Summary of Mining Plans of Operation in New Mexico.
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Currently on file with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are 59 mining plans and notices filed by 7 companies and 9 individuals, encompassing a total estimated area of 3,549 acres of BLM-managed public land in New Mexico. These plans and notices are filed on public land laden with gold, silver, copper and other precious metals and minerals worth billions of dollars. And these operations are only those on BLM lands, not on Forest Service lands, for which mining plans and notices are not entered into the government's LR2000 database that forms the backbone of this site. But whether the mines are on BLM or Forest Service land, none of the corporate revenue is reimbursed to the public. Instead, companies leave behind unfathomable amounts of waste. In 2001 alone, the industry dumped enough mercury nationally to fill a billion thermometers and arsenic in quantities that would pollute all public drinking water supplies for 350 years. In 2001, mines generated 45 percent of all pollution reported in the U.S. while accounting for just 0.36 percent of all industrial facilities.
| Quick facts about mining plans on BLM land in New Mexico |
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• Acres of U.S. public land (BLM land only) under mining plans and notices, estimated: 3,549 • Pollution from all US mining operations, ranking among all U.S. industries: : #1 in total toxic releases • Pollution from top 89 mines in US: 5 times pollution from entire U.S. chemical industry (3,600 plants) • Western water polluted by mine waste: 40 percent of Western headwaters • Proposed mining operations that have been blocked by the Department of Interior because they posed a risk to public health or the environment: None • Other land uses that supercede rights of mining companies to operate on public lands: None |
EWG analysis of data compiled by the Bureau of Land Management. |
Top Mining Plan/Notice Companies/Individuals on BLM land in New Mexico Ranked by Acres Affected
Companies have been consolidated to account for subsidiaries. View this table without consolidation.
| Company/Individual | Headquarters | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | Plan Date(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phelps Dodge Mining Co | Phoenix, AZ | 5 | 1,227 | 1995 to 2002 |
| 2 | W E Haney | Carlsbad, NM | 1 | 80 | 0 |
| 3 | Las Cruces Transit Mix | Las Cruces, NM | 1 | 40 | 0 |
| 4 | Mayfield Mine Assoc | Las Cruces, NM | 1 | 40 | 1986 |
| 5 | Uranium King Corp | Peralta, NM | 1 | 20 | 1987 |
| 6 | ANP Inc | Albuquerque, NM | 4 | 0 | 1995 to 2001 |
| 7 | Vincent J Lardner | Albuquerque, NM | 1 | 10 | 1990 |
| 8 | Timothy J Lardner | Albuquerque, NM | 1 | 10 | 1990 |
| 9 | Scott C Lardner | Albuquerque, NM | 1 | 10 | 1990 |
| 10 | Lois M Lardner | Albuquerque, NM | 1 | 10 | 1990 |
| See all plan/notice holders in New Mexico | |||||
Counties in New Mexico Ranked by Acres Affected by Plans and Notices
| County | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grant County | 12 | 2,526 | details | map |
| 2 | McKinley County | 1 | 480 | details | map |
| 3 | Luna County | 5 | 219 | details | map |
| 4 | Dona Ana County | 7 | 95 | details | map |
| 5 | Eddy County | 1 | 80 | details | map |
| 6 | Sierra County | 9 | 36 | details | map |
| 7 | Otero County | 5 | 25 | details | map |
| 8 | Cibola County | 5 | 23 | details | map |
| 9 | Sandoval County | 1 | 20 | details | map |
| 10 | Santa Fe County | 5 | 17 | details | map |
| See all counties | |||||
Examples of Mines in New Mexico
| Name of Mine | Location of Mine | Mine Status | Metal Mined | Owner or Parent Company of Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questa Molybdenum Mine | Taos County, NM | Open | Molybdenum | Molycorp |
| Chino Copper Mine | Grant County, NM | Suspended | Copper Ore | Phelps Dodge |
| Tyrone Copper (sx-ew) Mine | Grant County, NM | Open | Copper Ore | Phelps Dodge |
| Crownpoint | Mckinley County, NM | Proposed | Uranium | Hydro Resources |
| Continental | Grant County, NM | Suspended | Copper Ore | Phelps Dodge |
Source: EWG analysis.