AML Project: Inventory and Characterization of Legacy/inactive/abandoned mine (AML) features in New Mexico

New Mexico's mineral wealth is among the richest of any state in the U.S. In 2023, New Mexico ranked 13th in coal production, 3rd in copper production, and 24th in total nonfuel minerals production (Economic Impact of the Mineral Industry in New Mexico (nmt.edu). Most of the state’s mineral production comes from oil, gas, coal, copper, potash, industrial minerals (perlite, cement, zeolites, etc.) and aggregates. Other important commodities include molybdenum, gold, uranium, and silver. However, legacy issues of past mining activities forms negative public perceptions of mining, and inhibits future minerals production in the state. Some legacy mines have the potential to contaminate the environment. At the time the General Mining Law of 1872 was written, there was no recognition of the environmental consequences of discharge of mine and mill wastes or the impact on drinking water, and riparian and aquatic habitats. Miners operating on federal lands had little or no requirement for environmental protection until the 1960s-1970s, although the dumping of mine wastes and mill tailings directly into rivers was halted by an Executive Order in 1935. It is important to recognize that these early miners were not breaking any laws, because there were no laws to break, but legacy issues still exist. Furthermore, many mines were developed during times of war, when it was thought to be more important to mine commodities needed for the war effort, then to protect the environment.

As a result if this mining, there are tens of thousands of inactive or abandoned mine features in 274 mining districts in New Mexico (including coal, uranium, metals, and industrial minerals districts), however many of them have not been inventoried or prioritized for reclamation. The New Mexico Abandoned Mine Lands Bureau of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department estimates that there are more than 15,000 abandoned mine features in the state. The New Mexico AML Program has safeguarded over 2,300 mine openings since inception in 1981 in about 250 separate construction projects (some of which were focused on coal gob reclamation and not safeguarding). The U.S. Bureau of Land Management estimates that more than 10,000 mine features are on BLM lands in New Mexico and only 705 sites have been reclaimed (http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/Abandoned_Mine_Lands/abandoned_mine_site.html). The U.S. Park Service has identified 71 mine features in 7 parks in New Mexico, of which 12 have been mitigated and 34 require mitigation. Additional sites have been reclaimed by the responsible companies and the Superfund program (CERCLA).

The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR) has been examining the environmental effects of mine waste rock piles throughout New Mexico since the early 1990s.The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources has collected published and unpublished data on the districts, mines, deposits, occurrences, and mills since it was created in 1927 and is slowly converting historical data into a relational database, the New Mexico Mines Database. More than 8,000 mines are recorded in the New Mexico Mines Database and more than 7,000 are inactive or abandoned. These mines often include two or more actual mine features. This database is being updated constantly and summaries of many of these mines are found at /staff/mclemore/MinesinNewMexico.html.

Most of these mine features do not pose any physical or environmental hazard and many more, pose only physical hazards, which are easy but costly to remediate. However, a complete inventory of these features is needed. Some of these inactive or abandoned mine features can pose serious health, safety and/or environmental hazards, such as open shafts and adits (some concealed by deterioration or vegetative growth), tunnels that contain deadly gases, highwalls, wild animals, radon and metal-laden waters. Some sites have the potential to contaminate surface water, groundwater and air quality. Heavy metals in mine waste or tailings and acid mine drainage can potentially impact water quality and human health. In addition, some of these mine features are important mineral collecting sites, archealogical or historical sites and also are important in mineral exploration. Furthermore, some waste rock piles and tailings could be potential resources for critical minerals and other commodities needed for U.S. technologies. Potential mineral recovery from mine wastes has the potential not only to support cleanup efforts financially, but to remove metals that could be part of the environmental and public safety hazard. Furthermore, some of these AML sites could be used for future solar and wind farms used to generate electricity.

The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources in cooperation with the Mineral Engineering Department at New Mexico Tech is conducting research on inactive/ abandoned mine features in New Mexico. The objective of our research is to develop a better procedure to inventory and characterize inactive or abandoned mine features in New Mexico and evaluate them in terms of physical stability, chemical stability, public health and safety, ecological risks, and risk to econsystems. The project involves field visits to the sites for inventorying, sample collecting, characterization, and evaluation of each mine feature and prioritization for reclamation, including hazard ranking. Samples are collected to determine total whole rock geochemistry, mineralogical, physical, and engineering properties, acid-base accounting, hydrologic conditions, particle size analyses, soil classification, shear strength testing for stability analysis, and prioritization for remediation, including hazard ranking. Not only are samples collected for geochemical and geotechnical characterization, but the mine features are being mapped, evaluated for future mineral-resource potential, and evaluated for slope stability. These data are aslo used to evaluate the potential for potential recovery of critical minerals.

DEFINITIONS OF ABANDONED MINES

Abandoned mines (AML) are lands that were mined and left unreclaimed where no individual or company has reclamation responsibility and there is no closure plan in effect. These may consist of excavations, either caved in or sealed, that have been deserted and where further mining is not intended. Also called inactive, legacy, and orphaned mines. However, other agencies have slightly different definitions.

The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) defines abandoned surface mined area as mined lands that meet all of the following requirements (Section 2796 (b)(2)(A)(ii)):

• Mining operations have ceased for a period of one year or more.
• There are no approved financial assurances that are adequate to perform reclamation in accordance with this chapter.
• The mined lands are adversely affected by past mineral mining, other than mining for coal, oil, and gas, and mineral material mining.

California defines abandoned mine as the location of any mineral extraction, exploration or borrow operation that may include, but is not limited to, shafts and adits, buildings and workings, open pits, stockpiles, roads, processing areas, waste disposal areas, or tailing piles and ponds, and which meet all of the following conditions:

• Mining operations have ceased for a period of one year or more
• There is no interim management plan in effect

The National Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Initiative (NAOMI) in Canada defines orphaned or abandoned mines as those mines for which the owner cannot be found or for which the owner is financially unable to carry out cleanup (http://www.abandoned-mines.org/en/).

Results

•A sampling protocol has been developed that can estimate the chemical composition of mine wastes (SME 2024)

•Larger mine features are divided into subareas for sampling

•Composite samples are collected from cells within the sample areas and homogenized into a single sample

•Elevated critical minerals are found in some of the mine features in New Mexico and these features should be evaluated for potential re-mining or reprocessing (SME 2024)

•The available critical minerals are dependent upon types of deposits

•Possible re-mining of mine wastes could clean up these sites and pay for reclamation

References

PROJECT PRESENTATIONS AND OTHER REPORTS

1. Asafo-Akowuah, J., McLemore, V.T. and Winton, A., 2016, The Characterization of Abandoned Mines in New Mexico (abstr.): AIPG 2016 Annual meeting, poster (won 2nd place), September
2. Asafo-Akowuah, J., McLemore, V.T. and Winton, A., 2016, The Characterization of Abandoned Mines in New Mexico (abstr.): New Mexico Mining Association, September
3. Asafo-Akowuah, J., McLemore, V.T. and Winton, A., 2016, The Characterization of Abandoned Mines in New Mexico (abstr.): GSA Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, USA, Paper No. 34-4, https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2016AM/webprogram/Paper279703.html
4. Asafo-Akowuah, J. and Virginia T. McLemore, V.T., 2017, The Characterization of Abandoned URANIUM Mines (AUM) in New Mexico: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, 2017 Annual meeting abstract, presentation
5. Asafo-Akowuah, J. and McLemore, V.T., 2017, The Characterization of Legacy Mines in Jicarilla Mountians, New Mexico: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, 2016 Annual meeting abstract, poster
6. Asafo-Akowuah, J., 2017, Characterization and comparison of mine wastes from legacy mines in NM: NMT graduate seminar
7. Asafo-Akowuah, J., and McLemore, V.T., 2017, Characterization of abandoned uranium mines from legacy mines in NM: NMGS spring meeting
8. Asafo-Akowuah, J., 2017, Characterization of abandoned uranium mines from legacy mines in NM: M.S. defense
9. Durica, B., 2017, Geotechnical engineering considerations of AML Project: Presentation to the NM AML Program, December.
10. Durica, J., 2017, New Mexico Abandoned Mine Lands project inventory process for inactive/abandoned mines: Presentation to the NM AML Program, December.
11. Harrison, N., McLemore, V.T., Silva, M., Mojtabai, N., and Asafo-Akowuah, J., 2020, A study of abandoned mine lands in New Mexico: SME Annual Meeting, Preprint 20-37, 6 p., /staff/mclemore/documents/20-037.pdf
12. McLemore, V.T., 2017, AML project: Inventory and characterization of inactive/abandoned mine (AML) features in New Mexico (abstr.): Environmental Conditions of the Animas and San Juan Watersheds with Emphasis on Gold King Mine and Other Mine Waste Issues, Farmington, May (WRRI), https://animas.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/2017/presentations/oral-presentations/ , slides https://animas.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017Presentations/D2_08_Virginia_McLemore.pdf
13. McLemore, V.T., 2017, New Mexico Abandoned Mines Study: Rosedale Mining District, Socorro County, New Mexico: Presentation to the NM AML Program, December.
14. McLemore, V.T., 2018, Critical minerals and Abandoned Mines (Aml) in New Mexico (abstr.); in McLemore, V.T. and Frey, B., editors, 2018, Making Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Profitable—Workshop Proceedings and Abstracts: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Open-file Report OF-597, p. 24, presentation

15. McLemore, V.T., Silva, M., Asafo-Akowuah, J., and Shakelford, J., 2017, AML project: Inventory and characterization of inactive/abandoned mine (AML) features in New Mexico (abstr.): Environmental Conditions of the Animas and San Juan Watersheds with Emphasis on Gold King Mine and Other Mine Waste Issues, Farmington, May (WRRI), https://animas.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/2017/presentations/poster-presentations/; poster

16. McLemore, V.T. and Silva, M., 2018, Mineralogy and chemistry of mine waste rock piles in mining districts in Southern Colorado and New Mexico: 3rd annual conference on Environmental Conditions of the Animas and San Juan Watersheds, Farmington, June (WRRI), poster and oral, https://animas.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/2018/abstracts/oral-presentations/presentationposter

17. McLemore, V.T., Zutah, W., Silva, M., Asafo-Akowuah, J., Trivitt-Kracke, A., Shackelford, J., Mojtabai, N., Richards, M., Harrison, N., Durica, J., Durica, B., and Sears, B., 2019, Geology, mineral-resource potential, and potential environmental impacts of the Rosedale mining district, Socorro County, New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Open-file Report 603, 141 p., /publications/openfile/details.cfml?Volume=603

18. Sears, B., 2017, Historical Mine Research: Presentation to the NM AML Program, December.

19. Silva, M., Shackelford, J., Mojtabai, N., and McLemore, V.T., 2017, AML Project: Inventory and Characterization of Inactive/Abandoned Mine (AML) Features in New Mexico (abstr.): 62nd Annual New Mexico Water Conference (WRRI), Hidden Realities of New Water, poster; abstract https://nmwaterconference.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/2017/posters/poster-abstracts/

20. Silva, M., 2017, Mineralogy and Chemistry of Abandoned Mine Lands: Presentation to the NM AML Program, December.

21. Silva, M., McLemore, V.T., and Mojtabai, N., 2018, Inventory and characterization of Inactive/Abandoned Mine (AML) features in New Mexico (abstr.): in McLemore, V.T. and Frey, B., editors, 2018, Making Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Profitable—Workshop Proceedings and Abstracts: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Open-file Report OF-597, p. 37, poster

22. Silva, M., McLemore, V.T., and Mojtabai, N., 2018, Inventory and characterization of Inactive/Abandoned Mine (AML) features in New Mexico (abstr.): in New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting, Macey Center, New Mexico Tech campus, Socorro, NM, April 13, 2018, Program with Abstracts, p. 68, poster
23. Zutah, W., Winton, A., and McLemore, V.T., 2017, The Characterization of the Rosedale Mining District, Socorro County, New Mexico: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, 2016 Annual meeting abstract, poster

24. Zutah. W. and McLemore, V.T., 2017, Origin and mineral resource potential of Rosedale District, Socorro County, New Mexico: presentation to the NM Mining Association, September.

25. Zutah, W., 2017, Origin and mineral resource potential of Rosedale District, Socorro County, New Mexico: Presentation to the NM AML Program, December
26. A study of abandoned mine lands in New Mexico: SME Annual Meeting, Preprint 20-37, 6 p.
27. Presentation: New Mexico AML Project: Inventory and characterization of inactive/abandoned mine features: MMSA 4th Abandoned Mine Land Summit, 4/6/22
28. Griego, S.and McLemore, V., 2023, Comparing Mine Wastes In New Mexico: Physical And Chemical Properties (abstr.): Geological Society of America, Annual Meeting, https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2023AM/top/papers/index.cgi?username=395361&password=447856&personid=227838
29. Serwah Acheampong-Mensah, A., and McLemore, V.T.,2023, Geochemistry of critical minerals in mine wastes at Hillsboro and Steeple Rock Districts, New
    Mexico (abstr.): New Mexico Geological Society, Spring meeting, abstr https://nmgs.nmt.edu/meeting/abstracts/view.cfm?aid=2930, poster https://nmgs.nmt.edu/meeting/presentations/2023/2930/ABENA%20ACHEAMPONG-MENSAH%20NMGS%20POSTER.pdf
30. SME poster 2023
31. SME presentation 2024

PROJECT THESES

1. Munroe thesis Geology and geochemistry of waste rock piles in the Hillsboro mining district, Sierra County, New Mexico
2. Raugust thesis The Natural Defenses of Copper Flat, Sierra County, New Mexico
3. Asafo-Akowuah, J., 2017, New Mexico Abandoned Uranium Mines Study: Jeter, Lucky Don, and Little Davie mines, Socorro County, New Mexico: M.S. independent thesis
4. Zutah, W., 2017, Origin and mineral resource potential of Rosedale District, Socorro County, New Mexico: M.S. independent thesis
5. Silva, M.E., 2019, An inventory and mineralogical characterization of mines and prospects in the North Magdalena Mining District, Socorro County, New Mexico: M.S. thesis

OTHER REFERENCES

1. Bureau of Land Management, 2014, Abandoned Mine Land Inventory Study for BLM-Managed Lands in California, Nevada, and Utah: Site and Feature Analysis. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, National Operations Center, Denver, CO., 24 p., http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/blm_library/BLM_pubs.Par.79469.File.dat/BLM-AML-Inventory-CA-NV-UT_Nov2014.pdf
2. McLemore, V.T., 2017, Mining districts and prospect areas of New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Resource Map 24, 65 p., scale 1:1,000,000.
3. McLemore, V.T., Donahue, K., Krueger, C.B., Rowe, A., Ulbricht, L., Jackson, M.J., Breese, M.R., Jones, G., and Wilks, M., 2002, Database of the uranium mines, prospects, occurrences, and mills in New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Open file Report, v. 461, CD-ROM, /publications/openfile/details.cfml?Volume=461
4. McLemore, V.T., Hoffman, G., Smith, M., Mansell, M., and Wilks, M., 2005a, Mining districts of New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, OF-494, CD-ROM.
5. McLemore, V.T., Krueger, C.B., Johnson, P., Raugust, J.S., Jones, G.E., Hoffman, G.K. and Wilks, M., 2005b, New Mexico Mines Database: Mining Engineering, February, p. 42-47.
6. Munroe, E. A., 1999, Geology and geochemistry of waste rock piles in the Hillsboro mining district, Sierra County, New Mexico: M.S. thesis, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, 144 p.

7. Smith, K.S. 2007. Strategies to predict metal mobility in surficial mining environments, J.V. DeGraff, editor, Understanding and Responding to Hazardous Substances at Mine Sites in the Western United States: Ch. 3. Reviews in Engineering Geology, Vol. 17, Boulder, CO, Geological Society of America. p. 25–45.

8. Smith, K.S., Ramsey, C.A., and Hageman, P.L., 2000, Statistically-based sampling strategy for sampling the surface material of mine-waste dumps for use in screening and prioritizing historical dumps on abandoned mines lands; in ICARD 2000; Proceedings from the 5th international conference on acid rock drainage: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc., Littleton, Colo., p. 1453-1461. http://crustal.usgs.gov/minewaste/minewaste.pubs.html

9. Sobek, A.A., Schuller, W.A., Freeman, J.R. and Smith, R.M., 1978, Field and laboratory methods applicable to overburdens and minesoils: U.S. EPA 600/2-78-054, Washington, D.C., 203 p.

10. Historical mining records for Rosedale district
11. Listings of mines in New Mexico

Last updated February 22, 2024

Principle Investigator Virginia T. McLemore