Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
If this EIS concludes that alternative 2 or alternative 3, or both, were to result in adverse effects to
historic properties on Forest Service lands, then selection by the Forest Service of that alternative
would be in conflict with these two standards of management for historic properties. Thus, the
Forest Service would approve a project-specific forest plan amendment to allow the Roca Honda
project to deviate from the forest plan standards of management with regard to historic properties
identified above. This amendment would only apply to the Roca Honda Mine project and only to
the standards of management with regard to historic properties. The amendment would allow
impacts to historic properties resulting from this project, in accordance with normally applicable
law, e.g., Section 106 of the NHPA and 36 CFR Part 800.
Mitigation Common to All Alternatives
The Forest Service also developed the following mitigation measures to be used as part of all of
the action alternatives. These mitigation measures complement and, to some extent, overlap with
draft commitments and measures submitted by RHR to the Forest Service and the State of New
Mexico regulatory and resource agencies in the draft mine operations plan, new mine permit
application (to MMD), and other documents. With regard to the Forest Service and RHR,
mitigation measures will not be finalized, and will not represent firm commitments, until the mine
operations plan is approved after the final EIS and record of decision are issued.
The list below is organized by resource topic in the following EIS.
Geology and Soils
• Implement best management practices (BMPs) for erosion control.
• Prepare and implement Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) in compliance
with EPA and State of New Mexico requirements.
• Implement soil control measures detailed in the mine reclamation plan.
• Examples of measures include using straw bales, wattles (fences of stakes interlaced with
twigs or branches), and silt fencing to minimize the transport and loss of soil from
erosion and storm runoff; installing sedimentation control structures prior to construction;
minimizing the area that must be disturbed; and conducting contemporaneous
reclamation during operations.
Water Resources
Surface Water
• Implement BMPs for storm water control.
• Prepare and implement SWPPP.
• Implement storm water controls as detailed in the mine operations plan.
• Implement storm water and erosion controls detailed in the reclamation plan.
• Examples of measures and controls committed to in the plans include installation and
implementation of runoff control devices (swales, ditches, fiber mats, and fiber rolls),
energy dissipaters, slope drains, sediment traps, evaporation ponds, diversion channels,
detention basins, stockpile slope construction, stockpile soil cover, and revegetation.
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 55