Environmental Quality and Protection

The BLM’s AML Program has opportunities to work with partner organizations to assist with inventories, cultural and biological reviews, mitigation and closure work, as well as environmental remediation and restoration actions. BLM and its partners mitigate hazards to protect public health and safety and the environment, and restore watersheds for resources, recreation, fish, wildlife and domestic animals, and return lands to productive uses. Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) sites may pose a threat to wildlife, biota, groundwater, surface water, soil as well as to risks to the health and safety of public land users. Programmatic Goals include; Reclaiming abandoned hardrock mine lands to productive uses including, but not limited to, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of historical/cultural resources; Reducing liabilities by eliminating or reducing human health and ecological risks posed by dangerous abandoned mines; Establishing partnerships, where possible, with States, local governments, Tribes, and voluntary environmental and citizen groups, and non-governmental organizations to pool resources and expertise to address abandoned mines; and Providing financial assistance, through agreements, to address human safety and environmental impacts associated with high risk abandoned mine sites. Inventory and mitigation measures are implemented through the BLM AML program, which addresses AML physical safety hazards and contamination posing risks to human health and/or the environment. The BLM estimates there are over 148,000 abandoned mine features located on BLM-administered lands. The AML program identifies and inventories abandoned hardrock mines, prioritizes those mines that pose a risk to public safety, human health, and the environment, and seeks funding to address those high risk mine features and sites. Specifically, the AML program addresses physical safety hazards through performing NEPA, including cultural and biological surveys, a variety of closure methods including fencing, signing, back-filling, installation of bat-friendly grates, etc., and addresses risks to human health and the environment through a variety of removal and remedial response actions using the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. BLM ensures its work to ensure risks caused by abandoned mines complies with all applicable soil, water, and air quality standards, and applicable Federal, State, Tribal, and local laws and regulations.

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program. The program has no statutory formula matching requirements. However, matching funds or in-kind services by the applicants are encouraged and those projects are more likely to be funded.