At least 350 abandoned uranium mine and mill sites still dot the New Mexico landscape, vestiges of a Cold War-era boom that spurred companies or individuals to dig for ore, predominately along a mineral-rich deposit near Grants.
Often, state officials say, those responsible left without a trace, apart from the environment-polluting and cancer-causing legacy left in their wake.
The $11.1 billion budget Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law last week includes an additional $20 million for the state to reclaim abandoned uranium mine sites. It’s the second round of funding the Legislature has approved in recent years to tackle the decades-old problem.
While most of the funding will pay contractors to safely remove hazardous material that is polluting nearby land and water, some will cover costs for a legal team to fan out to county clerks’ offices to dig through microfiche and yellowed articles of incorporation in search of clues for who might be responsible.
New Mexico Environment Department Deputy Cabinet Secretary John Rhoderick told Source NM in a recent interview that the department’s ultimate goal is to force those who dug the mines to reimburse the state for mitigation costs, which could reach as high as $5.3 million per mine, according to a recent estimate. (Source New Mexico Mar. 18, 2026)
Also: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/nm-gives-20m-more-reclaim-164829639.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall