Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation (AHMR/AML) Grants

The U.S. Department of the Interior has been authorized by Congress to establish an Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation (AHMR) Program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This program is separate and not inclusive of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s (OSMRE) Abandoned Mine Lands Program. Over the decades, extractive industry activities have left behind a number of underground and surface mines and features that pose physical safety hazards and have degraded the environment impacting local communities and created a loss of jobs in the mining industry. The program provides project grants to assist States, U.S. Territories, and Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments with mitigating the physical safety and contaminant risks associated with hardrock (non-coal) abandoned mine sites and features. The AHMR Program's outcomes include enhancing public safety and improving water, soil, and air quality by reducing or eliminating the physical safety of past hardrock mining activities on State, Tribal, and private lands.