Transportation Impacts - Transportation impacts in Menominee County ccould
result from increa
automobile and truck traffic associated with the project. However, the 'vast
majority of
project-related workers are predicted to live within Langlade, Forest, aund
Oneida Counties or
commute from outlying areas. Project-related automobile traffic in Mepnominee
County is expc
to be negligible.

There would be a maximum of about 17 trucks per day carrying supplies . and
reagents or for serl
purposes driving to and from the project site daily during construction.
)An estimated 30% of tb
(5) would be from the south. A conservative assumption would be that alLll
southerly truck traffi
would pass through the reservation. Therefore, during the maximum imppact
period, an estimati
increase of 10 trucks per day (half of the material and supply vehicles wciould
be empty) could pa
through the reservation. This anticipated increase in project-related traaffic
through the Menor
Reservation is negligible. As a result, no measurable changes in the numnber
of traffic accident
accident rates are predicted.

                                        CLOSURE IMPACTS

*The previous sections on socioeconomic impacts concentrated on impactsts
during the constructs
operations phases of the project. Many of the tables, however, indicatedd
projected impacts dui
the closure phase as well. Refer to the tables on population changes, emnployment,
housing den
public service and facilities costs, changes in assessed valuations, and
sclchool district costs and
enrollments. In addition, closure impacts specific to the Native America:an
tribes are discussed;
those sections.

After the completion of mining activities, the income and employment fifrom
the project would
to exist. Since the specific socioeconomic conditions which might exist iv
in the study area some
years hence (assuming uninterrupted operation of the project), are not knmown,
only some of the
general tendencies which could accompany closure are discussed. The foTollowing
discussion assi
mine/mill closure is the only significant economic event occurring in the
e study area at the timn
project termination. Except where otherwise noted, the discussion is intfttended
to apply to c s
any time during the project operation phase.

Many individuals employed directly by the project or in a business signifidficantly
dependent on tV
population and income effect of the project, most recent inmigrants, andid
some longer-term re
would probably choose to leave the study area rather than remain and att
ttempt to secure alterE
employment. Reduced demand, as well as income, for goods and serviceses would
reduce emplo0
in those sectors which had previously expanded to accommodate the increreased
population. Re
demand for housing and land would result in temporarily depressed propenerty
prices at a time v
many residents searching for employment elsewhere would be seeking to to
sell their homes. Hol
vacancies would rise and demand for new housing would fall.

In addition to the private sector effects, closure would similarly affect
ft the provision of public
services and the collection of public revenues. The public service and fac'acility
system which h
previously expanded to accommodate the impending inmigration of a subsibstantial
number of nr
residents would have to adjust to a revised future of reduced demand. ThThese
processes of exp
and contraction however, are not necessarily symmetrical. For example, e,
where the construGF
public service system could be tolerated at less than full prevailing standndards
to avoid the pro
for future excess capacity, closure would entail an excess capacity due tc
to the sudden depart
substantial numbers of people. The reduction and elimination of this exceccess
would occur oVreN
period which would depend on the specific timing of closure (as well as th
the lead time after
announcement of closure). Personnel hired to increase public service capapacity
would probable
off over this period. Alternatively, if personnel were not laid off, their
re retention could repre!
maintenance of excess capacity pending increased population from other or
sources, or a form 6
increased service standards. As an example of the kind of excess capacit-ity
which would acco1
closure, a school district, informed of the immediate departure of a signitnificant
number of std
might be compelled by the existence of employment agreements to maintintain
a staff level toll
accommodate the previous level of enrollment. In this case, as in many of
other similar situatiG
probable that the excess capacity would last for some time (e.g., for the
he balance of a school I



after project closure.



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