New Mexico lawmakers have set aside $50 million in the state’s proposed budget to tackle contamination at hundreds of abandoned uranium mines and other hazardous sites. The long-overdue cleanup effort could finally gain momentum if the funding remains intact.
Decades of Contamination, Generations of Harm
Scattered across New Mexico are at least 302 so-called “orphan sites” where contamination threatens human health and the environment. On top of that, about 50 abandoned uranium mines sit outside the scope of any existing cleanup program, leaving the state unable to hold any responsible parties accountable.
Many of these mines lie on or near tribal lands, where Indigenous communities have spent decades pushing for remediation. For them, the environmental and health consequences of uranium extraction have never faded. Families recall the dust that clung to clothes, the poisoned water, and the lingering illnesses that still haunt their communities.
Rep. Joseph Hernandez, D-Shiprock, recounted personal stories during a legislative hearing last month. His grandfather worked in the uranium industry, bringing home invisible hazards that seeped into daily life. “This dust today continues to get blown through our communities,” Hernandez said. “Many families feel left behind.”
A Budget That Could Finally Deliver Action
After years of stalled progress, state lawmakers have inserted $50 million into the House-passed $10.8 billion budget proposal. That money would fund initial site assessments, cleanup efforts, and a broader strategy for addressing contamination across New Mexico.
Sen. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, has been pushing for uranium cleanup since he was first elected nearly two decades ago. While state leaders have long acknowledged the crisis, little has changed.
- The state’s environment department has identified two priority sites for immediate cleanup.
- One is a uranium mine, with remediation costs estimated between $4 million and $8 million.
- Another site, suffering from chemical contamination of soil and groundwater, would require $5 million to clean up.
But Steinborn says the $50 million allocation is “a drop in the bucket” compared to the vast scale of the problem.
More Money, Bigger Plans
Beyond the budget bill, Steinborn is backing a separate measure—Senate Bill 276—that would inject $75 million into the state’s uranium mine reclamation revolving fund.
That fund, created in 2022, was meant to kickstart a coordinated cleanup strategy. Instead, it has sat empty for three years. If Steinborn’s proposal moves forward, the money would be used for:
- Site assessments and environmental studies.
- Engineering designs for mine closures.
- Surface reclamation and groundwater remediation.
- Long-term monitoring to ensure contaminants don’t return.
While lawmakers have finally put real money on the table, keeping it there is another battle. The budget still needs Senate approval, and competing priorities could threaten its survival.
A Step in the Right Direction, But Not a Solution
Even if both funding proposals succeed, the road ahead is long. Full remediation of New Mexico’s uranium legacy would cost hundreds of millions—possibly billions—of dollars. But Indigenous leaders, environmental advocates, and affected families see this as a long-overdue first step.
For those who have lived with the consequences of uranium mining for generations, the fight is far from over. But for the first time in years, there’s reason to believe cleanup might actually begin.
Comments