Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

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Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action Figure 22. Bottom of same unnamed arroyo originally intended for water discharge Here, the term “rinse” refers broadly to various water–rock interactions that could result in transfer of potential legacy contaminants from the solid phase to the dissolved phase. Dissolved solids discharged in mine water from legacy operations may have been sequestered into the sediments and alluvium of San Mateo Creek though mechanisms such as adsorption of dissolved solids to mineral surfaces, mineral co–precipitation, or ion exchange reactions. Although these mechanisms would have sequestered contaminants from the discharged mine water into the solid phase, such reactions are reversible to some extent. Treated water discharged from the Roca Honda Mine could potentially cause rinsing of legacy contaminants through desorption or ion exchange reactions. The processes could lead to mobilization of potential legacy contaminants from the solid phase to the dissolved phase, and cause adverse effects to surface or groundwater quality downstream from the mine (Nelson, 2011). Another consideration related to legacy pollution that affected the viability of this alternative is the presence of a former uranium mill site downstream from the proposed Roca Honda Mine discharge. At this site, the Homestake Mining Company Mill Superfund Site, groundwater contamination occurs within the San Mateo Creek alluvial aquifer, and groundwater remediation is currently in progress. Groundwater contamination within the San Mateo alluvial aquifer is also reported to be present downgradient (southwest) from the Homestake Mill (NMED, 2010), and up–gradient from the Homestake Mill. This up–gradient contamination is attributed to still other legacy mines and mills in the Ambrosia Lake District. During scoping, State agencies and members of the public raised concerns about the possible interaction between the Roca Honda Mine and legacy contamination. Ultimately, due to these various complications and uncertainties, RHR voluntarily changed their proposal and the 60 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest
Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action interdisciplinary EIS team dropped this alternative from detailed consideration, and replaced it with what is now the proposed action. Single Production Shaft in Section 10 The interdisciplinary team considered, but dismissed from more detailed analysis, the option to construct a single production shaft in Section 10. In this alternative, all of the ore in the permit area would be accessed by excavating horizontally underground from this shaft to the ore deposits. All of the facilities planned for Section 16 under the proposed action would be constructed instead in Section 10. Construction of ventilation shafts and associated access in Sections 9 and 16 would still be required. This alternative was dismissed from detailed analysis for multiple reasons. There is a concern about reducing the overall visibility of the mine facilities, especially from the adjoining private land, the community of San Mateo, from Mt. Taylor, and those traveling Highway 605. The Section 16 topography is defined by long ridges and valleys. The facilities in this section were planned to be located as much as possible within the valleys, utilizing the ridges to hide them from view. By contrast, the portion of Section 10 that would house facilities is an open, gentle slope that is angled toward Mt. Taylor, the village of San Mateo, and the highway and, thus, almost all mine facilities located on this slope would be readily visible from these vantage points, as well as from adjacent private land. Placing the full facility on the topography of Section 10 would increase the visual impact of the mine. There is a concern with increasing traffic on Highway 605 past the village of San Mateo. Locating one shaft and the mine facilities solely on Section 10 would funnel all traffic, including all haul trucks, past the village of San Mateo. This impact would be greater for this alternative versus locating the two shafts on Section 16 and 10, as proposed, or much greater than locating one shaft on Section 16. The mine plan of operations proposed to access the ore in Section 16 and then expand the mine toward Section 10, where a second shaft was proposed to be constructed at a later date. Initial access to the ore-bearing zone was proposed for Section 16 because the ore body is shallower in Section 16 and the mine could be put into production sooner. The ore body in Section 10 is deeper, and would require an additional year of underground drilling before it could be accessed. In addition to the time factor, and also due to the depth of the ore body, the cost of a single shaft located in Section 10 would be more expensive than a single shaft in Section 16. Both are significant circumstances that would increase the costs of developing the mine before it could begin to generate revenue. Another impact associated with locating a one-shaft mine all on Section 10 (except for the previously identified ventilation shafts) is that the surface footprint would be greater on Section 10 over a one-shaft alternative located all on Section 16. The total facilities footprint itself would be similar in size to that associated with a one-shaft alternative in Section 16, but since the shaft would be one-third deeper, one-third more waste rock would be generated in sinking the shaft. This would necessitate a larger area for storing rock associated with shaft construction. The total footprint (mine facilities plus all rock removed during shaft construction) for this alternative would be larger than the footprint for having a one-shaft facility located in Section 16. DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 61
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United States Department of Agricul
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Environmental Impact Statement for
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Summary Roca Honda Resources, LLC (
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• Potential effects on the charac
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Mine Operation Summary Mine operati
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Resource Impacts and Mitigation •
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Resource Impacts and Mitigation num
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Contents Chapter 1. Purpose of and
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Contents Table 29. State of New Mex
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Contents Table 94. Food stamp enrol
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Contents Figure 66. Aerial image of
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H1N1 Influenza A virus, subtype H1N
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STD sexually transmitted disease SW
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Chapter 1. Purpose of and Need for
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Chapter 3. Affected Environment and
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Figure 33. Permit area watershed an
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Environmental Consequences Surface
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Construction Phase Effects Chapter
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Table 12. Storm water controls for
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Best Management Practices Chapter 3
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Effects on Sediment Transport and D
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Figure 45. Modeled hydrograph for S
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Figure 47. Modeled hydrograph for C
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Pollutant and Averaging Time Chapte
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Climate and Greenhouse Gases Chapte
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Regulatory Review Chapter 3. Affect
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Radon-222 Emissions Chapter 3. Affe
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Figure 48. Vegetation communities i
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State Listed Plant Species Chapter
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Species Status Habitat and Distribu
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Common Name (Scientific name) Black
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Common Name (Scientific Name) Gunni
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Table 39. Criteria for rating impac
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Wildlife Mortality Chapter 3. Affec
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Table 40. Impact characterization f
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Transportation Chapter 3. Affected
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Figure 57. Nearby recreation sites
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Table 41. Impact characterization f
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Minority Populations Chapter 3. Aff
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Figure 58. Distribution of minority
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High school graduates, percent of p
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Earnings Chapter 3. Affected Enviro
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Public Finance Chapter 3. Affected
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providing an estimate of the “rip
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Tax Revenue Chapter 3. Affected Env
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Table 61. Household characteristics
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Tribal History Chapter 3. Affected
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Natural Resources Chapter 3. Affect
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Physical APE Chapter 3. Affected En
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Agricultural Fields Chapter 3. Affe
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• Removal of a property from its
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Impacts to Natural Resources with C
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Site No. Project Section Land Statu
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Visual Resources Affected Environme
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Figure 64. View looking north from
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Alternative 1 Chapter 3. Affected E
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Environmental Consequences Chapter
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New Mexico 1.11 (0.98 - 1.25) Cibol
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Magnitude Descriptor Precedence or
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Noise Chapter 3. Affected Environme
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Resource Area Cultural and Historic
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Cumulative Effects Chapter 3. Affec
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Chapter 4. Consultation and Coordin
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Chapter 4. Consultation and Coordin
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Glossary Air-Quality Control Region
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References Cited (ACHP, 2005). Advi
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References Cited (Basin Coordinated
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References Cited (Brugge et al., 20
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References Cited (Census, 2011). U.
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(NatureServe, 2010a). NatureSevere.
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References Cited (RHR, 2011a). Roca
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References Cited (USEPA, 1975). U.S
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References Cited (USFWS, no date).
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Index E economic impacts - 15, 73,
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Index N National Environmental Poli
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Index W waste - 18, 40, 46, 56-57,
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Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

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