Contacts:
- Chris Wood, President and CEO, Trout Unlimited, chris.wood@tu.org,
- Corey Fisher, Public Lands Policy Director, Trout Unlimited, corey.fisher@tu.org
- David Kinney, VP for Communications, Trout Unlimited, david.kinney@tu.org, 856-834-6591
Trout Unlimited media resources: www.tu.org/about/media
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today passed bipartisan ‘Good Samaritan’ legislation that would help clean up pollution from abandoned mines. The Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 (S.2781/H.R.7779), which has won bipartisan support from more than 60 members of Congress, passed the Senate by unanimous consent in July. Advancing the bill out of committee in the House marks a significant milestone on the way to becoming law.
The bill has been endorsed by a diverse coalition of state and local governments, conservation organizations, tribal interests, the outdoor industry, mine remediation agencies, and hunters and anglers.
“Abandoned mines represent perhaps the greatest threat to water quality in America. There is no constituency for orange rivers. This bill is the epitome of common sense. It is a turning point for the communities and fish that depend on cold, clean water” said Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “It passed the Senate 100-0, and and we hope it will pass the House with the same level of support. We thank Representatives Maloy and Peltola for their unwavering commitment to cleaning up acid mine pollution and advancing the work of would-be ‘Good Samaritans’ across the country.”
More than 100,000 miles of streams in the United States are listed as impaired for acidity and heavy metals, the kind of pollution caused by acid mine drainage, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 40 percent of headwater streams in western states are contaminated by historical mining activity. Unfortunately, current laws limit the ability of “Good Samaritans”—third parties who had nothing to do with creating the mine pollution—to clean up abandoned mines.
The legislation would enable conservation organizations, state agencies and other qualified volunteers to tackle cleanups that would improve water quality. The bill would establish a new EPA pilot program permitting up to 15 low-risk abandoned mine remediation projects over a seven-year period.
“Current law treats those who want to clean up abandoned mines as if they themselves are polluters, letting the toxic legacy of abandoned mine pollution at these sites continue unabated,” said Corey Fisher, Public Lands Policy Director for Trout Unlimited. “This bipartisan legislation allows us to clean up historic abandoned mines that will otherwise continue polluting our watersheds. Trout Unlimited and our many partners are ready to get to work under this pilot program to help make our waters cleaner and communities healthier.”
For more information, please visit www.tu.org/goodsam
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Trout Unlimited is the nation’s leading conservation organization dedicated to caring for and recovering America’s rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Across the country, TU brings to bear local, regional, and national grassroots organizing, durable partnerships, science-backed policy muscle, and legal firepower on behalf of trout and salmon fisheries, healthy waters, and vibrant communities.