To ensure the safety of both people and bats, the New Mexico Abandoned Mine Land Program (AMLP) is gearing up to rehabilitate and secure up to six “highly dangerous” mines southeast of Cuba.
The reclamation project will restore and secure mines that were closed in the 1980s while safeguarding local wildlife. It will focus on protecting the Townsend’s big-eared bat, which has found refuge in the abandoned mines — the Padilla and La Ventana coal mines. The program will install bat-friendly gates to help protect the species, according to James Hollen, National Environmental Policy Act coordinator for the AMLP.
“People stumble into [abandoned mines] every year and people get hurt and die and so our mission is to safeguard these from the public but still allow wildlife to use them,” Hollen said.
The program is seeking public input through Aug. 31 and hopes to begin construction in the fall, before the bats hibernate for the winter, although the program expects it may not start until the spring.
According to Hollen, La Ventana and Padilla mines, which were active during the 1930s and 1960s, were small-scale, family-operated coal operations. They were primarily used for heating homes in the Cuba area, generating electricity and fueling railroad activities. They are among approximately 15,000 abandoned mines scattered throughout New Mexico.
Today, the parcels are situated on lands either privately owned or managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Rio Puerco District Office.
The work will address subsidence issues in the mines by repairing sinkholes that have developed since the mines were initially closed in the 1980s. Subsidence refers to areas where the ground has sunk and exposed the old mine shafts. To mitigate these issues, AMLP will backfill the mines where no wildlife is present.
Following a biological survey that found bats and other small animals living in the mines, the program will install steel gates over mine shafts, adits, portals and other entryways. These gates are designed to secure the mines, allowing bats and other wildlife to move freely while preventing human access.
The Padilla and La Ventana mine reclamation projects will be funded by $250,000 from a larger annual grant received from the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement. This grant, totaling millions of dollars each year, comes from a tax on each ton of coal mined in New Mexico. The funds are specifically allocated for the reclamation of abandoned coal mines, according to Hollen.
Get involved
To review the project draft, visit https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/mmd/public-notices/. Public comments are being accepted until Aug. 31. For questions, comments, or more information, contact James Hollen at james.hollen@emnrd.nm.gov or (505) 231-8332.