15.236: Environmental Quality and Protection

15.236

Active

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) [DOI]

Aug. 11, 2022

Aug. 11, 2022

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its cooperative government and nongovernmental conservation partners, mitigate hazards to protect public health and safety, and restore watersheds for resources, recreation, fish, wildlife and domestic animals, and return lands to productive uses including, but not limited to, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of historical/cultural resources. Extractive industry activities of the past, including both underground and surface mining and oil and gas drilling, have left degraded watersheds on public lands throughout (State). Unreclaimed sites pose an environmental threat to groundwater, surface water and soil as well as create a risk to the health and safety of public land users. Mitigation measures are implemented through core programs such as: 1).Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program, which addresses physical safety hazards and water quality through restoration of abandoned hardrock mines. 2). Orphan Well Program, which remediates oil and gas wells improperly abandoned, and seeks to plug them in accordance with state regulations and rules; 3). Educational outreach about the potential dangers posed to the public and recreationists from AML and orphaned well sites. This program continues to advance the Department of the Interior’s priorities to address the climate crisis, restore balance on public lands and waters, advance environmental justice, and invest in a clean energy future. The BLM’s AML Program and Orphan Well Project support these priorities by focusing efforts in the following areas: ?1) environmental compliance, and the identification, inventory, cleanup and remediation of legacy contaminated sites and features; 2) immediate response to releases of hazardous substances, wastes and materials onto public lands; 3) mitigation of priority AML and Orphan Well contaminated and physical safety sites and features; 4) improving all BLM environmental programs via an environmental management system including environmental audits;? and, 5) providing program training and awareness. Through these focused efforts, BLM will also strengthen Environmental Justice (EJ) actions to ensure fair treatment and meaningful involvement of EJ and disadvantaged communities/stakeholders during the CERCLA and RCRA planning and cleanup processes. The AML Program and Orphan Well Project will contribute to the conversation and restoration of approximately 30% of our lands and waters by the year 2030 by reducing the contamination levels. Additionally, this will help ensure that public land users are not at risk from the dangers of legacy mining and oil and gas activities.

B - Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)

Anyone/General public.

Not Applicable

https://sam.gov/fal/d8a45bf477cf4364be4d641492c3374d/view