Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Department of the Interior announced $3.7 million worth of investments to clean up abandoned hardrock mines. The investments are funded through the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation (AHMR) grant program, established by President Biden’s signature bipartisan infrastructure law.
The new program will support the inventory, assessment, decommissioning, reclamation, and remediation of abandoned hardrock mine land through state grants based on conditions like public need, public health and safety, and potential environmental harm. Grant awards will start at $50,000.
Abandoned hardrock mines are significant sources of pollution across the United States and threaten communities, wildlife, and the environment. The Department of the Interior estimates there are more than 700,000 abandoned mine “features,” across the country, approximately 86% of which are related to past hardrock mining. As many as 40% of rivers and 50% of lakes in the U.S. have been contaminated by pollution from abandoned hardrock mines.
In response, Dan Ritzman, Director of Conservation at Sierra Club, released the following statement:
“Our antiquated mining laws have allowed toxic pollution to contaminate our public lands and waters for a century and a half. This program is an essential first step towards cleaning up those messes and ensuring our communities, wildlife, and landscapes don’t suffer the continued harms caused by abandoned mines. We must continue to work to get our mining laws out of the 1870s and into the modern era to preserve our public lands and waters and protect the health and wellbeing of our communities.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.