NMED News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department has launched interactive online Geographic Information System (GIS) StoryMaps detailing cleanup progress at four abandoned uranium mine and mill sites in the Grants Mining District north of Milan.
Backed by $12 million of a total $20 million appropriation from the New Mexico Legislature, the New Mexico Uranium Mine Cleanup Initiative targets abandoned uranium mine sites with no viable responsible party.
New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), and contractors are conducting the work, which targets legacy abandoned uranium mine sites with no viable responsible party that are not covered by an active mining company or other cleanup programs. The first sites were chosen due to their proximity to residences, physical hazards, and readiness for cleanup partnership.
“For decades, these abandoned uranium mines have posed serious health risks to nearby communities,” Environment Secretary James Kenney said. “These StoryMaps give New Mexicans transparent, real-time view of our cleanup progress—so the public can see exactly how we’re addressing this legacy contamination.”
Teams have begun working at the following sites:
- Schmitt Decline mine in McKinley County, where living on-site for one year would result in two years of typical radiation exposure.
- Moe No. 4 mine in McKinley County, where living on-site for one year would result in 13 years of typical radiation exposure.
- Red Bluff No. 1 mine in McKinley County, where living on-site for one year would result in 12 years of typical radiation exposure.
- Roundy Shaft and Roundy Manol Strip mines in McKinley County, where living on-site for one year would result in 21 years of typical radiation exposure.
The GIS StoryMaps are immersive storytelling webpages that can be readily viewed on computers, tablets, and smartphones.
Explore the links below for more information.
- New Mexico Uranium Mine Cleanup Initiative: https://experience.arcgis.com/
experience/ 7f87b4a2e51742ba95aa2f28796303 e3 - Schmitt Decline Mine (EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC) – https://experience.arcgis.com/
experience/ 7f87b4a2e51742ba95aa2f28796303 e3/page/Schmitt-Decline-Mine - Red Bluff No. 1 and Roundy Mines (ENTACT) – https://experience.arcgis.com/
experience/ 7f87b4a2e51742ba95aa2f28796303 e3/page/Red-Bluff-No_-1-Mine - Moe No. 4 Mine (INTERA) – https://experience.arcgis.com/
experience/ 7f87b4a2e51742ba95aa2f28796303 e3/page/Moe-No_-4-Mine
The New Mexico Mine Cleanup Initiative builds on previous transparency efforts, such as the interactive dashboard of formerly operating uranium mine and mill sites, which provides the public with easy access to site information, regulatory actions, and cleanup status.