Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Table 3. Impact comparison matrix
Topic Alternative 1 – No Action
Geology and Soils • No disturbance of surface
topography and soils on Sections
9, 10, and 16.
• No excavation within Westwater
Canyon Formation, no extraction
of uranium ore, and no backfilling
of excavated spaces and
rooms.
• In sum, would have essentially
no impacts on geology and soils
at the RHR permit site.
Alternative 2 – Proposed Action
(Two-shaft alternative)
• Hundreds of thousands to millions of cubic
yards of ore and nonore rock would be
mined and extracted over the life of the
mine.
• Permanent changes to the geologic
character and structure of large volumes
within the Westwater Canyon Member of
the Morrison Formation.
• Overall impacts to geology would be
direct, long term, localized, moderate,
probable, and of slight precedence or
uniqueness.
• Impacts on geology would be less than
significant.
• Direct, medium term to long term,
localized adverse impacts on soils at mine
site.
• Placement of treated water (water reuse)
pipeline would have negligible, short-term,
localized effects on soils.
• Upon completion of reclamation, soils
should be stabilized sufficiently to support
restoration of vegetation.
• Disturbed soils would not recover 100
percent of their predisturbance condition
for centuries.
• In conclusion, impacts on both geology
and soils would be less than significant.
Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
Alternative 3 – One-shaft
Alternative
• Impacts on geology very similar to
alternative 2’s impacts.
• Impacts on geology would be less than
significant.
• Impacts on soils of a similar nature to
those of alternative 2, but reduced in scale.
• Alternative 3 reduces alternative 2’s area
of surface disturbance overall by 29%; 155
acres vs 218 acres.
• Alternative 3 has a lower potential to
disturb soils than alternative 2.
• In sum, impacts on soils would be less than
significant.
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 63