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State outlines $12M for neglected uranium mines; contractors mobilized for surveys and early work
Summary
Officials said the FY26 budget included a $20 million appropriation for neglected contaminated sites, $12 million of which the Environment Department is dedicating to neglected uranium mines; the agency has hired contractors and is preparing to begin investigative drilling and earthwork on prioritized sites in FY27 if funding continues.
State reclamation officials briefed lawmakers on progress addressing abandoned and neglected uranium mine sites, describing a new focus on survey work, prioritization and early cleanup preparation funded through the FY26 appropriation.
Miori Harms, uranium mine reclamation coordinator at the New Mexico Environment Department, said the FY26 budget provided $20 million for remediation of neglected contaminated sites and that the department is designating $12 million specifically for neglected uranium mines that lack a responsible party or are not covered by other federal cleanup programs. "We are calling these pre‑prioritization cleanup sites because we received the funding before a full site analysis," she told the committee.
Harms described initial field work completed at several prioritized mines —walkover gamma surveys, soil sampling and geophysics — and said investigative drilling is planned to begin in January. The department reported hiring six contractors in 2025 and preparing 12 additional sites for potential work, including cultural and biological surveys and land‑access agreements.
Agency staff said the approach aims to use a revolving fund and recurring appropriations in future years to provide stability for multiyear cleanup projects, and that putting more funding into a revolving vehicle would reduce the constraints of single‑year budget cycles. Committee members urged greater tribal engagement and asked whether federal Good Samaritan pilot grants could be applied to New Mexico sites; officials said EPA pilot criteria are restrictive and government‑to‑government outreach with tribes would be required to move projects forward under the federal program.
Lawmakers also questioned disposal and long‑term management of contaminated materials and raised concerns about incineration and whether collecting used PFAS filter cartridges could create secondary contamination. The department said disposal protocols are a work in progress and that landfill leachate control systems have been protective in prior studies but pledged to follow up with solid‑waste specialists.
Members asked about the large federal Tronox/Kerr‑McGee settlement and how those funds are applied; officials said the bulk of settlement money is administered by EPA and directed to sites and responsible‑party lines identified under the settlement while the state appropriation is intended to address the neglected sites that have no other funding stream. Officials requested continued legislative support and additional, multi‑year appropriations to sustain the program beyond one‑year allocations.
