WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rich Nolan, President and CEO of the National Mining Association (NMA), today issued the following statement in support of the “Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2022,” which was introduced today by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) with strong bipartisan support and represents the first bipartisan piece of Good Samaritan legislation introduced since 2009:
“Today’s modern mining industry has the expertise and desire to address legacy mine sites that were abandoned decades – even generations ago – but current laws prevent any meaningful action. Senators Heinrich and Risch’s legislation would allow our industry, together with conservation groups and other good Samaritans, to utilize our equipment, skills and experience to clean up these sites without fear of incurring additional legal liability. This legislation is critical to removing the obstacles that are preventing the remediation of important land and water resources, and it deserves bipartisan support to clear the way for positive, on-the-ground environmental progress.”
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