News Releases from Region 09

U.S. EPA awards $175,000 to Nevada Division of Environmental Protection for abandoned mines program

For Immediate Release: June 27, 201

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $175,000 to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) to assess and prioritize abandoned mines for potential cleanup.

“EPA is committed to helping Nevada safely identify abandoned mines for potential cleanup,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “These funds will support efforts to address the legacy of abandoned mines throughout Nevada.”

“NDEP’s Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Program identifies, assesses and prioritizes work on environmental hazards associated with AML sites in Nevada. For the past six years, EPA has contributed to NDEP’s site assessment and investigation work,” said Greg Lovato, NDEP Administrator. “With this grant, NDEP will continue this important work and collaborate with partner AML agencies to determine priorities for AML site cleanups in Nevada.”

NDEP’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program mitigates potential human health and ecological concerns associated with contamination from the state’s historic heavy-metal mining operations. These sites generally operated from the 1860s through the late 20th century on both public and private lands statewide. Sites may include mills, mill tailings, acid mine drainage, waste rock dumps, heap leach pads, pit lakes, chemical hazards, and associated structures and roads. 

EPA’s grant will fund preliminary assessments, which includes site visits, soil sampling and subsequent scientific analyses to determine if potential environmental or public health hazards exist. The information will be used by Nevada to determine if cleanup is needed and prioritize that work.

For more information on Nevada’s Abandoned Mine Program, please visit: https://ndep.nv.gov/land/abandoned-mine-lands

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