GRANTS, N.M. – New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard and the State Land Office (NMSLO) joined the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) today to celebrate the progress the agencies have made in efforts to address the state’s tragic uranium mining legacy as part of the Uranium Mining Cleanup Initiative.
The state legislature recently appropriated $12 million to enable the agencies to begin work this Spring to clean up three uranium mining sites on state trust lands near Grants that have been abandoned for decades and have no viable party to hold responsible for cleanup – known as Schmitt Decline, Red Bluff No. 1, and Moe No. 4. These first three sites were chosen due to their proximity to residential areas, the potential physical hazards they pose, and their readiness for cleanup.
As part of today’s celebration, Commissioner Garcia Richard also donated an underground dump truck and winch recovered by remediation crews from the Schmitt Decline site to the New Mexico Mining Museum in Grants to be used for public education about the state’s uranium mining history.
“There is a shameful history of uranium mining in New Mexico, and I’m thrilled that we are finally taking the most significant steps ever to clean up these abandoned sites and protect communities from the threats they pose,” said Commissioner Garcia Richard. “We owe it to the Indigenous and Downwinder communities that have long suffered from uranium’s toxic sting to do everything we can to remediate these sites and prevent future contamination to our natural resources. As Land Commissioner, I will continue opposing efforts by the Trump administration and industry to reopen New Mexico’s lands to uranium mining and once again put our people at risk. We are headed in the right direction with these first three cleanup projects, but I urge New Mexico’s lawmakers to provide significant and steady funding for this program moving forward so we can clean up every uranium site located within New Mexico’s borders.”
The NMSLO, NMED, and EMNRD held public meetings in Grants on the Schmitt Decline and Red Bluff No. 1 sites on January 20, 2026 and 0n May 13, 2026, respectively, before beginning cleanup work on those sites. The agencies will also hold a public meeting regarding the Moe No. 4 site before that cleanup begins.
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Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard has overseen the New Mexico State Land Office since 2019. In that time the agency has earned over $15 billion for New Mexico public schools, hospitals, and universities. Over 13 million acres of state trust land are leased for a variety of uses, including ranching and farming, renewable energy, business development, mineral development, and outdoor recreation. The State Land Office has a dual mandate to use state trust land to financially support vital public institutions, while simultaneously working to protect the land for future generations.