Abandoned Mine Lands

Abandoned mine lands (AML) represent a significant risk to public health and safety in addition to causing adverse environmental impacts to water quality and soil stability. An ongoing cooperative effort between the State of Montana and the Bureau of Land Management is having positive results in eliminating and/or reducing both the public safety hazards and the adverse environmental impacts. Since 1995, Montana BLM has been working to clean up abandoned mines located on public lands utilizing a watershed approach.  An inventory of 1,078 abandoned mines located on public lands resulted in the identification of 65 sites that needed further investigation and possible reclamation. Some sites contain threats to public saftey while others are significantly impacting water quality. The following list provides links to project descriptions. Basin Mining Area Belle Eldridge Cataract Creek Clancy Creek Glen Mill Site  Abandoned Mine Lands Safety Abandoned Mine Policy Handbook