Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bipartisan Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act.

This bill would establish a pilot program for 15 low-risk abandoned mine remediation projects to be approved by the EPA and to be conducted by qualified State agencies, local governments, and nonprofits. It does not provide unlimited protection for everybody. It is a pilot project.

In Colorado and across the West, we are surrounded by the legacy of our pioneering mining industry, but with that comes the responsibility to address what is left behind at mining sites.

According to the GAO, of the nearly 140,000 abandoned hardrock mines in the U.S., we have 23,000 of them in Colorado alone, with over 7,400 of them posing environmental risks. Under current law, groups that volunteer to clean or restore a former mining site could become liable for the site, even if the group played no role in causing the pollution before remediating the site. The Colorado Department of Natural Resources has told me that that hurdle has stopped cleanup efforts in Colorado.

This bill represents a critical step forward, empowering those nonresponsible parties that are ready, willing, and able to help and to improve water quality in and around abandoned hardrock mines to obtain a permit to clean up those sites.

By establishing a pilot program, abandoned mines can be remediated over the next 7 years, and we will learn lessons on how to best permit and manage remediation of those sites going forward.

In September 2023, the Biden administration's recommendations to improve mining on public lands called for the establishment of a Good Samaritan remediation. The administration strongly supports the establishment of a Good Samaritan remediation program through the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill that would allow us to address important environmental issues.

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