Summary:

 Senate Bill 260 (SB 260) appropriates fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) to the Department of Environment to assess and clean up abandoned and neglected contaminated sites, including abandoned uranium mining sites, across the state that do not have viable responsible parties to pay for and conduct cleanup actions. 

 

Legislation Overview:

 Senate Bill 260 (SB 260) appropriates fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) from the General Fund (GF) to the Department of Environment (NMED) for expenditure in Fiscal Years (FY) 2026 through FY 2028 to assess and clean up abandoned and neglected contaminated sites, including abandoned uranium mining sites, across the state that do not have viable responsible parties to pay for and conduct cleanup actions. 
Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2028 reverts to the GF.

 

Current Law:

 Mines are divided into two categories: coal and everything else. Those that are everything else are called hard rock mines. In New Mexico, that category includes silver, gold, lead, manganese, iron and uranium mines.
Leftover mining materials can pose health issues, while ground that becomes unstable after mining is a safety issue.
New Mexico has approximately 26,000 known abandoned mine features, but it’s difficult to know exactly how many abandoned mines are out there, according to Lloyd Moiola, Environmental Manager for the state’s Abandoned Mine Land program.
The funding for the Abandoned Mine Land program primarily comes from a law that taxes coal production and the program is structured so the money has to be spent first on reclaiming and safeguarding coal mines. Safeguarding hard rock mines is a secondary effort, and the money can’t be used to clean up hard rock mines. https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_7e9919fe-b759-11ef-88b5-0b356dc94f5e.html
The requirement to reclaim a mine was not established until 1981 resulting in a legacy of unreclaimed abandoned mines across the state. The Abandoned Mine Land program was established to locate hazardous features associated with abandoned mines and safeguard them. Features that pose an environmental risk from chemical and/or radiological contamination are mitigated as well. Care is taken to protect features that are wildlife habitat and preserve archaeological sites.
BLM works with partners such the New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Energy to pool resources and work together to identify and address legacy mines. https://www.blm.gov/programs/aml-environmental-cleanup/aml/state-information/new-mexico