Defense-Related Uranium Mines Program
Stored: Defense-Related Uranium Mines Program
| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | Office of Legacy Management |
| Top Organization | Department of Energy |
| Creation Legislation | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | Defense-Related Uranium Mines Program checks abandoned mines from U.S. defense, assessing health and environmental risks with partners to secure sites. |
| Program Start | 2017 |
| Initial Funding | $21 million (2017-2020) |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
Defense-Related Uranium Mines Program (DRUM) is a U.S. Department of Energy initiative managed by the Office of Legacy Management (LM) to address the legacy of approximately 4,225 abandoned uranium mines that provided ore to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) for defense-related activities between 1947 and 1970. The program verifies and validates the condition of these mines, assessing risks to human health and the environment, and works with federal, state, and tribal partners to safeguard hazardous sites and share data for land management decisions. A notable aspect is its phased approach, covering public lands, tribal lands, and private properties across 19 states, with a focus on physical hazards and radiological risks.
Goals
- Verify and validate the condition of approximately 4,225 defense-related uranium mines by conducting field assessments.
- Assess and mitigate risks to human health and the environment, targeting physical hazards like open shafts and radiological concerns like radon exposure.
- Provide data to federal land managers, states, and tribes to prioritize reclamation, with metrics including the number of safeguarded sites and completed risk screenings.
Organization
The Defense-Related Uranium Mines Program is administered by the Office of Legacy Management (LM) within the Department of Energy. It operates through partnerships with federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service, state abandoned mine lands programs, and tribal governments. Funding comes from DOE allocations, with $21 million initially provided from 2017 to 2020, supplemented by ongoing appropriations. Governance involves interagency coordination via the Abandoned Uranium Mines Working Group (AUMWG).
The leader of the program holds the title of Uranium Mine Team Supervisor, currently Jay Glascock as of 2025.
Partners
- Bureau of Land Management
- U.S. Forest Service
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Navajo Nation
- Department of the Interior
History
The Defense-Related Uranium Mines Program originated from a 2014 report to Congress highlighting the unknown conditions of abandoned uranium mines that supported AEC defense efforts from 1947 to 1970. It was established in 2017 under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which mandated DOE to review these sites. Launched with Campaign 1 on public lands, it expanded to tribal lands (Campaign 2) in 2022 and private properties (Campaign 3) in 2024. Key events include safeguarding efforts starting in 2020 and collaboration with the Navajo Nation’s 10-Year Plan. The program plans to continue through at least 2030, focusing on sustainability and hazardous site mitigation.
Funding
The program began with $21 million from the DOE’s Office of Legacy Management budget between 2017 and 2020, funded through federal appropriations. Funding started in 2017 and remains ongoing, with annual budgets supporting field operations and partnerships. For example, the 2023 annual report noted continued financial support, though exact figures vary yearly based on Congressional allocations. Additional funding has been authorized to expand safeguarding efforts, primarily from DOE resources and interagency agreements.
Implementation
The program is carried out in three campaigns: Campaign 1 (public lands, started 2017), Campaign 2 (tribal lands, started 2022), and Campaign 3 (private properties, started 2024). Methods include field verification and validation (V&V) to document mine conditions, environmental sampling, and risk screening, followed by safeguarding measures like sealing hazardous openings. There is no defined end date, with efforts ongoing to address all identified sites by 2030 or beyond, depending on resource availability.
Related
External links
- https://www.energy.gov/lm/defense-related-uranium-mines-program
- https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/mining-and-minerals/abandoned-mine-lands
- wikipedia:Defense-Related Uranium Mines Program
Social media
- None identified