U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
Aba ndoned Mine La nds
Ma na gement in the United Sta tes : A
25-yea r pers pective from the Burea u
of La nd Ma na gement
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
Topics
-
About the Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Mining his tory in the United Sta tes
Aba ndoned Mine La nds in the United Sta tes
About the BLM’s AML progra m
BLM AML la ws a nd regula tions
BLM AML ris k ma na gement
BLM AML Progra m cha llenges
25 Yea rs in Review
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
The Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
- Es ta blis hed in 1946
- Combined the Genera l La nd Office
a nd Gra zing Service
- Ma na ges over 100 million s urfa ce
hecta res ; a pproxima tely 40% of the
federa lly ma na ged la nd; ma inly in the
Wes tern US
- Employs over 10,000 individua ls
- Annua l budget of over $1.2 billon
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
The Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
- Multiple-us e mis s ion
“To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of
America's public lands for the use and enjoyment
of present and future generations.”
- La nd-us e pla nning a nd a uthoriza tion
- Multiple progra ms ; es p. wildlife a nd cultura l
- Ma jor La ws a nd Regula tions
- Federa l La nd Policy a nd Ma na gement Act of 1976
- Na tiona l Environmenta l Policy Act of 1970
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
Mining His tory in the United Sta tes
- 1800s – Pla cer mining
- 1848 Ca lifornia Gold Rus h
- Hydra ulic mining
- 1850’s Homes tea ding s ta rts - Go Wes t!
- Ends with FLPMA in 1976
- 1872 Genera l Mining La w
- Public lands open to mineral acquisition by
locating/maintaining mining claims
- 1880 Ala s ka Gold Rus h
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
Mining His tory in the United Sta tes
- 1969 Environmenta l movement begins
1970 - Clea n Air Act
1970 - Na tiona l Environmenta l Policy Act
1972 - Clea n Wa ter Act
1976 - Res ource Cons erva tion a nd Recovery Act (RCRA)
1977 – Surfa ce Mining Control a nd Recla ma tion Act
(SMCRA, coa l only)
- 1980 - Comprehens ive Environmenta l Res pons e,
Compens a tion, a nd Lia bility Act (CERCLA, a ka Superfund)
-
- 1981 BLM’s s urfa ce ma na gement regula tions
ena cted
- “3809 Regs ”
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
Aba ndoned Mine La nds in the US
-
Federa l, Sta te, Triba l, a nd loca l governments
Coa l a nd ha rdrock
Es tima ted >500,000 ha rdrock AML s ites in the US
Federa l AML Ca s t:
- Environmenta l Protection Agency (EPA)
- Depa rtment of Agriculture (ma na ged ha )
- Fores t Service (78 million ha )
- Depa rtment of the Interior
-
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement (103 million ha )
Na tiona l Pa rk Service (34.2 million ha )
Fis h a nd Wildlife Service (8 million ha )
Office of Surfa ce Mining Recla ma tion a nd Enforcement (0 million
ha )
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
BLM’s Aba ndoned Mine La nds
Progra m
“A hardrock mine on or affecting public lands administered by
the BLM, at which exploration, development, mining,
reclamation, maintenance and inspection of facilities and
equipment, and other operations ceased as of January 1,
1981 (the effective date of the BLM’s Surface Management
regulations, 43 CFR 3809)”
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m La ws a nd
Regula tions
- Environmenta l a nd Phys ica l Sa fety
- Phys ica l Sa fety Recla ma tion
- FLPMA; Na tiona l Environmenta l Policy Act
- Environmenta l Remedia tion
- Comprehens ive Environmenta l Res pons e,
Compens a tion, a nd Lia bility Act
- Clea n Wa ter Act
- Na tiona l His toric Pres erva tion Act of 1966
- Cultura l res ources
- Enda ngered Species Act of 1973/ BLM Specia l
Sta tus Species
- Wildlife res ources
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
BLM Aba ndoned Mine La nds
Progra m - His tory
-
1981 BLM ena cts s urfa ce regula tions
1989 Ta s k Forces – Mining La w → AML
1998 Clea n Wa ter Action pla n - wa ters heds
1998 Aba ndoned Mine Pilot projects
2000 Progra m officia lly funded
2005-2008 DOI Ins pector Genera l a udits for BLM
AML progra m
- 2007 Phys ica l s a fety – dea th
- 2009 $$$ - Progra m increa s e a nd America n
Res tora tion a nd Recovery Act
- 2015 Gold King, Colora do
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
Gold King, Anima s River
Wa ters hed, Colora do
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Toda y
(sites)
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Toda y
- Inventory (01/ 12/ 2016)
- 97,631 Fea tures
- 52,293 Sites
- Budget – $16 million
- Aba ndoned Ura nium Mines
- Depa rtment of Energy – Defence Rela ted Ura nium
Mine Site “DRUM”; verifica tion a nd va lida tion
- Completed Fea s ibility Studies for fis ca l s cope
- Cos t to complete inventory of phys ica l s a fety ha za rd
remedia tion - 2013
- Cos t to complete inventory in three s ta tes - 2014
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Activities
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m - Activities
- Dis cover a nd inventory fea tures
- Topogra phica lly occurring mine s ymbols (TOMS),
his toric mine communities , LIDAR
- Eva lua tion of fea tures
- Study a nd s urvey fea tures
- Cha ra cteriza tion, fea s ibility, a nd engineering s tudies
- Biologica l a nd cultura l s urveys
- Ris k a s s es s ment a nd prioritiza tion
- Addres s ha za rds
- Ma intena nce a nd monitoring
- *Partnerships are key
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m - Pa rtners hips
- Loca l, Sta te, Federa l, a nd Triba l pa rtners
- Non-governmenta l orga niza tions
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Prioritiza tion
- Phys ica l s a fety a s s es s ments
- Proximity to popula ted pla ces
- Recrea tion a nd s pecia lly des igna ted la nds
- Incidents – dea th a nd/ or injury
- Environmenta l a s s es s ments
- Ris k As s es s ments - receptors
- Ecologica l
- Huma n Hea lth
- Defens e Rela ted Ura nium Mines (DRUMs )
- Depa rtment of Energy report
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Cha llenges
- Progra m Ma na gement
- Fla t budgets – la bor, monitoring, a nd funding
a va ila ble for work
- Inventory/ da ta ba s e – keep it s imple
- Technology – embra ce it
- Employee ca pa city – employ a nd reta in; colla tera l
duty
- Long term ma na gement – trea tment into
perpetuity
- Pos t-1981 a ba ndoned mines
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Cha llenges
Zortma n a nd La ndus ky Mines – Monta na
- Pos t-1981 s ite
- Perpetua l wa ter trea tment
- Environmenta l J us tice – Fort Belkna p Res .
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Cha llenges
America n Fla ts - Neva da
- His torica l a nd loca l interes t dela yed demo
- 1 fa ta lity a nd numerous injuries
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Cha llenges
- Phys ica l s a fety clos ures
- Biologica l a nd cultura l cons idera tions
- Pos t-clos ure ma na gement:
- Re-proces s ing enca ps ula ted minera ls
- Re-opening phys ica l fea tures a nd s urfa ce
dis turba nce
- Clos ed mine “explora tion” a nd va nda lis m
- Urba n interfa ce a nd recrea tiona lis ts
- Specia l public la nd des igna tions
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Cha llenges
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
Legis la tive Propos a ls for AMLs
- Good Sa ma rita n
- Reduce/ remove lia bilities of Good Sa ma rita ns
who lea d/ a s s is t AML clea nups
- Wha t if the GS does more ha rm?
- Ha rdrock Mining Fee/ Roya lty
- Simila r to the Surfa ce Mining Control a nd
Recla ma tion Act of 1977
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AMLs a nd La nd Us e Alloca tions
- Re-us e
- Wind a nd Sola r a rra ys
- Technologies
- Wind powered wa ter trea tment
- La nd us e recorda tion
- Wildla nd fire control (potentia l to ca us e ca ps to
fa il)
- Future la nd us e/ loca tion informa tion for:
- Development/ permitting
- La nd dis pos a l
- La nd-us e pla nning
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AMLs a nd La nd Us e Alloca tions
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m Accomplis hments
- From 2009 to 2016 the BLM AML progra m
– Remedia ted 8,105 Phys ica l Sa fety Ha za rds
– Added 34,466 AML s ites a dded to inventory
– Ma inta ined a nd monitored 6,355 s ites
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
AML Progra m - 25 yea rs in review
- Know wha t you ha ve
- Inventory
- Know the priorities
- Ris k
- Know your a dvoca tes
- Politicia ns
- Know the tools
- Numbers , Auditors , a nd Technology
- Know your pa rtners
- Interna l – Other federa l pa rtners
- Externa l – Sta te AML progra ms , NGOs , Others
- Expa nd fis ca l a nd expert ca pa bility
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
Ques tions ?
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
BLM AML Progra m Res ources
- BLM webs ite
https :/ / www.blm.gov/ progra ms / publics a fety-a nd-fire/ a ba ndoned-mine-la nds
- Publica tions
- Inventory
- Progra m informa tion
- Aba ndonedmines .gov
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Burea u of La nd Ma na gement
Aba ndoned Mine La nds Progra m
Pres enta tion for the Dea ling with Derelict
Mines 2016 - Interna tiona l Summit on Derelict
Mines , Singleton, NSW, Aus tra lia . December 68, 2016
Pres ented by:
Erinn Shirley,
Aba ndoned Mine La nds
Specia lis t
Depa rtment of the
Interior, Burea u of La nd
Ma na gement
20 M ST. SE.
Wa s hington, DC 20003
202-912-7132
es [email protected]
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