Definitions

• Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management – Abandoned mines are those mines that were abandoned before January 1, 1981, the effective date of the Bureau of Land Management's Surface Management regulations issued under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)^[5]
• Environmental Protection Agency – Abandoned mine lands (AMLs) are those lands, waters, and surrounding watersheds where extraction, beneficiation or, processing of ores and minerals has occurred.^[6]

In the United States, there are thousands of abandoned mines. The precise number of abandoned mines in the United States remains unknown, ranging "from the National Park Service's tally of 2,500 on its lands to the Mineral Policy Center's assessment of 560,000 abandoned mines on public and privately owned lands."^[7] Many of these abandoned mines are associated with abandoned neighboring towns often referred to as ghost towns. Experts strongly warn against entering or exploring old or abandoned mines. In California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arkansas, there are over 6,500 abandoned mines, according to infographic.^[8]

Danger sign at an old Arizona mine

In the U.S., the estimation is that approximately 80% of the abandoned mine lands (AML) sites pose physical safety hazards^[9] and require more work in determining the proper safety of these lands.^[10]

Every year, dozens are injured or killed in recreational accidents on mine property. While exploring abandoned mines can be dangerous, the majority of deaths on mine property are actually unrelated to mine exploration. The leading causes of accidental deaths on abandoned mine properties are drownings in open quarries and ATV accidents. These types of accidents often occur when people engage in recreational activities on abandoned mine sites without taking proper precautions or following safety guidelines. It is important for individuals to recognize the risks associated with these activities and to take steps to ensure their safety. Property owners and managers also have a role to play in preventing accidents by implementing safety measures and providing adequate warning signs and barriers. The U.S. Department of Labor notes that since 1999, "more than 200 people have died in recreational accidents at the surface and underground active and abandoned operations across the country."^[11] Due to these circumstances, the Mine Safety and Health Administration launched the "Stay Out – Stay Alive" campaign, which is a national public awareness campaign aimed at warning and educating children and adults about the dangers of exploring and playing on active and abandoned mine sites.

In the U.S., the Abandoned Mine Land Initiative, launched by the Western Governor's Association and the National Mining Association is also an effort focusing on reporting the number of high-priority AML sites.^[12] The initiative identifies, measures, and reports on the progress of current reclamation cleanup programs on an annual basis. In the Americas region, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Chilean Copper Commission (COHILCO) co-hosted a workshop to address the problem of abandoned or "orphaned" mines.^[13] Including a representative from the UN, ten countries were represented from North, Central, and South America with an eleventh participant being Japan.

Legislation

Definitions

• National Orphaned/Abandoned Mines Initiative – Orphaned or abandoned mines are those mines for which the owner cannot be found or, the owner is financially unable or unwilling to carry out clean-up. They pose environmental, health, safety, and economic problems to communities, the mining industry, and governments in many countries, including Canada.^[15]
• The Ontario Mining Act describes "abandoned mines" as old land previously used for coal mining unused due to hazardous environmental and health effects.

There are approximately 10,139 abandoned mines currently in Canada.^[16] Research is being done to utilize geothermal systems in these abandoned mines as a renewable heating source and has shown to be quite cost-efficient.^[17]