Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Topic Alternative 1 – No Action
Cultural and Historic
Resources
Cultural and Historic
• No additional impacts to cultural
resources from mine
development, operation, and
reclamation.
• Impacts to cultural resources
already occurring from livestock
management and access to the
area by the public would
continue; these include
vandalism, trampling, and
inadvertent damage.
• Adverse impacts to cultural
resources would be less than
significant.
Alternative 2 – Proposed Action
(Two-shaft alternative)
occurred in the region and elsewhere.
• Provided the global price of uranium
remains favorable, several other
reasonably foreseeable exploration and
mining projects are also likely to occur.
• Under this scenario, the projects in
combination would support several billion
dollars in economic activity, which would
represent a significantly beneficial
cumulative economic impact for the ROI
over the coming decades, though perhaps
not a source of permanent prosperity.
• Would cause adverse impacts to tribal
cultural resources and practices related to
the sacred character of Mt. Taylor for the
Acoma, Laguna, Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo
in particular.
• Would adversely affect the Mt. Taylor
TCP and cause irreparable harm to
surrounding tribes and their traditional
cultural practices.
• Would have a perceived impact upon the
Spirit Beings associated with the TCP.
• Would cause adverse effects in the view of
the tribes because of concerns about the
toxic nature of uranium and the perceived
waste of water, the lifeblood of the sacred
mountain.
• Ground disturbance from construction
activities would result in direct physical
impacts to four historic properties, plus the
Mt. Taylor TCP, which would be
permanent and severe in magnitude.
• Construction of mine facilities would
Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
Alternative 3 – One-shaft
Alternative
• Direct and indirect impacts to historic
properties and other cultural resources
identified by the tribes would occur.
• Direct and indirect adverse effects to
historic properties, to natural features
within the setting of historic properties,
and to the visual and audible
characteristics of historic property settings
would occur.
• Direct physical impacts would occur to
four historic properties, plus the Mt. Taylor
TCP.
• During the operational phase, indirect
physical disturbance of historic properties
could occur from changed erosion patterns,
inadvertent impacts, and vandalism or
illegal artifact collecting.
• Due to less development in Section 10 with
less ground disturbance, fewer surface
facilities, and less activity and traffic, the
totality of the impacts to the Mt. Taylor
TCP and related resources would be less
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 73