Abandoned Mine Lands Program

Transcription

1 Abandoned Mine Lands Management in the United States: A 25-year perspective from the Bureau of Land Management 1

2 Topics - About the - Mining history in the United States - Abandoned Mine Lands in the United States - About the BLM s AML program - BLM AML laws and regulations - BLM AML risk management - BLM AML Program challenges - 25 Years in Review 2

3 The - Established in Combined the General Land Office and Grazing Service - Manages over 100 million surface hectares; approximately 40% of the federally managed land; mainly in the Western US - Employs over 10,000 individuals - Annual budget of over $1.2 billon 3

4 The - Multiple-use mission To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America's public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. - La nd-use planning and authorization - Multiple programs; esp. wildlife and cultural - Major Laws and Regulations - Federal Land Policy and Management Act of National Environmental Policy Act of

5 Mining History in the United States s Placer mining California Gold Rush - Hydraulic mining s Homesteading starts - Go Wes t! - Ends with FLPMA in General Mining Law - Public lands open to mineral acquisition by locating/maintaining mining claims Alaska Gold Rush 5

6 Mining History in the United States Environmental movement begins Clea n Air Ac t National Environmental Policy Act Clean Water Act Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA, coal only) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, aka Superfund) BLM s surface management regulations enacted Regs 6

7 Abandoned Mine Lands in the US - Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments - Coal and hardrock - Estimated >500,000 hardrock AML s ites in the US - Federal AML Cast: - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Department of Agriculture (managed ha) - Fores t Service (78 million ha) - Department of the Interior - (103 million ha) - National Park Service (34.2 million ha) - Fis h and Wildlife Service (8 million ha) - Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (0 million ha) 7

8 BLM s Abandoned Mine Lands Program 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) 8

9 AML Program Laws and Regulations - Environmental and Physical Safety - Physical Safety Reclamation - FLPMA; Na tiona l Environmenta l Policy Act - Environmental Remediation - Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act - Clean Water Act - National Historic Preservation Act of Cultural resources - Endangered Species Act of 1973/BLM Special Status Species - Wildlife res ources 9

10 BLM Abandoned Mine Lands Program - History BLM enacts surface regulations Task Forces Mining Law AML Clean Water Action plan - watersheds Abandoned Mine Pilot projects Program officially funded DOI Inspector General audits for BLM AML program Physical safety death $$$ - Program increase and American Restoration and Recovery Act Gold King, Colorado 10

11 Gold King, Animas River Watershed, Colorado 11

12 AML Program Today (sites) 12

13 AML Program Today - Inventory (01/12/2016) - 97,631 Features - 52,293 Sites - Budget $16 million - Abandoned Uranium Mines - Department of Energy Defence Related Uranium Mine Site DRUM ; verification and validation - Completed Feasibility Studies for fiscal scope - Cost to complete inventory of physical safety hazard remediation Cost to complete inventory in three states

14 AML Program Activities 14

15 AML Program - Activities - Discover and inventory features - Topographically occurring mine symbols (TOMS), historic mine communities, LIDAR - Evaluation of features - Study and survey features - Characterization, feasibility, and engineering studies - Biological and cultural surveys - Risk assessment and prioritization - Address hazards - Maintenance and monitoring - *Partnerships are key 15

16 AML Program - Partnerships - Local, State, Federal, and Tribal partners - Non-governmental organizations 16

17 AML Program Prioritization - Physical safety assessments - Proximity to populated places - Recreation and specially designated lands - Incidents death and/or injury - Environmental assessments - Risk Assessments - receptors - Ecological - Human Health - Defense Related Uranium Mines (DRUMs) - Department of Energy report 17

18 AML Program Challenges - Program Management - Flat budgets labor, monitoring, and funding available for work - Inventory/database keep it s imple - Technology embrace it - Employee capacity employ and retain; collateral duty - Long term management treatment into perpetuity - Post-1981 abandoned mines 18

19 AML Program Challenges Zortman and Landusky Mines Montana - Post-1981 site - Perpetual water treatment - Environmental Justice Fort Belknap Res. 19

20 AML Program Challenges American Flats - Nevada - Historical and local interest delayed demo - 1 fatality and numerous injuries 20

21 AML Program Challenges - Phys ical s afety clos ures - Biological and cultural considerations - Post-closure management: - Re-processing encapsulated minerals - Re-opening physical features and surface disturbance - Closed mine exploration and vandalism - Urban interface and recreationalists - Special public land designations 21

22 AML Program Challenges 22

23 Legislative Proposals for AMLs - Good Samaritan - Reduce/remove liabilities of Good Samaritans who lead/assist AML cleanups - What if the GS does more harm? - Hardrock Mining Fee/Royalty - Similar to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of

24 AMLs and Land Use Allocations - Re-use - Wind and Solar arrays - Technologies - Wind powered water treatment - Land use recordation - Wildland fire control (potential to cause caps to fail) - Future land use/location information for: - Development/permitting - Land disposal - La nd-use planning 24

25 AMLs and Land Use Allocations 25

26 AML Program Accomplishments - From 2009 to 2016 the BLM AML program Remediated 8,105 Physical Safety Hazards Added 34,466 AML sites added to inventory Maintained and monitored 6,355 sites 26

27 AML Program - 25 years in review - Know what you have - Inventory - Know the priorities - Ris k - Know your advocates - Politicia ns - Know the tools - Numbers, Auditors, and Technology - Know your partners - Internal Other federal partners - External State AML programs, NGOs, Others - Expand fiscal and expert capability 27

28 Questions? 28

29 BLM AML Program Resources - BLM website - Publications - Inventory - Program information - Abandonedmines.gov 29

30 Presentation for the Dealing with Derelict Mines International Summit on Derelict Mines, Singleton, NSW, Australia. December 6-8, 2016 Presented by: Erinn Shirley, Abandoned Mine Lands Specialis t Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 20 M ST. SE. Washington, DC eshirley@blm.gov 30