Pilot Program: Legal Protection for Cleaning Up Abandoned Mines.
This Act establishes a 7-year pilot program allowing non-liable parties, known as 'Good Samaritans,' to clean up pollution at abandoned hardrock mine sites without incurring legal liability for existing environmental damage. The goal is to encourage voluntary remediation efforts by removing legal barriers under major environmental laws. This change aims to improve water quality and reduce public health risks in communities affected by mine contamination.
Key points
Liability Shield: Individuals and groups not responsible for the pollution receive legal protection from penalties and liability under the Clean Water Act and Superfund laws when conducting authorized cleanup activities.
Environmental Improvement: Remediation projects must demonstrate measurable progress toward achieving water quality standards and improving environmental conditions compared to the site's original state.
Limited Scope: The program is a pilot, restricted to 15 projects over 7 years, and applies only to abandoned mines where no responsible and financially capable owner or operator can be identified.
Funding Cleanup: Permits may allow the reprocessing of recovered mine materials on Federal land, provided the proceeds are used to offset remediation costs and deposited into dedicated funds.
Expired
Citizen Poll