Community Reclamation Partnerships Act of 2025
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my colleague, Representative LaHood's bill, the Community Reclamation Partnerships Act.
This legislation would amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to allow States to partner with third-party groups like environmental and wildlife protection organizations, to clean up abandoned coal mine sites. Qualifying projects would be exempt from certain legal liabilities that have stood in the way of cleanup.
Right now, there are many thousands of abandoned coal mine sites across the country, many located in Appalachia, from before the industry was federally regulated. These sites will sit for years, with rivers and streams running over them, polluting waterways in perpetuity, unless taxpayers shoulder the cost of cleanup.
With limited government funds and personnel to clean up these mines, many sites are left polluted for decades. To make matters worse, even if a Good Samaritan group wants to volunteer to help clean up the pollution themselves, current law requires them to take on full liability for the site under the Clean Water Act.
That means raising funds to cover all the bonding and liability costs. Even if the groups manage to do that, it is nearly impossible to get a permit for this work because of the high standards in the Clean Water Act.
This bill would address these issues by empowering communities to help clean up polluted sites.
This isn't a get out of jail free card for polluting companies. This is a tool that gives communities more agency to care for the places they live, work, and play.
On both sides of the aisle, we agree that Good Samaritans shouldn't face these barriers to completing honest and necessary work. However, this bill is only part of the solution to the abandoned coal mine problem. There is more to do to hold the industry accountable, but this is a good bipartisan step to cleaner water for our communities.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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