Utah’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program
Utah has a history rich in mining including copper, silver and uranium. Often when mines no longer produced, they were simply abandoned leaving equipment, open shafts, tunnels and piles of waste rock. In 1975, the Utah Mined Reclamation Act was passed making it illegal for mines to be abandoned. Today there are an estimated 10,000 mine openings scattered across Utah.
The Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program (AMRP) works to protect the public from dangers of old mines by sealing off access to openings and cleaning up waste. Old mining sites can be intriguing to unsuspecting explorers but can contain dangerous gases, unstable structures and explosives. Stay out and Stay Alive!
For more information about the Utah Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program email [email protected].
Please note: Our division hours are 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday.
The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program (AMRP) has received the prestigious 2025 National Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award from the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
The award recognizes the AMRP for its Kenilworth Mine Fire Emergency Abatement Project in Carbon County, which exemplified excellence in reclamation by successfully eliminating health, safety, and environmental hazards that threatened the nearby community.