The bill, co-sponsored by Congressmen Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan, would make $14.5 million in Surface Mine and Reclamation Act funds available to remediate 137 uranium sites in New Mexico.

"Cleaning up the legacy of the uranium mines and mills is something we owe to our land, our people, and our water," said Teague. Many of the abandoned uranium sites are located in his district. "Making these funds available for uranium site remediation would create jobs in areas where people need to be put back to work, and we would be able to do it using existing funds."

Currently, federal law dictates that surface mine reclamation funds can only be used for uranium mines after all coal mining remediation is complete. Teague´s law would propose giving uranium mines equal status.

The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives this week.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at 330-865-6166 or asmith-teutsch@crain.com