New Mexico played a critical role in national defense starting in World War II by supplying uranium, the critical element in some nuclear weapons, to the federal government. Uranium continues to serve as a source material for nuclear power plants today, though no active mining or milling operations exist in the state.
The adverse legacy of uranium mining and milling is a very present danger to communities and remains in our land and water, posing significant risk to human health and the environment.
The New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Office of Strategic Initiatives has released an interactive dashboard to simplify researching the extent of uranium impacts and easily access the federal and state government agencies involved in each site’s management. The dashboard allows members of the public to easily find information on these legacy mines and milling operations in their area. It will be updated regularly as new information on each site is received by NMED.
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