What are abandoned mine lands? Abandoned mine lands (AMLs) are “lands, waters and watersheds where extraction, beneficiation or processing of ores and minerals has occurred.” Mining wastes pose a threat to Tribal communities in several ways that may not be obvious to other agencies, therefore, it is critical for Tribes to be engaged in the cleanup and redevelopment process. See EPA’s Abandoned Mine Lands: Site Information webpage for information about abandoned hardrock mines and mineral processing sites.
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) works with Tribes to ensure that citizens and the environment are protected during coal mining and that the land is restored to beneficial use when mining is finished, including reclaiming and restoring lands and water degraded by mining operations before 1977. See OSMRE information for Tribal governments.
Learn more about abandoned mine lands:
Abandoned Mine Lands Background
In 2004, mining sites contributed 52 percent of all hazardous waste sites located on, or next to, Tribal Lands. The commodities mined from these sites include, but are not limited to, gold, coal, sand and gravel, uranium, copper, and lead. Mining minerals from the earth requires three processes: extraction, beneficiation, and processing. Extraction is the removal of the ore from the earth. Beneficiation follows extraction and involves working the ore into a more useable form. Finally, mineral processing removes the desired mineral from the remaining ore. The extraction and beneficiation processes produce large quantities of waste; however, the mineral processing phase generally produces most of the hazardous waste. Mine wastes are generally stored in heaps or mounds and in tailings ponds.
Mining wastes pose a threat to communities in several ways. Leachate from tailings, acid drainage, and oxidization of heavy metals can be transported by surface runoff to streams and lakes or possibly contaminate the aquifer, thus contaminating human drinking water or harming aquatic life. Contaminated soil from heaps is often transported by wind and deposited to surrounding areas including residential property, public parks, surface water, etc.
EPA conducts and supervises investigation and cleanup actions at a variety of mine sites where hazardous substances have been released into the environment or when there is a threat of such releases of these substances. Cleanups may be done by EPA, other federal agencies, states or municipalities, or the company or party responsible for the contamination. Long-term (remedial) and short-term (removal) cleanup actions occur under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
The EPA Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Program is coordinated through the Agency’s National Mining Team (NMT) and Abandoned Mine Lands Team (AMLT). These teams provide an EPA headquarters and Regional core of expertise on issues at abandoned mine sites. The teams together serve as a focal point for coordinating and facilitating national technical, policy and process issues with stakeholders on abandoned/inactive mine research, characterization, clean-up and redevelopment activities.
The goal of EPA’s AML Program is to identify ways to protect human health and the environment by using all of the non-regulatory and regulatory approaches available to the Agency. The EPA AML program defines AMLs as: “Those lands, waters, and surrounding watersheds contaminated or scarred by extraction, beneficiation or processing of ores and minerals, including phosphate but not coal*. Abandoned mine lands include areas where mining or processing activity is temporarily inactive.”
*Although acid mine drainage/acid rock drainage caused by coal mining commonly results in significant environmental impacts, Congress has designated the Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining as the Federal authority responsible for addressing these coal mining contamination problems.
Contaminants of Concern at Abandoned Mines
A long judicial history has made defining hazardous mining wastes quite difficult. Currently, RCRA has named 20 mineral processing wastes that are excluded from federal hazardous waste regulations.
Due to the fact that each mine, depending on processes and desired commodity, may produce a different waste stream, it is difficult to list all chemicals of concern. Essentially, it is the responsibility of the concerned citizen to research the specific wastes from the mine in question. Here are some examples of typical contaminants for common mines:
Gold – cyanide, cyanide-metals, heavy metals, and acid rock drainage
Zinc/Lead – heavy metals, cyanide, and acid rock drainage
Uranium – uranium and associated radioactivity, radon, arsenic, and lead
Coal – heavy metals
Applicable Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Guidance Documents
US Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s (OSMRE) website provides information on mining laws, regulations, and guidance. This includes a summary of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act enacted in 1977, and links to OSMRE’s federal register notices, compliance with the endangered species act, select executive orders, and select memorandum of understanding.
EPA’s Abandoned Mine Lands Policy and Guidance webpage contains EPA policy and guidance documents that have direct applications to the assessment and remediation of abandoned mine lands. These policies and guidance documents must be taken in the context of the National Contingency Plan Overview (NCP), which is the overarching planning document governing Superfund actions. All policies and guidance documents are official Agency documents that reflect Agency approaches at the time of their issuance.
Abandoned Mine Lands Cleanup
The goal of EPA’s AML Program is to identify ways to protect human health and the environment by using all of the non-regulatory and regulatory approaches available to the Agency. These approaches include:
- Voluntary cleanups
- Agency-managed emergency responses
- Involvement of Brownfields partners
- Cleanups based on redevelopment/revitalization
- Agreement on Consent remediation
- Superfund Alternative Site designation
- NPL listing
- Innovative reuse/remediation
To best coordinate the risk reduction and cleanup of abandoned mine lands, the AML Program partners with:
- Other federal land management agencies
- States
- Tribes
- Mine owners and operators
- Community stakeholders
See EPA’s Abandoned Mine Site Characterization and Cleanup Handbook as a source of information and ideas for project managers involved in the characterization and cleanup of inactive mine sites. This handbook is not guidance or policy.
Obtaining Technical Assistance and Support
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) works with Tribes to ensure that citizens and the environment are protected during coal mining and that the land is restored to beneficial use when mining is finished, including reclaiming and restoring lands and water degraded by mining operations before 1977. See OSMRE information for Tribal governments.
Additional Resources
EPA’s Abandoned Mine Lands: Site Information webpage provides information about mining sites proposed for and listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) as well as mining sites being cleaned up using the Superfund Alternative Approach. Also see EPA’s Abandoned Mine Lands: Technical Resources webpage for more information.
Overview of U.S. EPA’s Technical Outreach and Support Activities on Sustainable Mining Applications (25 pp) highlights alternative and innovative technologies for remediating abandoned mine sites.
Reference Guide to Treatment Technologies for Mining-Influenced Water (94 pp) highlights select mining-influenced water (MIW) treatment technologies used or piloted as part of remediation efforts at mine sites.
Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) The ITRC is a public-private coalition working to reduce barriers to the use of innovative environmental technologies that maximize cleanup efficacy. The ITRC has developed technical and regulatory guidance to aid in technology selection to remediate mining sites.
Clu-In Webinars on Mining Sites Archives of webinars on technology-related resources and training opportunities associated with characterization, cleanup, and redevelopment of abandoned mine sites.
Related TLAC Webpages
Additional Websites of Interest
