SANTA FE — New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard issued an executive order Friday that prohibits the leasing of state trust lands for new uranium mining and related activities, directing the State Land Office to prioritize cleanup of legacy uranium sites.
Order focuses on remediation, not new development
The directive instructs the State Land Office to shift its focus from opening new uranium production to addressing a decades-long cleanup challenge tied to uranium mining and milling in the state. New Mexico, historically a major uranium producer, contains hundreds of former operations and exploratory sites whose environmental impacts continue to affect communities.
“New Mexico has always been at the center of uranium production in this country, but our citizens have been ignored and disrespected by the industry and the federal government for far too long. That stops now,”
Garcia Richard said the action is intended to protect communities, land and water — particularly Indigenous communities and families who have borne environmental and health burdens tied to uranium production and nuclear testing.
Scope of the legacy problem
The State Land Office cited the scope of past uranium activity as a driving reason for the order. According to the office, there are more than 1,000 former uranium mining, milling and exploratory drilling sites across New Mexico, with approximately 250 considered abandoned because no viable responsible party can be found. At least 50 of those abandoned sites involve state trust lands.
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Former uranium mines, mills, drill sites | 1,000+ |
| Sites considered abandoned | 250 |
| Abandoned sites on state trust lands | 50+ |
The commissioner also appealed to federal authorities and the uranium industry to prioritize funding and meaningful action to address the unresolved contamination and safety issues tied to past production.
Political and federal context
The move comes amid federal interest in expanding domestic uranium production. Garcia Richard criticized that push as premature given the backlog of unremediated sites in New Mexico and elsewhere, saying the state should not authorize new development until existing harms are addressed.
- State action: Executive order bans new uranium leasing on state trust lands.
- Remediation priority: State Land Office instructed to focus on cleanup of legacy sites.
- Federal appeal: Commissioner urged federal government and industry to fund and engage in cleanup work.
The order does not itself affect federal lands or private property; Garcia Richard noted she has proposed legislation to withdraw certain federal lands in the Chama watershed from uranium mining, highlighting the limits of state authority over federal land decisions.
State and local officials will now face decisions about funding, staffing and coordination with federal agencies and tribal nations to carry out remediation plans. The issue intersects environmental health concerns, state trust revenue responsibilities and longstanding calls from Indigenous communities for remediation and compensation related to the uranium era.
For residents living near legacy uranium sites, the directive signals a state-level commitment to remediation, but the effectiveness of the order will depend on securing funds and cooperation from responsible parties and federal agencies that regulate mining and environmental cleanup.
— Santiago Baca, New Mexico Correspondent
