New Mexico environmental officials said Friday Dec. 5 remediation is getting underway at four old uranium mine and mill sites within the state under a collaborative effort called the New Mexico Mine Cleanup Initiative.
With the New Mexico Legislature having provided a total of $20 million toward remediation of abandoned mine and mill sites, work has started on cleanup of four sites, according to the New Mexico Environment Department.
According to a press release from the state Environment Department, the properties undergoing reclamation are:
- Schmitt Decline Mine in McKinley County;
- Moe No. 4 in McKinley County;
- Red Bluff No. 1 in Grant County; and
- Roundy Shaft and Manol Strip Mines in Grant County.
The New Mexico Environment Department, New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, and contractors are doing the work. The effort targets uranium mine and mill sites where there is no viable responsible party and the sites are not covered by other remediation programs, according to the release.
“The first sites were selected due to their proximity to residences, physical hazards, and readiness for cleanup partnership.” According to the release.
New Mexico lawmakers appropriated funds for the current effort via the Uranium Mine Cleanup Act of 2022, which also calls for a quarterly report on remediation efforts.
“Through the financial support of the New Mexico Legislature and with the technical expertise of our state workforce, we are making meaningful efforts to protect communities,” said state Environment Secretary James Kenney in the news relesae. “This initiative is about taking concrete steps to finally address the unfinished business of abandoned uranium mine cleanup.”
On the federal level, the Department of Energy’s Office of Legacy Management has been prioritizing abandoned uranium mines and mills on tribal lands across the West.