None - Negligible to minor impacts on air
quality from tailpipe emissions of
equipment and fugitive dust.
- Negligible impacts from radon
emissions.
- Not considered significantly adverse.
Alternative 3 – 1 Shaft
Option
- Disturbance of soils on 155 acres
in total.
- Not considered significantly
adverse.
- Same as alternative 2 but to a
smaller extent.
- Not considered significantly
adverse.
- Same as alternative 2.
- Same as alternative 2.
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 443