Understanding the scale and complexity of abandoned mine lands
Amber Withers has 20 years of experience specializing in abandoned mine lands (AML), mine reclamation, permitting and cost estimation. She has a comprehensive project history addressing various AML issues, including field inventory and safety hazard assessments, land ownership research, database management and reclamation design.
At SME MineXchange 2026, Amber co-chaired a session titled “Reclaiming the Past: Strategies for Managing Abandoned Mine Lands”. When more than 6,000 mining professionals gathered, the industry’s momentum was unmistakable. Yet in her session, a different story unfolded, one centered on legacy, responsibility and the scale of work still ahead.
The scale of the challenge came into sharp focus
The tone across the session was clear: despite decades of progress, abandoned mine lands (AMLs) across the U.S. remain a vast challenge. Presenters showcased characterization studies across watersheds in states like Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma that showed ongoing impacts from historic lead and zinc mining. Others discussed uranium mine waste assessments, underscoring both environmental risk and the complex regulatory pathways associated with radioactive materials.
The consensus was consistent. Thousands of abandoned sites remain, and clarity on how to remediate them is limited.
Remining waste is becoming a major area of interest
An emerging theme was the growing momentum around examining historic mine waste for critical and rare earth minerals. As demand rises for metals essential to clean energy and technology supply chains, several presenters focused on:
- Assessing waste piles for rare earths
- Evaluating lead zinc districts for byproduct value
- Exploring whether uranium bearing waste could be reprocessed
The idea of remining the past is gaining traction as teams consider whether environmental remediation and mineral recovery can be aligned.
However, the discussion also addressed the practical barriers. Many AML sites are too small for a modern processing plant to be viable. Presenters also emphasized a key caution: disturbing an abandoned waste pile can transfer legal liability to the party that touches it.
The opportunity is real. The risks are too.
The audience kept coming back to one question: who pays?
Funding dominated the presentations and the Q&A. Because most abandoned mines lack a responsible party, remediation relies on inconsistent or limited funding sources. Audience questions repeatedly circled back to:
- Where will funding for reclamation come from?
- How can small sites justify investment?
- What role can re‑mining play in closing the financial gap?
Presenters described the patchwork that currently exists: some state AML programs, occasional federal support, and in rare cases private landowners willing to assume liability. Good Samaritan protections help but are not perfect. Political, financial and regulatory uncertainty was a recurring theme.
New tools are reshaping how teams understand old problems
While many technologies were familiar to the room, one area felt like a clear step forward: remote sensing and advanced investigation techniques. Presenters highlighted:
- Drone based surveys for mapping dangerous or inaccessible terrain
- LiDAR imaging to identify subsidence zones and historic features
- Tracer studies that tracked contaminants from elevated mine workings to downstream watercourses, pinpointing where passive treatment should occur
These tools are transforming site characterisation by improving precision, safety and the clarity of remediation strategies.
Safety closures continue to evolve
One presentation showcased the use of high tensile, flexible wire mesh (such as systems produced by Geobrugg) to close shafts in remote, hard to access areas. These barriers aren’t designed to prevent intentional trespassing, but they significantly reduce the risk of accidental falls, especially during winter recreation when snow can obscure open shafts.
It’s becoming a practical, scalable tool in the AML safety toolkit.
The session reaffirmed long‑standing realities and the value of community
For practitioners with decades of experience, the session largely reinforced trends that have shaped AML work for years: complex liability, funding uncertainties and the slow regulatory progress. Most of the ideas discussed are ones we’ve been talking about for 25 to 30 years.
But the value of the session wasn’t novelty, it was connection. Abandoned mine work is a tight‑knit field, and sessions like this give practitioners space to compare notes, share lessons learned and challenge assumptions. That collaboration remains one of MineXchange’s greatest strengths.
Beyond the session: An industry gearing up for growth
Outside the AML conversation, MineXchange 2026 presented an industry that is both buoyant and evolving. Keynotes stressed the strategic importance of streamlining permitting, which can take a decade or more. Federal recognition of copper and other materials as critical minerals was highlighted as a potential lever to accelerate certain approvals.
With metal prices at historic highs, mining in the U.S. is seeing renewed investment and optimism.
Looking ahead
The session underscored a truth that continues to define AML work: the legacy of historic mining still shapes modern landscapes and addressing it will require both technical innovation and policy clarity. But it also highlighted the opportunities emerging at the intersection of remediation, technology and mineral recovery.
As the industry continues to rise, the past does not need to be a burden. With the right strategies, and the funding and regulatory support to match, it can become a platform for progress.