Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Contaminated Site Cleanup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State directs $20 million to contaminated‑site cleanups, boots on the ground at Grants mining district uranium sites
Summary
The Environment Department said $20 million appropriated by the Legislature will be used to begin cleanup work at abandoned uranium mines and neglected commercial sites, and that a change in statute aligns state definitions of responsible parties with federal CERCLA practice to pursue liable parties.
The state Environment Department is using a $20 million legislative appropriation to begin active cleanup at contaminated groundwater sites across New Mexico, including abandoned uranium‑mine sites in the Grants Mining District and two large neglected commercial properties, officials said.
“That $20,000,000 the goal is to have boots on the ground and make something happen,” John Roderick told the legislative committee. He said contractors were on site July 6 for initial work at three abandoned uranium mines in the Grants district and that the department expects action during the current fiscal year.
Sites and approach Roderick identified additional cleanup sites that will receive attention, including the Tucumcari truck terminal and a former refinery site in Bloomfield; both have been described as community blights where remediation would enable beneficial reuse. The department’s Petroleum Storage Tank Bureau is also working on about 21 underground storage tank sites that either have impacted or have the potential to impact groundwater.
Statutory changes and responsible‑party pursuit Roderick explained that Senate Bill 21 (passed in the prior session) revised how some Groundwater Quality Regulations can be implemented and adopted the federal Superfund/CERCLA definition of a responsible party, enabling the state to pursue historical contributors to contamination to recover cleanup costs. “Our goal is ultimately to have a responsible party pay for this so that we're not using taxpayer dollars,” he said, while adding that legislative funds will jump‑start work where no viable responsible party is identified.
Discussion vs. decisions - Discussion: Officials described site inventories, early contractor activity and the department’s plan to prioritize sites where public exposure is greatest. - Direction/decision: The Legislature’s appropriation directed the department to begin cleanup; department staff reported contractors already working at specific sites and said they will seek responsible parties and pursue statutory remedies, consistent with the CERCLA‑aligned definition.
Ending Roderick told lawmakers the funding is intended to produce quick, visible results that demonstrate progress to communities and the Legislature, while the department pursues longer‑term responsible‑party recoveries to offset taxpayer costs.
