Science in Practice Portal

Abandoned mine land (AML) sites are a significant threat to public safety throughout the western United States. Although fencing and posting signs may provide temporary remediation of this threat, permanent closure is the only positive method for eliminating hazards. Nevada has an estimated 50,000 AML sites on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that pose significant threats. The BLM staff has embarked on a mission to deal with this on a large scale.