New Mexico starts cleanup at four abandoned uranium mines in McKinley County

Two New Mexico agencies have begun early remediation steps at four long-abandoned uranium mines in McKinley County’s Ambrosia Lake Mining District, supported by new state funding. The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department announced that contractors have conducted on-site surveys, environmental sampling and other preliminary actions following a joint news release. NMED identified the mines as the Schmitt Decline Mine, Moe No. 4, Red Bluff No. 1, and Roundy Shaft and Manol Strip. “This is the first step in a truly monumental effort to reverse the legacy of neglect,” said Miori Harms, NMED’s uranium mine reclamation coordinator.

The initiative follows the 2022 Uranium Mine Cleanup Act, which directed state agencies to document and plan mine remediation, and a $20 million allocation approved in the 2025 legislative session. Of that funding, $12 million supported selection of the McKinley County mines and contractor engagement. NMED officials said $2 million of the one-time funding will be used to identify additional owners of legacy mines, and $6 million next spring will be used to truck contaminated soil from two sites polluted with petroleum by companies.

The state’s announcement said it will produce quarterly progress reports, including one released Monday. The report states the four sites were selected based on factors such as ease of access, proximity to homes and the hazards they pose. NMED noted it has not completed assessments for all neglected sites and is developing a priority ranking under a separate contract. The agency also directed the public to a dashboard mapping mine locations, histories and remediation progress statewide.

An estimated 1,100 abandoned uranium mines are located in New Mexico, including about 500 on or near the Navajo Nation, after decades of unregulated mining that left toxic pollutants on land and water. State financial analysts estimate total remediation costs of at least hundreds of millions of dollars, and a 2020 University of New Mexico study described the overall cost and scope as potentially “infinite.” While state officials and anti-nuclear advocates have long said the federal government should pay for cleanup, lawmakers characterized the $20 million state appropriation as a starting point. According to NMED, work at the four McKinley County sites is intended to provide a template for future cleanups and funding needs, with more sites expected to be added to the remediation list next spring.

EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., a contractor conducting early site work, released a video outlining initial steps at the Schmitt Mine that shows a deep, unsigned hole and a long-abandoned, rusted vehicle nearby. Leona Morgan, a Diné anti-nuclear activist, said she appreciates the use of state funds to begin remediation while emphasizing the need for more money, particularly from the federal government, to address orphaned mines. “It’s just scratching the surface, literally,” she said, adding that the first actions will inform future measures. She urged culturally sensitive community outreach by contractors and continued monitoring after remediation, noting that “we can never consider these sites 100% remediated” and calling them “permanent liability sites.”

“We are making meaningful efforts to protect communities,” Environment Secretary James Kenney said in the announcement. “This initiative is about taking concrete steps to finally address the unfinished business of abandoned uranium mine cleanup.”