Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Resource
Area
Alternative 1
– No Action
Alternative 2 – Proposed
Action (2 shafts)
Vegetation - None - Would disturb 183 acres of
vegetation within Sections 9, 10, and
16, as well as 35 acres outside of these
sections along the pipeline route, haul
roads, and the utility corridor.
- Not considered significantly adverse.
Wildlife - None - Would disturb a total of 218 acres of
wildlife habitat, including 183 acres
within Sections 9, 10, and 16 and 35
acres outside of these sections, and a
number of species of wildlife, for a
period of approximately 2 decades.
- Not considered significantly adverse.
Sensitive,
Threatened,
and
Endangered
Species
- None - Possible adverse effects to State listed
bats and several other State listed
species, due to habitat disturbance,
noise, moving machinery, etc.
- Not considered significantly adverse.
Land Use - None - Would limit access to all of the
development and operations areas to
the extent necessary to protect public
safety and control the work space.
- Not considered significantly adverse.
Recreation - None - Would limit recreational access to to
all of the development and operations
areas to the extent necessary to protect
public safety and control the work
space.
- Not considered significantly adverse.
Environmental
Justice and
Protection of
Children
- None - Adverse mental health impacts of
moderate magnitude would occur to
tribal environmental justice
communities due to mine development
so close to spiritually significant Mt.
Taylor.
- Adverse cumulative effects would
occur related to environmental justice.
- Cumulative effects considered
significantly adverse.
Alternative 3 – 1 Shaft
Option
- Would disturb 120 acres of
vegetation mostly within Section 16,
as well as 35 acres along the
pipeline route, haul roads, and utility
corridor (155 acres in total).
- Not considered significantly
adverse.
- Would disturb a total of 155 acres,
including 120acres within Sections
9, 10, and 16, plus 35 acres outside
of these sections, and a number of
species of wildlife, on and near these
sites for a period of approximately 2
decades.
- Not considered significantly
adverse.
- Same as alternative 2.
- Would limit access to all of the
development and operations areas to
the extent necessary to protect public
safety and control the work space,
but on a smaller scale than
alternative 2.
- Not considered significantly
adverse.
- Would limit recreational access to
all of the development and
operations areas to the extent
necessary to protect public safety
and control the work space.
- Not considered significantly
adverse.
- Same as alternative 2.
444 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest