CLEANUP OF CONTAMINATED SITES

HB 333 appropriates $50 million from the general fund to the New Mexico Department of Environment for assessing and cleaning up abandoned or neglected contaminated sites, including uranium mining sites, that lack responsible parties to pay for cleanup. The funding covers fiscal years 2026 through 2028, with any unspent balance reverting to the general fund by the end of 2028. This bill directly affects communities and ecosystems near these abandoned sites by providing state-funded cleanup where private entities cannot or will not act. It establishes a specific funding mechanism for environmental remediation without creating new regulatory requirements.